Conclusion of the East European Plain. East European Plain - main characteristics

For centuries, the Russian Plain served as a territory connecting Western and Eastern civilizations along trade routes. Historically, two busy trade arteries ran through these lands. The first is known as the “path from the Varangians to the Greeks.” According to it, as is known from school history, medieval trade in goods of the peoples of the East and Rus' with the states of Western Europe was carried out.

The second is the route along the Volga, which made it possible to transport goods by ship to Southern Europe from China, India and Central Asia and in the opposite direction. The first Russian cities were built along trade routes - Kyiv, Smolensk, Rostov. Veliky Novgorod became the northern gateway from the “Varangians”, protecting the security of trade.

Now the Russian Plain is still a territory of strategic importance. The capital of the country is located on its lands and Largest cities. The most important administrative centers for the life of the state are concentrated here.

Geographical position of the plain

The East European Plain, or Russian, occupies territories in eastern Europe. In Russia, these are its extreme western lands. In the northwest and west it is limited by the Scandinavian Mountains, the Barents and White Seas, the Baltic coast and the Vistula River. In the east and southeast it neighbors the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus. In the south, the plain is limited by the shores of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas.

Relief features and landscape

The East European Plain is represented by a gently sloping relief, formed as a result of faults in tectonic rocks. Based on relief features, the massif can be divided into three stripes: central, southern and northern. The center of the plain consists of alternating vast hills and lowlands. The north and south are mostly represented by lowlands with rare low altitudes.

Although the relief is formed in a tectonic manner and minor tremors are possible in the area, there are no noticeable earthquakes here.

Natural areas and regions

(The plain has planes with characteristic smooth drops)

The East European Plain includes all natural zones found in Russia:

Tundra and forest-tundra are represented by the nature of the north of the Kola Peninsula and occupy a small part of the territory, slightly expanding to the east. The vegetation of the tundra, namely shrubs, mosses and lichens, is replaced by birch forests of the forest-tundra.
Taiga, with its pine and spruce forests, occupies the north and center of the plain. On the borders with mixed broad-leaved forests, areas are often swampy. A typical Eastern European landscape - coniferous and mixed forests and swamps give way to small rivers and lakes.
In the forest-steppe zone you can see alternating hills and lowlands. Oak and ash forests are typical for this zone. You can often find birch and aspen forests.
The steppe is represented by valleys, where oak forests and groves, forests of alder and elm grow near the river banks, and tulips and sages bloom in the fields.
In the Caspian lowland there are semi-deserts and deserts, where the climate is harsh and the soil is saline, but even there you can find vegetation in the form of various varieties of cacti, wormwood and plants that adapt well to sudden changes in daily temperatures.

Rivers and lakes of the plain

(River on a flat area of the Ryazan region)

The rivers of the “Russian Valley” are majestic and slowly flow their waters in one of two directions - north or south, to the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, or to the southern inland seas of the continent. Northern rivers flow into the Barents, White or Baltic seas. Rivers in the southern direction - into the Black, Azov or Caspian Seas. The largest river in Europe, the Volga, also “flows lazily” through the lands of the East European Plain.

The Russian Plain is the kingdom of natural water in all its manifestations. A glacier that passed through the plain thousands of years ago formed many lakes on its territory. There are especially many of them in Karelia. The consequences of the presence of the glacier were the emergence in the North-West of such large lakes as Ladoga, Onega, and the Pskov-Peipus reservoir.

Under the thickness of the earth in the localization of the Russian Plain, reserves of artesian water are stored in the amount of three underground basins of huge volumes and many located at shallower depths.

Climate of the East European Plain

(Flat terrain with slight drops near Pskov)

The Atlantic dictates the weather regime on the Russian Plain. Western winds, air masses that move moisture, make summers on the plain warm and humid, winters cold and windy. During the cold season, winds from the Atlantic bring about ten cyclones, contributing to variable heat and cold. But air masses from the Arctic Ocean also tend to the plain.

Therefore, the climate becomes continental only in the interior of the massif, closer to the south and southeast. The East European Plain has two climatic zones - subarctic and temperate, increasing continentality to the east.

