The captain of the riverboat spoke about the most challenging sections of the Volga for navigation.

      May 29, 2026 17:00 Society The captain of the riverboat "Quiet Don," Konstantin Funtov, named the two most challenging sections of the Volga where navigators regularly face difficulties. This was reported by a correspondent from NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." According to him, the first place is the Gorodetsky Pless. This section is characterized by shallow waters, and after the reconstruction of the Gorodetsky lock, the passage has become even more problematic. "Right now, there is a very large influx of vessels, the schedule is very tight, not everyone makes it. If someone ahead has a delay, then everyone's schedule falls apart," noted the captain. He gave an example: the riverboat was supposed to arrive in Nizhny Novgorod at 15:00, but due to the situation at the lock, it only arrived at 15:20. "And I was in a big hurry," emphasized Funtov. According to him, this situation will persist until a second lock is built. Additional complexity in this area is created by shallow waters and dependence on water flow from the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station. During the summer period, vessels with a draft of about three meters can only pass for 4-5 hours. If the riverboat, for any reason, does not manage to pass this section in the allotted time, it effectively falls out of the schedule for a day. The second challenging section the captain named is the Astrakhan Pless below Volgograd. Here, the Volga is in a free channel, and the fairway often changes due to sand deposits and changes in the riverbed. "It seems wide and deep, but the channel changes. A week ago, I was going through one section, and then it suddenly changed," explained Funtov. According to him, the vessel must strictly follow the established fairway, which in such conditions causes additional difficulties for navigators. The rest of the Volga, as the captain noted, is well-regulated and does not cause similar problems. It was previously reported that the completion date for the reconstruction of the Gorodetsky hydrojunction has been extended to December 2027. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+