A storied river of southern Russia, heartland of the Don Cossacks.
Length
1,870 km
Source
Novomoskovsk, Russia
Mouth
Sea of Azov
Continent
Europe
Countries
Russia
Did you know?
The Don comes within about 100 km of the Volga, and a canal now links the two, connecting five seas by water.
Little-known fact
Its lower valley was home to the Don Cossacks, whose way of life fills Sholokhov's epic novel 'And Quiet Flows the Don'.
Highlights
- Heartland of the Don Cossacks
- Linked by canal to the Volga
- Setting of a famous Russian epic
Life in the Don
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Animals & fish
Beluga sturgeon
A giant armoured fish that can live over 100 years and yields the world’s most prized caviar.
Wels catfish
A monstrous European catfish that can top 2.5 m and has learned to beach itself to catch pigeons.
Northern pike
A long, torpedo-shaped ambush predator that lurks among weeds across the cool rivers and lakes of the north.
Water plants & reeds
Common reed
The tall, feathery grass that forms the vast reedbeds fringing rivers and lakes, sheltering countless birds.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here