▁Vol kh ov ▁River ▁and ▁special ▁rail ▁car . ▁ ▁St amp ▁Gallery ▁ ▁Future ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁construction ▁started ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁canal ▁between ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁the ▁Don . ▁The ▁new ▁canal , ▁dub bed ▁Vol ga – Don ▁ 2 ▁( ; ▁) ▁would ▁start ▁from ▁the ▁town ship ▁of ▁Y er z ov ka ▁on ▁the ▁Vol g og rad ▁Res er voir , ▁north ▁( up stream ) ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁Dam , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁existing ▁Vol ga – Don ▁Canal ▁that ▁starts ▁south ▁( down stream ) ▁of ▁the ▁dam . ▁This ▁canal ▁would ▁reduce ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁lo cks ▁that ▁ships ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁Vol g og rad ▁Res er voir ▁– ▁or ▁from ▁any ▁other ▁Vol ga ▁or ▁K ama ▁port ▁farther ▁north ▁– ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁traverse ▁on ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁Don . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁ab rupt ly ▁can ce led ▁on ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁due ▁to ▁financial ▁consider ations , ▁although ▁by ▁that ▁time ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁allocated ▁funds ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁spent . ▁Since ▁then ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁stone ▁and ▁metal ▁in ▁the ▁abandoned ▁canal ▁and ▁its ▁lo cks ▁has ▁been ▁lo oted . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 7 – 2 0 0 8 , ▁Russian ▁authorities ▁are ▁considering ▁two ▁options ▁for ▁increasing ▁the ▁through put ▁of ▁navig able ▁water ways ▁between ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁bas in