ial ly ▁as ▁G ork y ▁Sea ▁( ), ▁is ▁an ▁artificial ▁lake ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁River ▁formed ▁by ▁a ▁hydro elect ric ▁dam ▁of ▁G ork y ▁H ydro elect ric ▁Station ▁( now ▁called ▁N iz h ny ▁Nov gor od ▁H ydro elect ric ▁Station ) ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁between ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Gor od ets ▁and ▁Z av ol zh ye ▁and ▁filled ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5   – ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁It ▁sp ans ▁for ▁ 4 3 0   km ▁from ▁the ▁dam ▁of ▁Ry bin sk ▁to ▁the ▁dam ▁of ▁Gor od ets ▁through ▁Y ar oslav l , ▁Kost rom a , ▁Ivan ovo ▁and ▁N iz h ny ▁Nov gor od ▁ob last s ▁of ▁Russia . ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁relatively ▁narrow ▁and ▁follows ▁the ▁natural ▁river bed ▁of ▁Vol ga ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁part , ▁it ▁becomes ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 6   km ▁wide ▁down stream ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Y ury ev ets . ▁ ▁The ▁res er voir ▁takes ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁former ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁N iz h ny ▁Nov gor od ▁( act ually ▁situated ▁some ▁fifty ▁kilom eters ▁down stream ▁the ▁dam ), ▁G ork y . ▁An ▁industrial ▁town ▁of ▁Z av ol zh ye ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁right ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁dam . ▁ ▁The ▁filling ▁of ▁the ▁res er