The Pregolya River is the largest in the Kaliningrad Region. The cities of Chernyakhovsk, Gvardeysk and Kaliningrad, the town of Znamensk and other towns and villages are located on it. On Pregol is the Museum of the World Ocean, the famous Irbensky floating lighthouse and many other attractions. This is a unique river that flows only in the Kaliningrad region.
Geographic characteristics
The Pregol begins with the connection of the two rivers Angrapa and Instruchi, which merge together near the city of Chernyakhovsk. The mouth is located at the confluence of the Gulf of Kaliningrad. It is not wide, as in large rivers, but has characteristic features: channels, islands.
The length of the Pregolya River from the confluence to the mouth is 123 kilometers, along with its tributary Angrapa - 292. When formed, its width is small, only 20 meters, at the mouth it widens to 80. The direction of the river is from east to west. The bottom is sandy, sometimes silted.
The depth of the Pregolya River is heterogeneous and varies throughout its length from source to mouth. At the confluence, it is only 2-3 meters, in the lower reaches this indicator ranges from 8-16 meters. In the lower reaches, near the village of Ozerki, the river will be divided into two parts: the northern arm (New Pregolya) and the southern arm (Old Pregolya).
They are interconnected by channels that form islands of different sizes. Behind the largest and most famous island of Kant, they merge again and flow into the Kaliningrad Bay in a single stream. The sleeve is the Daimu River, which branches off and flows separately from the city of Gvardeisk, flowing into the Curonian Lagoon.
Hydrographic characteristics
The Pregol River in the Kaliningrad Region flows twice a year. From late March to April - spring flood, the second time it occurs in the summer-autumn period. Thanks to them, elders form small lakes in the floodplain of the river . The largest are Empty and Raven. The river carries its waters into two bays of the Baltic Sea. It flows through Daima into the Curonian lagoon, where it delivers up to 40% of the total water volume. The remaining 60% goes to Kaliningrad.
Nutrition Pregoli mixed. The main part, about 40%, is replenishment due to rains, which are quite frequent in this area. At 35%, water flows from melting snow. The river receives the remaining 25% from groundwater. During spills, in most cases only a floodplain is flooded.
But sometimes floods occur during water surges, even catastrophic ones occur, during which most of the territory is flooded. The speed of the river is small, as it flows along the flat terrain.
Tributaries
The pregolya is replenished with water from tributaries, the largest of which are the Angrap, Instruch, Lava, Pissa and Golubaya rivers. Also, a large number of small rivers and streams flows into it throughout the course of the course. On the right bank are the rivers Lakovka, Guryevka, Glubokaya, Gremyachya. On the left bank - Baydukovka, Beaver, Guards, Big.
origin of name
The Greek scientist Ptolemy compiled a geographical map of the Baltic Sea regions, which he called Sarmatian. At the place where the Pregol now flows, the Chron, or Chronus, river is designated. In the XII-XIII centuries, it had another name - Skara, it can be translated as "curve", "curved". The Prussian tribes living in these places gave it the name Pregillis, which meant “low / deep place”. The Germans called her Pregl. The Russians living in these places began to call it the river Pregolya.
Water fauna
Up to forty species of fish inhabit the river, but recently representatives of valuable species of aquatic fauna, such as trout, are rare. This is due to poor ecology, which is caused by pollution of the river with industrial and household waste. This is especially true of the part that passes through Kaliningrad.
Recently, the ecological condition of the river has improved slightly due to a stop at the pulp and paper mill (pulp and paper mill), so the number of fish in it has increased. The reduction in the number of valuable fish species is also associated with a reduction in spawning, since when passing through the estuaries where Kaliningrad is located, the fish die.
Some lucky ones can be lucky, and they will become owners of valuable trophies in the form of a furry Japanese crab, the weight of which can reach one and a half kilograms.
Shipping
Prior to the construction of the Kaliningrad - Chernyakhovsk railway, the river was considered the main transport artery. With its help, goods and passengers moved. Shipping was made possible thanks to measures to deepen the bottom and the fact that the river was connected to the Baltic Sea via a canal. After the railway was built, the number of goods transported along the river was greatly reduced. Nevertheless, it remains an important commercial route.
Walk on the Pregol River
If you want to see Kaliningrad from a different perspective, then use the services of sightseeing pleasure boats. Their parking can be found on the river in the city center or on the skeleton of Kant near the cathedral. The excursion along the Old Pregol begins. You can see almost all the sights of the city in it: the Jubilee Bridge, the Fish Exchange building, the Mayak observation deck, the Königsberg Exchange, the confluence of the Old and New Pregolles, a monument to sailors and fishermen who died at sea, the Moscow Museum of Defense and much more. You will swim under all the bridges of the city, however, good weather is important for this.
Bridges over the river Pregolya
Bridges are a decoration of the river and are of major economic importance. There are 15 of them on Pregol. Nine bridges are located in the regional center and six in other areas. The most famous are located in Kaliningrad: adjustable pedestrian "Yubileiny"; multi-level adjustable drawer, which has no analogues in Russia, as cars move along the lower tier, and rail transport along the upper tier.
Museums on the river
The river Pregolya in Kaliningrad is of great importance, without it it is impossible to imagine the life of the city. There are famous attractions on it. One of them is the Museum of the World Ocean. It is located in the city center, near the South Railway Station. Here you can see the inside of the device of the B-413 submarine, visit the famous Soviet research ship Vityaz, the R / V Cosmonaut Victor Patsaev, and the fishing trawler SRT-129.