Psel is a river flowing through the expanses of the East European Plain. The left tributary of the Dnieper-Slavutich. From ancient times, people settled on the banks of this picturesque river. And today it attracts the attention of fishermen, tourists and ordinary vacationers.
Psel: a river with a strange name
The seventh river in Ukraine has a rather unusual name. Historians and linguists have not yet reached a consensus on the origin of this hydronym. He is credited with Slavic, Greek, Finno-Ugric and even Adyghe roots.
Where does the outlandish word "Psel" come from? The river was first mentioned in the famous work of Nestor the Chronicler "The Tale of Bygone Years" from 1113. Some researchers associate its name with the old Slavic root “psu”, which means “moistened place”. Others suggest that it comes from the Greek word "psellos" (dark).
Psel is a mysterious, mysterious and very beautiful river. It is no coincidence that it was often directed by the outstanding director Alexander Dovzhenko for his films (near the village of Yareski). By the way, the beauty of this river was opened to the director by another well-known figure of Ukrainian culture - the artist and architect Vasily Krichevsky.
Geographical description of the river
Where does the river Psel flow? Poltava region is a region that accounts for half of its entire length (350 km). The total length of the river is 717 km.
Psel originates in Russia, on the slope of the Central Russian Upland (near the village of Prigorki). In its upper reaches, the river flows through the territory of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Then Psel crosses the Russian-Ukrainian state border near the ancient village of Zapselya. Further, the river flows mainly in the southwest direction, until it reaches the Dnieper.
The total area of the river basin is 22800 square meters. km Like many other lowland rivers, the Psla riverbed is winding, complicated by numerous elders and sleeves. The main source of food for the river is snowmelt. Psel, as a rule, finally freezes by mid-December.
This river has one, very unusual feature. After the village. Shishaki her left bank is much higher than the right, which is contrary to the law of the Coriolis force. According to this geographical rule, all rivers of the Northern hemisphere of the Earth are distinguished by a steeper and higher right bank.
Economic use of the river
In the developed countries of the West, it has long been realized that it is beneficial to build hydroelectric power stations only on mountain rivers. But in the Soviet Union they did not always think about expediency, and moreover about ecology. As a result: Psel in the second half of the twentieth century "overgrown" with locks and small hydropower plants, which significantly influenced the organic world of the river.
Psel today is used for irrigation of agricultural land, water supply and recreation. In the lower reaches, the river is navigable.
The largest settlements on the banks of the Psla: Sumy, Lower, Gadyach, Big Sorochintsy, Shishaki, Balakliya, Belotserkovka.
Recreation and fishing on the river Psel
On Psle you can relax and go fishing. In its waters, there are at least 35 species of fish, although the ichthyofauna of the river is very heterogeneous. This means that for a good catch you need to find a good place. Nevertheless, in large quantities in Psle, bream and bream are found. In the reaches you can catch carp, and in the thickets - pike.
On the banks of the river there are many diverse attractions. These are the sites of the Chernyakhov culture, the mysterious Scythian settlements, ancient wooden temples and nature reserves.
So, the village of Gornal of the Kursk region is known for the complex of the Belogorsky St. Nicholas Monastery, founded on the banks of the Psla in 1672. Near the village of Miropole, Sumy region, the river laid bare the most beautiful chalk deposits.
Along the Psla there are many places that are associated with the creative activities of Ukrainian and Russian writers, composers, directors. So, for example, Anton Chekhov twice rested in Sumy, and in the village of Niza he worked for several years in a row Tchaikovsky. The famous Ukrainian writer Panas Mirny was born in Mirgorod , and Nikolay Gogol , in the Great Sorochintsy.
Provincial and beautiful Sumy
Psel flows through dozens of different settlements. And the most interesting among them is the city of Sumy, founded in the middle of the XVII century.
Sumy is often called the coziest regional center of Ukraine. The city is very green and well maintained. In addition, many architectural monuments of the 18th-19th centuries have been preserved here. Among them, it is worth highlighting the Transfiguration Cathedral - a real masterpiece of Ukrainian Baroque. Chimes for the bell tower of the cathedral were specially made in England. In Sumy there is another beautiful temple - Trinity. It was built at the beginning of the twentieth century and combined several architectural styles at once.
Sumy altanka is also considered a symbol of the city. This openwork wooden structure was erected in 1905. During city holidays, a brass band plays in the altanka.
Finally...
The Psel River flows through the territory of two regions of Russia and two - of Ukraine. Its total length is 717 kilometers.
Like many other lowland rivers of Eastern Europe, Psel is very beautiful and picturesque. On its green shores it is pleasant to go fishing or just relax from life's adversities. Along the river there are many ancient cities, villages, as well as interesting tourist attractions.