Volga Day in Russia Date in the current year: May 20, 2024

The Volga is considered to be the national river of Russia and has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture. It is often referred to as Mother Volga. The Volga is Europe's longest river as well as the largest river in Europe in terms of drainage basin and discharge.

The Volga Day was first celebrated in 2008 in the city of Nizhny Novgorod at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and the International Forum “The Great Rivers”. The following year, other cities joined the celebration.

The Volga Day activities and events are coordinated by the partnership program between the UNECSO office in Moscow and Coca-Cola Hellenic in Russia. The program “The Living Volga” focuses on raising public awareness of the importance of the Volga River ecosystem protection.

Events held on the occasion include (but are not limited to) conferences, discussions, workshops, educational activities. They are organized by local authorities, non-government and civil society organizations, industry and tourism representatives, environmental activists, educators.