▁through ▁rivers ▁and ▁res er voir s . ▁ ▁The ▁canal ▁forms ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Un ified ▁Deep ▁Water ▁System ▁of ▁European ▁Russia . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁the ▁lower ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁the ▁lower ▁Don , ▁the ▁Vol ga – Don ▁Canal ▁provides ▁the ▁most ▁direct ▁navig able ▁connection ▁between ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁Sea ▁and ▁the ▁world ' s ▁o ce ans ▁via ▁the ▁Sea ▁of ▁Az ov ▁and ▁the ▁Black ▁Sea . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁trade ▁and ▁military ▁route ▁between ▁the ▁major ▁rivers ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁Don , ▁has ▁dated ▁back ▁to ▁early ▁human ▁history . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁T ana is ▁in ▁the ▁Don ▁River ▁delta ▁which ▁dates ▁back s ▁in ▁c . ▁ 4 3 8 ▁BC ▁– ▁c . ▁ 3 7 0 ▁AD ▁during ▁the ▁Bos por an ▁Kingdom ▁indicated ▁that ▁this ▁route ▁may ▁have ▁existed ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁thousands ▁years . ▁S ark el ▁was ▁a ▁for tr ess ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁left ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁Don ▁River ▁and ▁it ▁controlled ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁trade ▁route . ▁Both ▁S ark el ▁and ▁T ana is ▁were ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁trade ▁route . ▁ ▁Don – Vol ga ▁Port age ▁has ▁got ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁while ▁its ▁significant ▁ ▁trade ▁importance . ▁The ▁first ▁attempts ▁to ▁connect s ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁Don ▁river ▁canal ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great . ▁After ▁capt uring ▁Az ov ▁in ▁ 1 6