VOLGA: a history

The longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches over three and a half thousand km from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation-and has united and divided the land through which it flows.0 Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the Volga from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire's control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.

Part 1: Early history of the Volga. The first states on the Volga: Khazaria, Bolgar and Rus principalities ; The Volga and conquest: hordes, khanates and Moscow -- Part 2: The Volga in the Russian Empire: violence and control on the river. Non-Russians and Russians on the new Volga frontier ; Violence on the Volga: pirates, raiders and Cossacks ; Taming the Volga: The Russian Empire on the borderland ; Orthodoxy and Islam on the Volga ; The Volga: disease and silence -- Part 3: The Volga in the Russian Empire: life and identity on the river. The Volga village ; The Volga town ; Life and trade on the river ; The Volga and Russian consciousness: literature, art, tourism ; Reforms, revolt and Russification on the Volga -- Part 4: Soviet and post-Soviet Volga: conflict, identity and managing the river. The Volga in war, revolution and civil war ; Collectivization and repression on the Volga ; The Volga in the Second World War: conflict, reconstruction and identity ; Non-Russians on the Volga; autonomy and identity ; Controlling and protecting the river Volga.