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one of the largest plains on our planet (second largest after the Amazon Plain in Western America). It is located in the eastern part of Europe. Since most of it is within the borders Russian Federation The East European Plain is sometimes called the Russian Plain. In the northwestern part it is limited by the mountains of Scandinavia, in the southwestern part by the Sudetes and other mountains of central Europe, in the southeastern part by the Caucasus, and in the east by the Urals. From the north, the Russian Plain is washed by the waters of the White and Barents seas, and from the south by the Black, Azov and Caspian seas.

The length of the plain from north to south is more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from west to east – 1 thousand kilometers. Almost the entire length of the East European Plain is dominated by gently sloping terrain. The majority of Russia's population and most of the country's large cities are concentrated within the territory of the East European Plain. It was here that the Russian state was formed many centuries ago, which later became the largest country in the world by its territory. A significant part is also concentrated here natural resources Russia.

The East European Plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform. This circumstance explains its flat terrain, as well as the absence of significant natural phenomena associated with movement earth's crust(earthquakes, volcanic eruptions). Small hilly areas within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other complex tectonic processes. The height of some hills and plateaus reaches 600-1000 meters. In ancient times, the Baltic shield of the East European Platform was at the center of glaciation, as evidenced by some forms of glacial relief.

On the territory of the Russian Plain, platform deposits lie almost horizontally, making up lowlands and hills that form the surface topography. Where the folded foundation protrudes to the surface, hills and ridges are formed (for example, the Central Russian Upland and the Timan Ridge). On average, the height of the Russian Plain is about 170 meters above sea level. The lowest areas are on the Caspian coast (its level is approximately 30 meters below the level of the World Ocean).

Glaciation left its mark on the formation of the relief of the East European Plain. This impact was most pronounced in the northern part of the plain. As a result of the passage of the glacier through this territory, many lakes arose (Chudskoye, Pskovskoye, Beloe and others). These are the consequences of one of the most recent glaciers. In the southern, southeastern and eastern parts, which were subject to glaciations for more early period, their consequences are smoothed out by erosion processes. As a result of this, a number of hills (Smolensk-Moscow, Borisoglebskaya, Danilevskaya and others) and lake-glacial lowlands (Caspian, Pechora) were formed.

Even further south is a zone of hills and lowlands, elongated in the meridional direction. Among the hills one can note Priazovskaya, Central Russian, and Volga. Here they also alternate with plains: Meshcherskaya, Oksko-Donskaya, Ulyanovskaya and others.

Even further south are the coastal lowlands, which in ancient times were partially submerged under sea level. The flat relief here was partially corrected by water erosion and other processes, as a result of which the Black Sea and Caspian lowlands were formed.

As a result of the passage of the glacier across the territory of the East European Plain, valleys were formed, tectonic depressions expanded, and even some rocks were polished. Another example of the influence of the glacier is the winding deep bays of the Kola Peninsula. When the glacier retreated, not only lakes formed, but also concave sandy depressions appeared. This happened as a result of deposition large quantity sand material. Thus, over many millennia, the multifaceted relief of the East European Plain was formed.

Some of the rivers flowing through the territory of the East European Plain belong to the basins of two oceans: the Arctic (Northern Dvina, Pechora) and the Atlantic (Neva, Western Dvina), while others flow into the Caspian Sea, which has no connection with the world ocean. The longest and most abundant river in Europe, the Volga, flows along the Russian Plain.

On the East European Plain there are almost all types of natural zones found in Russia. Along the coast of the Barents Sea, the subtropical zone is dominated by tundra. To the south, in the temperate zone, a strip of forests begins, which stretches from Polesie to the Urals. It includes both coniferous taiga and mixed forests, which in the west gradually turn into deciduous ones. To the south begins the transition zone of the forest-steppe, and beyond it the steppe zone. A small strip of deserts and semi-deserts begins on the territory of the Caspian lowland.

As mentioned above, on the territory of the Russian Plain there are no natural events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although some tremors (up to magnitude 3) are still possible, they cannot cause damage and are recorded only by highly sensitive instruments. The most dangerous natural phenomena that can occur on the territory of the Russian Plain are tornadoes and floods. Basic environmental problem is the pollution of soil, rivers, lakes and the atmosphere with industrial waste, since many industrial enterprises are concentrated in this part of Russia.

