The middle strip of Russia is rich in beautiful places with a curious history. A lot of unique and little-known corners of nature. The Gus river is known mainly due to the city of Gus-Khrustalny. Although the drain itself deserves attention from an ethnic (name) point of view, and as an excellent object for the further development of tourism.
Description
The Central Russian Upland, where the Gus River is located, is part of the East European Plain. This largely determines the nature of the course and the coastline. It flows through two regions - Vladimir and Ryazan, and is a left tributary of the Oka. It starts at an altitude of 127 m above sea level near the village of Arsamaki Gus-Khrustalny district, Vladimir region, and there are several sources. The mouth (height above sea level - 83 meters) forms a small lake not far from the Zabeleno pier (Kasimovsky district, Ryazan region). Characteristic:
- length –146 km;
- pool - 3910 km 2 ;
- depth - up to 2 meters;
- width - from 5 to 20 meters;
- height - 127 meters;
- slope - 0.34 meters per kilometer;
- water system: Oka - Volga - Caspian Sea;
- the shores are gentle;
- spills in the spring;
- ice is from November to April;
- The largest settlement is Gus-Khrustalny.
In the region of more than three hundred lakes, the total surface area of the water surface in the region reaches 33 thousand hectares. The two navigable rivers Oka and Klyazma with numerous tributaries create a unique ecosystem. Picturesque beaches and the presence of fish make the area attractive for tourists. There are camp sites and dispensaries on the river.
The Gus River flows in a southerly direction, eventually through the Oka, and then the Volga, its waters fall into the Caspian Sea. Throughout it, it winds heavily, then it speeds up, tapering to 4 meters, then it slows down, spilling up to 20 meters. The banks are mostly wooded, occasionally the river flows through meadows. The bottom is sandy, there are magnificent natural beaches.
Tributaries
Despite its relatively small size, the Gus river (Vladimir region) in the spring is full of water and in the spring floods a vast territory. Water filling is provided not only by their own mouths, but also by numerous tributaries. Goose cannot boast of a large number of them, but they are quite full-flowing.
Rights:
- Smolyanaya Ditch - 122 km;
- Ninur - 77 km;
- Narma –20 km;
- Ninor (Bochka) - 90 km;
- Miserva - 49 km;
- Nysmur - 105 km;
- Dandur - 55 km;
- Pinsur - 100 km.
Left:
- Vekovka - 112 km;
- Centur Creek (Black River) - 84 km;
- Kolp –12 km;
- Shershul (Enpush) - 103 km.
Reservoirs
Man's use of the Gus river is mainly tourist oriented. Outdoor enthusiasts open the river rafting season on May Day holidays. The absence of large settlements, the relatively calm flow of the river, good fishing and the presence of wild sandy beaches are the main advantages of the river.
Human intervention can be considered two artificial reservoirs in the first 24 kilometers of the watercourse. The first is called the Alexander (or Anopino) reservoir, located half a kilometer from the village of Anopino. It was created in 1968 for irrigation of fields. The second is called the city lake, it is located in the city of Gus-Khrustalny. Both are filled due to spring runoff and groundwater.
At the beginning of the century, after the transfer of the facility to the glass factory, the reservoir was reconstructed. Cleaning the bottom, strengthening the dam, organizing a place for swimming, car parking added to the attractiveness of tourists. However, deforestation of shrubs on the shores led to a decrease in the number of birds that nested here earlier. In 2015, on the basis of the natural monument “Alexander Reservoir” (regional significance), a reorganization into the “Gusevsky” nature reserve (integrated) took place. The main task is to preserve the unique objects of nature, especially valuable centuries-old trees, rare plant species.
A small lake in the city center is a favorite vacation spot for citizens. It attracts clear water, a sandy yellow bottom, equipped city beach and boat station. An earth embankment (dam) appeared in 1850, now it is reinforced with concrete. A brief description of:
- width 0.5 km;
- 2.8 km long;
- total area of 0.86 km 2 ;
- coastline 6.6 km;
- depth 6.5 m (maximum);
- total volume of 2.31 million m³.
A floating phenomenon is considered a curious phenomenon. In the process of erosion of the coast, small areas of soil with vegetation come off and begin to drift over the water area. On some islands, trees grow. At the same time, up to 10 such floating objects can be observed. Over time, the soil in them erodes and they are destroyed.
Flora and fauna
Plants and animals of the Gus River are characteristic of the central regions of Russia. Of the mammals, beavers are found, although they have already been imported, “indigenous” were completely exterminated at one time. There are muskrats and the Red Book Russian muskrat. Of waterfowl, you can meet the mute swan, black-throated loon, wild duck, a rare black stork. Fishermen are frequent visitors to the pond. Here they catch perch, pike, roach, asp, ide, verkhovka, crucian carp, loach and others.
The flora is rich, totals 1370 species of plants. The shores are mainly occupied by shrubs and deciduous forests. In the meadows there are thickets of reeds.
Title
The Goose River is noteworthy for its name. There are several versions regarding its origin:
- Finnish-Ugric. Some researchers believe that the "goose" is in tune with the Finnish - "kuusi", which means spruce. Against this version is the fact that there are no spruce forests on the banks, there are pine forests, but they are not as numerous as deciduous forests. The names of the tributaries clearly trace to the Avestan and Sanskrit roots, only the Finno-Ugric endings.
- Slavic. The etymologist M. N. Makarov believed that the hydronym is related to the popular expression "water runs by a goose" - very winding. The word "goose" itself has more than six thousand years. Sanskrit literally translates - walking on water.
- Totemic. Many names of waterfowl in modern Russian came from the language of the Meshchera tribe: bittern, goose and others. The Gus river could be named after the totem of the tribe living in these places. There are many examples in Central Russia of rivers bearing the names of birds: Magpie, Hawk, Guslitsa and others.
Curious conclusion
In many nations, the goose was considered sacred, closely connected with the sun. The goose or goose was a sacrificial bird, the personification of the sun, rebirth and life itself. All three rivers are connected together by a sacred symbol:
- Goose is a sacred symbol of the sun.
- Oka - in translation from the ancient Illyrian language (it is close to the language of the Pre-Slavs and the Balts) - a goose, that is, a symbol of the sun, a solar sign.
- Volga, the ancient name is Ra, the god of the sun.
It turns out that the entire chain of rivers carries a charge of life, affirming the all-conquering power of the sun.