Narew

The Narew ([ˈnarɛf]; Belarusian: Нараў, romanized: Naraŭ; Russian: Нарев, romanized: Narev; Lithuanian: Narevas or Naruva; Sudovian: Naura; Old German: Nare; Ukrainian: Нарва, romanized: Narva) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland, which is also a tributary of the river Vistula. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided hair. Around 57 kilometres (35 mi) of the river flows through western Belarus.

Narew
Нараў, Нарев, Narevas
Narew as part of the Vistula watershed.
Location
CountryPoland, Belarus
Voivodeships / VoblastsGrodno, Podlaskie, Mazovian
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationnorth-eastern part of the Białowieża Forest near Dzikie Bagno, Belarus
  coordinates52°52′24.68″N 24°13′8.87″E
  elevation159 m (522 ft)
Mouth 
  location
Modlin (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki), Poland
  coordinates
52°26′N 20°41′E
  elevation
70.7 m (232 ft)
Length499 km (310 mi)
Basin size74,527 km2 (28,775 sq mi)
Discharge 
  locationmouth
  average313 m3/s (11,100 cu ft/s)
Discharge 
  locationentering Pułtusk
  average146 m3/s (5,200 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionVistulaBaltic Sea

Etymology

The name of the river is from a Proto-Indo-European root *nr primarily associated with water (compare Neretva, Neris, Ner and Nur)[1] or from a Lithuanian language verb nerti associated primarily with diving and flood.[2]

Name of the lower portion

The portion of the river between the junctions with the Western Bug and the Vistula is also known as the Bugonarew, Narwio-Bug, Narwo-Bug, Bugo-Narew, Narwiobug or Narwobug. At the confluence near Zegrze the Bug is 1.6x longer, drains a 1.4x larger basin, and has a slightly greater average discharge (158 m³/s at Wyszków vs 146 m³/s at Pułtusk for the Narew, both ~25 km above the junction). Thus the Bugonarew was often considered part of the Bug river and the Narew a right tributary of the Bug.

On December 27, 1962, Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz abolished the name Bugonarew soon after the Zegrze Reservoir had been constructed.[3] Since then the river Bug has been considered officially part of the river Narew's system, with the Bug being a left tributary of the Narew (by this classification, the River Narew is a right tributary of the River Vistula). The name Bugonarew however is still used, especially by the inhabitants of local towns, such as Pułtusk.

Geography

The Narew flows through the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Plateau of Podlasie and Belarus) located within the Podlaskie Voivodeship and Masovian Voivodeship of Poland and the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus.

Country Length[4] Basin Area[4]
Belarus 57 kilometres (35 mi)
Poland 443 kilometres (275 mi) 53,846 square kilometres (20,790 sq mi)
Total 499 kilometres (310 mi) 74,527 square kilometres (28,775 sq mi)

The Narew is the fifth longest Polish river.

View from the road along Siemianówka reservoir near Bondary village, gmina Michałowo, Podlaskie voivodship, Poland