Based on materials big encyclopedia Russia

A plain is a type of relief that is a flat, vast space. More than two-thirds of Russia's territory is occupied by plains. They are characterized by a slight slope and slight fluctuations in terrain heights. A similar relief is found on the bottom of sea waters. The territory of the plains can be occupied by any: deserts, steppes, mixed forests, etc.

Map of the largest plains in Russia

Most of the country is located on a relatively flat type of terrain. Favorable ones allowed a person to engage in cattle breeding, build large settlements and roads. It is easiest to carry out construction activities on the plains. They contain many minerals and others, including, and.

Below are maps, characteristics and photos of landscapes of the largest plains in Russia.

the East European Plain

East European Plain on the map of Russia

The area of the East European Plain is approximately 4 million km². The natural northern border is the White and Barents Seas; in the south, the lands are washed by the Azov and Caspian Seas. The Vistula River is considered the western border, and the Ural Mountains - the eastern.

At the base of the plain lies the Russian platform and the Scythian plate; the foundation is covered by sedimentary rocks. Where the base is raised, hills have formed: the Dnieper, Central Russian, and Volga. In places where the foundation is deeply sunk, lowlands occur: Pechora, Black Sea, Caspian.

The territory is located at moderate latitude. Atlantic air masses penetrate the plain, bringing with them precipitation. The western part is warmer than the east. The minimum temperature in January is -14˚C. In summer, the air from the Arctic gives coolness. The largest rivers flow south. Short rivers, Onega, Northern Dvina, Pechora, are directed to the north. The Neman, Neva and Western Dvina carry water in a westerly direction. In winter they all freeze. In spring, floods begin.

Half of the country's population lives on the East European Plain. Almost all forest areas are secondary forest, there are a lot of fields and arable lands. There are many mineral deposits in the area.

West Siberian Plain

West Siberian Plain on the map of Russia

The area of the plain is about 2.6 million km². The western border is the Ural Mountains, in the east the plain ends with the Central Siberian Plateau. The Kara Sea washes the northern part. The Kazakh small sandpiper is considered the southern border.

The West Siberian plate lies at its base, and sedimentary rocks lie on the surface. The southern part is higher than the northern and central. The maximum height is 300 m. The edges of the plain are represented by the Ket-Tym, Kulunda, Ishim and Turin plains. In addition, there are the Lower Yisei, Verkhnetazovskaya and North Sosvinskaya uplands. Siberian ridges are a complex of hills in the west of the plain.

The West Siberian Plain lies in three regions: arctic, subarctic and temperate. Due to low pressure, Arctic air penetrates the territory, and cyclones are actively developing in the north. Precipitation is unevenly distributed, with the maximum amount falling in the middle part. Most precipitation falls between May and October. In the southern zone, thunderstorms often occur in summer.

The rivers flow slowly, and many swamps have formed on the plain. All reservoirs are flat in nature and have a slight slope. The Tobol, Irtysh and Ob originate in mountainous areas, so their regime depends on the melting of ice in the mountains. Most reservoirs have a northwestern direction. In spring there is a long flood.

Oil and gas are the main riches of the plain. In total there are more than five hundred deposits of combustible minerals. In addition to them, in the depths there are deposits of coal, ore and mercury.

The steppe zone, located in the south of the plain, is almost completely plowed. Fields of spring wheat are located on black soil. Plowing, which lasted for many years, led to the formation of erosion and dust storms. In the steppes there are many salt lakes, from which table salt and soda are extracted.

Central Siberian Plateau

Central Siberian Plateau on the map of Russia

The area of the plateau is 3.5 million km². In the north it borders on the North Siberian Lowland. The Eastern Sayan Mountains are a natural border in the south. In the west, the lands begin at the Yenisei River, in the east they end at the Lena River valley.

The plateau is based on the Pacific lithospheric plate. Because of it, the earth's crust rose significantly. The average heights are 500 m. The Putorana plateau in the north-west reaches 1701 m in height. The Byrranga Mountains are located in Taimyr, their height exceeds a thousand meters. In Central Siberia there are only two lowlands: North Siberian and Central Yakut. There are many lakes here.

