River · Russia
Northern Dvina
The Northern Dvina is one of the most important rivers in the far north of European Russia. It begins where two rivers meet at the town of Veliky Ustyug and flows north into the White Sea near Arkhangelsk.
Picture credit: Sk (Public domain) · Alexxx1979 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Alexxx1979 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Northern Dvina?
The river starts here: Confluence of the Sukhona and Yug at Veliky Ustyug, Russia.
It ends in the Dvina Bay of the White Sea near Arkhangelsk.
Countries on the river: Russia.
The story behind it
In winter the Northern Dvina freezes solid: from December to April the river lies under ice. In summer the whole river can be used by boats, and for a long time huge rafts of logs floated down it towards the sea. Near its mouth it splits into many arms and forms a delta of about 900 square kilometres. There lies Arkhangelsk, founded in 1584. English sailors arrived in the White Sea in 1553, and soon ships came every year to trade. Until the 1700s the river was Russia's main trade route to western Europe. In 1693 Tsar Peter the Great set up a shipyard in Arkhangelsk, and soon the ships built there were sailing on the White Sea. At the other end of the river, near Veliky Ustyug, Ded Moroz, the Russian Father Frost, has his official home.
Questions children ask
How long is the Northern Dvina?
The Northern Dvina itself is about 744 km long, from Veliky Ustyug to the White Sea. If you add its longer headstream, the Sukhona, the river system measures about 1 302 km.
Does the Northern Dvina freeze in winter?
Yes. From December to April the river is covered with ice, so ships can only use it in the warmer months.
Why was the Northern Dvina so important for trade?
Until the 1700s, Arkhangelsk at the mouth of the river was Russia's main harbour for sea trade with western Europe. Goods travelled along the river to and from the port, until the new city of Saint Petersburg took over much of the trade.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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