The Velikaya () is a river in
Novosokolnichesky,
Pustoshkinsky,
Sebezhsky,
Opochetsky,
Pushkinogorsky,
Ostrovsky,
Palkinsky, and
Pskovsky Districts of
Pskov Oblast
Pskov Oblast (russian: Пско́вская о́бласть, ') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
, as well as in the city of
Pskov
Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...
in
Russia. It is a major
tributary of
Lake Peipus and belongs to the drainage basin of the
Narva. It is long, and the area of its basin . The name of the river literally means "Grand" or "Great" in Russian. The towns of
Opochka
Opochka (russian: Опо́чка) is a town and the administrative center of Opochetsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: ; 9,902 (2019 estimate ...
,
Ostrov and Pskov are located on the banks of the Velikaya. The principal tributaries of the Velikaya are the
Alolya (right), the
Issa (left), the
Sorot (right), the
Sinyaya (left), the
Utroya (left), the
Kukhva (left), the
Cheryokha (right), and the
Pskova (right).
The source of the Velikaya is located in the
Bezhanitsy Hills in the northwest of
Novosokolnichesky District
Novosokolnichesky District (russian: Новосо́кольнический райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #833-oz and municipalLaw #420-oz district ( raion), one of the twenty-four in Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is located in the south of th ...
. The river flows south through a system of lakes to
Lake Veryato, where it turns west. It accepts the Alolya from the right and gradually turns north, passing through the town of Opochka. Northwest of the urban-type settlement of
Pushkinskiye Gory it turns west, accepts the Sinyaya from the left and turns north. In the city of Pskov the Velikaya accepts the Pskova from the right and turns northwest, forming a
river delta as it enters Lake Peipus.
The
drainage basin of the Velikaya comprises vast areas in the west and southwest of Pskov Oblast, as well as in the east of
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and in the north of the
Vitebsk Region of Belarus.
The river has a significant historic importance. Pskov was founded in 903, and the Velikaya provided it with access to the sea, via Lake Peipus and the Narva River.
The Velikaya is navigable in its lower course of length .
Gallery
File:Великая_от_Писковичей.jpg, The Velikaya in Piskovichi, Pskovsky district
File:Покровская_башня_и_река_Великая.jpg, The Velikaya in the city of Pskov, near Pskov Krom
File:Velikaya_in_Selikhnovo.jpg, The Velikaya in Selikhnovo, Pushkinogorsky district
References
External links
*
*{{GVR, 149875
Rivers of Pskov Oblast