Most of the territories are located in the Arctic and subarctic zones. The plateau is fenced off from warm seas. Due to the high mountains, precipitation is distributed unevenly. They fall in large numbers in the summer. The earth cools greatly in winter. The minimum temperature in January is -40˚C. Dry air and lack of winds help to endure such difficult conditions. During the cold season, powerful anticyclones form. There is little precipitation in winter. In summer, cyclonic weather sets in. The average temperature during this period is +19˚C.

The largest rivers, the Yenisei, Angara, Lena, and Khatanga, flow through the lowland. They cross faults in the earth's crust, so they have many rapids and gorges. All rivers are navigable. Central Siberia has enormous hydropower resources. Most of the major rivers are located in the north.

Almost the entire territory is located in the zone. The forests are represented by larch trees, which shed their needles for the winter. Pine forests grow along the Lena and Angara valleys. The tundra contains shrubs, lichens and mosses.

Siberia has a lot of mineral resources. There are deposits of ore, coal, and oil. Platinum deposits are located in the southeast. There are salt deposits in the Central Yakut Lowland. There are graphite deposits on the Nizhnyaya Tunguska and Kureyka rivers. Diamond deposits are located in the northeast.

Due to difficult climatic conditions, large settlements located only in the south. Human economic activity is concentrated in the mining and logging industries.

Azov-Kuban Plain

Azov-Kuban Plain (Kuban-Azov Lowland) on the map of Russia

The Azov-Kuban Plain is a continuation of the East European Plain, its area is 50 thousand km². The Kuban River is the southern border, and the northern one is the Yegorlyk River. In the east, the lowland ends in the Kuma-Manych depression, the western part opens to the Sea of Azov.

The plain lies on the Scythian plate and is a virgin steppe. The maximum height is 150 m. The large rivers Chelbas, Beysug, Kuban flow in the central part of the plain, and there is a group of karst lakes. The plain is located in the continental belt. Warm ones soften the local climate. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below -5˚C. In summer the thermometer shows +25˚C.

The plain includes three lowlands: Prikubanskaya, Priazovskaya and Kuban-Priazovskaya. Rivers often flood populated areas. There are gas fields. The region is famous for its chernozem fertile soils. Almost the entire territory has been developed by humans. People grow cereals. The diversity of flora has been preserved only along rivers and in forests.

The Russian Plain is also called the East European Plain. This is its physical-geographical name. The total area of this land area is 4 million km2. Only the Amazonian lowland is larger.

The East European Plain occupies a significant part of the territory of Russia. It starts off the coast Baltic Sea and ends near the Ural Mountains. From the north and from the south the plain is bordered by 2 seas at once. In the first case, these are the Barents and White Seas, in the second, the Caspian and Azov Seas. On different sides the plain is limited by mountain ranges. The situation is this:

The northwestern border is the Scandinavian Mountains;
Western and southwestern borders are the mountains of Central Europe and the Carpathians;
Southern border - Caucasus Mountains;
The eastern border is the Ural Mountains.

In addition, Crimea is located on the territory of the Russian Plain. In this case, the northern foothills of the Crimean Mountains act as the border.

Scientists have classified the East European Plain as a physical-geographical country due to the fact that it is characterized by the following features:

Placement on one of the slabs of the same name plain of a platform, which, unlike the others, is slightly raised;
Located in a temperate climate zone, as well as a small amount of precipitation. This is a consequence of the influence of two oceans, the first of which is the Atlantic, the second is the Arctic;
The presence of a clear natural zonation, which is explained by the flatness of the relief.

The plain described is divided into two other plains, namely:

Basement-denudation, occupying the Baltic crystalline shield;
Eastern European, located on two plates at once: Scythian and Russian.

The crystalline shield has a unique relief. It was formed during continental denudation, which lasted more than one thousand years. Certain features were obtained by the relief as a result of tectonic movements that occurred in modern times. As for the past, in the Quaternary period the center of the glacier was located on the site of the modern Baltic crystalline shield. It is for this reason that the local terrain is glacial.

