▁for ▁ir rig ation . ▁ ▁Types ▁of ▁cargo ▁transport ed ▁from ▁the ▁Don ▁region ▁to ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁region ▁include ▁coal ▁from ▁Don et sk , ▁Ukraine , ▁min er als , ▁building ▁materials , ▁and ▁gra in . ▁C argo es ▁from ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁to ▁the ▁Don ▁include ▁l umber , ▁py rit es , ▁and ▁pet role um ▁products ▁( car ried ▁mostly ▁by ▁Vol got ank er ▁boats ). ▁Tour ist ▁ships ▁travel ▁in ▁both ▁directions . ▁ ▁The ▁Vol ga – Don ▁Canal , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁T sim ly ans ky ▁water - engine ering ▁system ▁( ch ief ▁architect ▁Leon id ▁Poly akov ), ▁form ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁architect ural ▁ensemble ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁batt les ▁for ▁Ts ar its yn ▁during ▁the ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁for ▁St aling rad ▁during ▁the ▁German - S ov iet ▁War . ▁The ▁Russian ▁classical ▁composer ▁Serge i ▁Pro k of iev ▁wrote ▁the ▁tone ▁poem ▁The ▁Me eting ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁the ▁Don ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁its ▁completion . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Mar itime ▁Board ▁( Mor sk aya ▁Kol leg i ya ) ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Government , ▁ 1 0 . 9 ▁million ▁t onnes ▁of ▁cargo ▁were ▁carried ▁over ▁the ▁Vol ga – Don ▁Canal ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁An ▁alternate ▁( not ▁necessarily ▁compar able ) ▁source ▁claims ▁ 8 . 0 5 ▁million ▁t onnes ▁of ▁cargo ▁was ▁transport ed ▁through ▁the ▁canal ▁in