Volga Day in 2025: what date, history and traditions of the ecological holiday

In spring, Russia celebrates Volga Day. It is held annually in all the Volga regions, where almost a third of the total population of the country lives. Read about how the celebration appeared and what traditions are associated with it in the Izvestia article.

What is the date of Volga Day in 2025?

Volga Day is celebrated on May 20. In 2025, the holiday falls on a Tuesday.

The Volga is one of the largest rivers not only in Russia, but also in the world. The river flows from northwest to southeast, passing through 15 Russian regions, and empties into the Caspian Sea. Its length is more than 3.5 thousand km, and the basin area is 8% of the country's territory.

Almost half of all farmland and industrial enterprises in the country are located here, which has an impact on the ecosystem of the river. Human activity and the development of scientific and technological progress invariably lead to pollution and shallowing of the Volga.

The purpose of the celebration is to draw the attention of the authorities and the public to the environmental problems of one of the largest rivers in the world, which is not only the national pride of the country, but also a valuable natural site.

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For the first time, the festival was held on the initiative of UNESCO in 2008 during the international forum "Great Rivers" in Nizhny Novgorod. Then other regions of Russia joined the celebration. Among them are Yaroslavl, Samara, Volgograd, Astrakhan regions and the Republic of Tatarstan.

Volga Day in 2025: traditions of the May 20 holiday

In honor of Volga Day, festive concerts with fireworks, many educational events and environmental actions are held in the regions. For the holiday, volunteers are clearing the river banks of debris left by tourists and formed as a result of floods.

There are themed photo exhibitions and fairs of handicrafts in the central squares and parks. Drawing contests and various game programs are organized for children. Scientific seminars and lectures are also timed to coincide with the holiday. The celebration is not ignored by the media. On radio and television, there are stories about the celebration of Volga Day in different cities and environmental issues are raised.

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With this type of message, the authorities want to help reorient the economy to the East.

However, environmental protection events are held in the Volga region not only on holidays, but also throughout the year. The environmental movement "Let's Help the River" has been operating in the region for many years, involving about 200 community groups. Also, in order to improve the ecological state of the river, the federal projects "Improving the Volga" and the federal project "Preserving unique water bodies", operating under the national project "Ecology", are being implemented.

Interesting facts about the Volga River

The Volga is a legendary Russian river, it is sung in folk tales, songs and movies. The formation of this water body began about 5 million years ago. The source of the river originates in the swampy forest thickets of the Valdai Upland in the Tver region. In the lower reaches, the river enters the territory of the neighboring country, Kazakhstan.

For centuries, the Volga has been an important waterway supplying dozens of cities and arable lands with water resources, as well as Russia's largest commercial highway, maintaining this importance to this day.

A large number of rare birds live on the banks of the Volga River. Among them are white-tailed eagles, curly pelicans, great white herons and grouse. And there are more than 70 species of fish in the waters. The largest fish caught in the river is considered to be a beluga weighing one and a half tons, which was caught in 1827.