The Volkhov () is a river in Novgorodsky and Chudovsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast and Kirishsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia. It connects Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga and forms part of the basin of the Neva. The length of the river is , and the area of its drainage basin is . The city of Veliky Novgorod, the towns of Kirishi, Volkhov and Novaya Ladoga, and the historically important village of Staraya Ladoga are located along the Volkhov. Etymology A number of etymologies, none universally accepted, have been proposed for the name of the river. In his Etymological dictionary of the Russian language, Max Vasmer doubted some philologists' opinion that the river's name is related to the Finnish velho ("magician") or Russian volkhv ("pagan priest"). Geography The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly variable depending primarily on the level of Lake Ilmen. The Volkhov is reported to reverse the direction of its flow in its upper section in exceptional circumstances. The river freezes up in late November, and breaks up in early April. The level of water is regulated by the dam of the Volkhov hydroelectric plant (the first Soviet regional hydroelectric dam opened on December 19, 1926, in the framework of the GOELRO plan) situated 25 km upstream from the mouth of the river. Apart from hydroelectric generating purposes, the dam serves to facilitate navigation in the lower part of the river previously known for its rapids. The upstream part of the Volkhov is connected to the Msta by the Siversov Canal bypassing Lake Ilmen. The downstream part is connected with the Neva, the Syas, and the Svir by the Ladoga Canal bypassing Lake Ladoga. The main tributaries of the Volkhov are the Vishera (right), joins the Maly Volkhovets armlet; the Kerest (left); the Oskuya (right); the Pchyovzha (right); the Tigoda (left); the Chyornaya (right); the Vloya (left); the Olomna (left). The drainage basin of the Volkhov includes the large parts of Novgorod and Leningrad Oblasts, as well as areas in Tver Oblast, Pskov Oblast of Russia and Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus. The main rivers belonging to the river basin of the Volkhov are the Msta, the Lovat, the Pola, and the Shelon. History Despite its