Cities and towns

Confluence of the Narew and Vistula at Modlin
The valley of the river Narew taken from the high river bank at Paulinowo-Dzbądz (close to city Różan)
Marshes on the braided channels of the Narew's floodplains, near Pańki and Rzędzian
Siemianówka reservoir near Bondary village, gmina Michałowo, podlaskie,Poland
Country
Voivodeship
CountyGminaVillageComments
BelarusCzoło - osada
Podlaskie VoivodeshipHajnowskiNarewkaSiemianówka
BiałystokMichałowoBondary
HajnowskiNarewNarew
BiałystokZabłudówKaniuki
Juchnowiec KościelnyCzerewki
BielskWyszkiStrabla
białostockiSurażSuraż
ŁapyUhowo
Turośń KościelnaTopilec
wysokomazowieckiKobylin-BorzymyKurowoThe seat of Narwiański Park Narodowy
SokołyWaniewo
BiałystokChoroszczChoroszcz
monieckiKrypnoGóra
BiałystokTykocinTykocin
monieckiTrzcianneZajki
BiałystokZawadyGóra StrękowaThe fortifications defended by Captain Władysław Raginis during German Invasion of Poland
Łaś-Toczyłowo
ŁomżaWiznaWizna
PiątnicaDrozdowoThe seat of Łomżyński Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Narwi and Museum of Nature
ŁomżaSiemień Nadrzeczny
PiątnicaPiątnica
ŁomżaŁomża
kolneńskiMały PłockChludnie
ŁomżaNowogródNowogród
ZbójnaGontarze
MiastkowoNowosiedlinyThe last village in Podlaskie Voivodeship
Masovian VoivodeshipostrołęckiLelisŁęg Starościński
RzekuńLaskowiec
OstrołękaOstrołęka
ostrołęckiOlszewo-BorkiOstrołęka
RzekuńDzbenin
makowskiRóżanRóżan
wyszkowskiDługosiodłoOstrykół Dworski
makowskiRzewnieNowe Łachy
wyszkowskiRząśnikNowy Lubiel
pułtuskiObryteZambski Kościelne
PułtuskPułtusk
PokrzywnicaŁubienica
ZatoryStawinoga
legionowskiSerockSerock
Jadwisin
NieporętNieporęt
SerockDębe
WieliszewTopolina
Nowy DwórPomiechówekStare Orzechowo
Nowy Dwór MazowieckiNarew flows into Vistula

Tributaries

Left Bank Right Bank Municipality Characteristics Country
Czoło Bialowieza Forest Belarus
Bierieżanka Bialowieza Forest Siemianówka Marshland Poland
Siemianówka Siemianówka Marshland
Bondary
Narewka
Olszanka
Ruda Narew
Małynka
Rudnia
Czarna Kaniuki
Łoknica
Orlanka Czerewki
Strabelka Strabla
Liza Suraż Narew National Park
Awissa Łapy
Turośnianka
Niewodnica Topilec
Waniewo
Kurowo
Horodnianka Choroszcz
Supraśl Złotoria
Jaskranka Góra
Nareśl Tykocin
Ślina Targonie Wielkie
Zajki
Góra Strękowa
Biebrza Biebrza National Park
Wizna
Łojewek Bronowo Łomżyński Valley national Park
Gać
Narwica Łomża Piątnica
Łomżyczka
Lepacka Struga
Pisa Nowogród
Ruż Gontarze
Szkwa Nowosiedliny
Rozoga
Czeczotka Ostrołęka
Omulew Olszewo-Borki
Róż Chełsty
Różan
Orz Brzóze Duże
Wymakracz Ostrykół Dworski
Orzyc Zambski Kościelne
Pełta Pułtusk
Bug Serock Zegrze Reservoir
Rządza
Nieporęt
Topolina
Wkra Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki mouth of the river at the Vistula
The Narew near Łomża. The river flows slowly, creating meanders

History

On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing to divide Poland along the Narew, Vistula (Wisła), and San rivers.

On September 6, 1939, Polish military forces attempted to use the Narew as a defense line against German attack during the German invasion of Poland. This was abandoned the next day in favor of the Bug as German forces had already penetrated the defenses.

The Battle of Wizna was fought along the banks of the river between September 7 and September 10, 1939, between the forces of Poland and Germany during the initial stages of Invasion of Poland. Because it consisted of a small force holding a piece of fortified territory against a vastly larger invasion for three days at great cost before being annihilated with no known survivors, Wizna is sometimes referred to as a Polish Thermopylae in Polish culture.

On September 17, 1939, the USSR invaded Poland. By 28 September, the Soviet Army had reached the line of the rivers Narew, Bug River, Vistula and San – completing the division of Poland as negotiated in advance.

See also

References

  1. Witold Mańczak (1999). Wieża Babel (in Polish). Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich. ISBN 83-04-04463-3.
  2. "Narew". mazowsze.szlaki.pttk.pl. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  3. (in Polish) "Monitor Polski" 1963, nr 3, poz. 6
  4. Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Poland 2017, Statistics Poland, p. 85-86
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