Kuybyshev Reservoir, Artificial lake in Volga-Kama region, Russia.
The Kuybyshev Reservoir is a reservoir on the middle Volga and lower Kama, created by the Zhiguli Hydroelectric Station dam between Zhigulevsk and Tolyatti. It stretches 510 km along the Volga, reaches 40–44 km wide at the Kama mouth, and covers 6,450 km². Its flat water meets low shores and distant hills; the lower part is called the Zhiguli Sea.
The reservoir was created by the dam of the Zhiguli Hydroelectric Station, formerly the V.I. Lenin Volga Hydroelectric Station, located between Zhigulevsk and Tolyatti. It was filled in 1955–1957. The old fortress town of Stavropol-on-Volga was submerged and rebuilt on higher ground as Tolyatti, and one district of Ulyanovsk lies below water level behind an embankment.
The reservoir takes its name from Kuybyshev, the Soviet-era name of Samara, a city downstream on the Volga. Its lower stretch is commonly called the Zhiguli Sea. On the steep eastern bank of the Zhiguli Pipe inlet lies the Zhiguli I burial ground, a Golden Horde-era archaeological site.
The reservoir is best reached from the larger towns along its shores, where boat links and swimming spots are found. Areas along the water offer different access depending on the season and water level.
The old riverbed of the Volga runs close to the right shore, where hills rise several hundred meters. This topography creates strong depth changes that become visible when traveling across the water.
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