Platform deposits, which are part of the Russian Plain, represent a kind of cover, located in a horizontal position. Thanks to them, two types of hills and lowlands were formed. The first of them are formation-denudation, and the second are accumulative. In some areas of the plain there are projections of folded foundations. They are represented by basement-denudation hills and ridges: Donetsk, Timan, etc.

If we take into account the average statistical indicator, the height of the East European Plain above sea level is 170 meters. This indicator is lowest on the shores of the Caspian Sea, and highest on the hills. For example, the Podolsk Upland is located 417 meters above sea level.

Settlement of the East European Plain

Some scientists are of the opinion that Eastern Europe was inhabited by the Slavs, but some researchers are convinced of the opposite. It is known for certain that Cro-Magnons settled on the Russian Plain approximately 30 thousand years BC. Outwardly, they slightly resembled Caucasians, and over time they became similar to modern people. The process of adaptation of Cro-Magnons took place in glacier conditions. In the 10th millennium BC, the climate became milder, so the descendants of the Cro-Magnons, called Indo-Europeans, began to develop territories located in the southeast of modern Europe. Where they were before is unknown, but there is reliable evidence that the settlement of this territory by Indo-Europeans occurred 6 thousand years BC.

The first Slavs appeared on European territory much later than the Indo-Europeans. Historians claim that their active settlement dates back to the 5th-6th centuries AD. For example, the Balkan Peninsula and the adjacent territories were occupied by the South Slavs. The Western Slavs moved from north to west. Many of them became the ancestors of modern Germans and Poles. Some settled on the Baltic Sea coast, while others settled in the Czech Republic. At the same time, serious changes occurred in primitive society. In particular, the community became obsolete, the clan hierarchy faded into the background, and associations began to take their place, becoming the first states.

The Slavs, without any apparent difficulty, settled the eastern lands of a large territory called Europe. At first, their relations with each other were based on the primitive communal system, and later on the tribal system. The number of settlers was small, so their tribes did not lack free land.

During the settlement process, the Slavs assimilated with representatives of the Finno-Ugric tribes. Their inter-tribal unions are considered the first semblance of states. At the same time, the climate of Europe has become warmer. This led to the development of agriculture and cattle breeding, but at the same time an important role in economic activity primitive people Fishing and hunting continued to play.

A favorable set of circumstances for the colonists explains that the Eastern Slavs became the largest group of peoples, including Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. If the settlement of the Slavs only began in the early Middle Ages, its “heyday” occurred in the 8th century. Simply put, it was at this time that the Slavic tribes were able to take a dominant position. Their neighbors were representatives of other nations. This has its pros and cons.

Speaking about the settlement of the Slavs, it should be noted that the main feature of this historical process is unevenness. First, the territories that were located near the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” were developed, and only then the eastern, western and southwestern lands were colonized.

The settlement of the Slavs across the Russian Plain has a number of features. Among them it is necessary to highlight:

Significant influence of climate on the duration of colonization;
Dependence of population density on natural and climatic conditions. This means that the southern territories were populated more densely compared to the northern ones;
The absence of military conflicts caused by a lack of land;
Imposing tribute on other nations;
Complete assimilation of representatives of small tribes.

After the Slavic tribes occupied the East European Plain, they began to develop new types of economic activity, made adjustments to the existing social system and created the preconditions for the creation of the first states.

Modern exploration of the East European Plain

Many famous scientists have studied the East European Plain. In particular, a huge contribution to the development of science was made by mineralologist V.M. Severgin.

In the early spring of 1803, Severgin was studying the Baltic states. While conducting research, he noticed that in the southwest direction from Lake Peipsi the terrain becomes more hilly. Subsequently, Vasily Mikhailovich made a multi-stage transition. First he walked from the Gauja River to the Neman, and then to the Bug. This allowed him to establish that the area was either hilly or elevated. Realizing that such an alternation is a pattern, Severgin unmistakably determined its direction, going from southwest to northeast.

