What great rivers do you know? The Nile, the Amazon, the Mississippi, the Ganges, the Yellow River—these rivers are not only part of nature; they have influenced the history and culture of the countries through which they flow. In Russia, the most famous river is, of course, the Volga. Through forests, fields, and steppes, it carries its waters to the distant Caspian Sea. It changes itself, as do the trees, grasses, fish, birds, and animals that live in and around it. Many cities, large and small, draw their water from the Volga. What is Europe's largest river like? What is its character? How did humans 'subjugate' the Volga? How are they now saving river life from extinction? The river and its inhabitants reveal their amazing secrets in this book.