The territory of Polesie was studied by scientists no less closely. In particular, numerous studies began after the lands on the right bank of the Dnieper “opened up”, which led to a decrease in the number of meadows. So, in 1873 the Western Expedition was organized. A group of scientists led by topographer I.I. Zhilinsky planned to study the characteristics of local swamps and determine the best ways to drain them. Over time, the expedition members were able to draw up a map of Polesie, studied lands with a total area of more than 100 thousand km2 and measured about 600 heights. The information obtained by Zhilinsky allowed A.A. Tillo will continue his colleague’s endeavors. This led to the appearance of the hypsometric map. It served as clear evidence that Polesie is a plain with elevated borders. In addition, it was found that this region rich in rivers and lakes. There are approximately 500 of the former, and 300 of the latter. The total length of both exceeds 9 thousand kilometers.

Later, G.I. studied Polesie. Tanfilyev. He established that the destruction of swamps will not cause shallowing of the Dnieper. P.A. came to the same conclusion. Tutkovsky. The same scientist modified the map created by Tillo, adding several hills to it, among which the Ovruch Ridge should be highlighted.

E.P. Kovalevsky, being an engineer at one of the factories in Lugansk, devoted himself to studying the Donetsk Ridge. He conducted a lot of research and determined that the ridge is a pool of enormous size. Later, Kovalevsky was recognized as the discoverer of Donbass, because It was he who created his first geological map and suggested that the region was rich in minerals.

In 1840, the famous geologist R. Murchison came to Russia. Together with domestic scientists, he explored the coast of the White Sea. As a result of the work carried out, many rivers and hills were studied, which were later plotted on maps.

V.V. studied the southern part of the Russian Plain. Dokuchaev, who was later recognized as the “father” of Russian soil science. This scientist found that part of Eastern Europe is occupied by a unique zone, which is a mixture of black soil and steppe. In addition, in 1900, Dokuchaev drew up a map on which he divided the plain into 5 natural zones.

Over time, the interest of scientists in the East European Plain has not weakened. This led to the organization of many expeditions and various studies. Both of them allowed us to do a lot scientific discoveries, and also create new maps.

The East European Plain is one of the largest plains on our planet (the second largest after the Amazon Plain in Western America). It is located in the eastern part of Europe. Since most of it is located within the borders of the Russian Federation, the East European Plain is sometimes called the Russian Plain. In the northwestern part it is limited by the mountains of Scandinavia, in the southwestern part by the Sudetes and other mountains of central Europe, in the southeastern part by the Caucasus, and in the east by the Urals. From the north, the Russian Plain is washed by the waters of the White and Barents Seas, and from the south by the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas.

The length of the plain from north to south is more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from west to east - 1 thousand kilometers. Almost the entire length of the East European Plain is dominated by gently sloping terrain. The majority of Russia's population and most of the country's large cities are concentrated within the territory of the East European Plain. It was here that the Russian state was formed many centuries ago, which later became the largest country in the world by its territory. A significant part of Russia's natural resources is also concentrated here.

The East European Plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform. This circumstance explains its flat terrain, as well as the absence of significant natural phenomena associated with the movement of the earth’s crust (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions). Small hilly areas within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other complex tectonic processes. The height of some hills and plateaus reaches 600-1000 meters. In ancient times, the Baltic shield of the East European Platform was at the center of glaciation, as evidenced by some forms of glacial relief.

The East European Plain. Satellite view

Glaciation left its mark on the formation of the relief of the East European Plain. This impact was most pronounced in the northern part of the plain. As a result of the passage of the glacier through this territory, many lakes arose (Chudskoye, Pskovskoye, Beloe and others). These are the consequences of one of the most recent glaciers. In the southern, southeastern and eastern parts, which were subject to glaciations in an earlier period, their consequences were smoothed out by erosion processes. As a result of this, a number of hills (Smolensk-Moscow, Borisoglebskaya, Danilevskaya and others) and lake-glacial lowlands (Caspian, Pechora) were formed.

As a result of the passage of the glacier across the territory of the East European Plain, valleys were formed, tectonic depressions expanded, and even some rocks were polished. Another example of the influence of the glacier is the winding deep bays of the Kola Peninsula. When the glacier retreated, not only lakes formed, but also concave sandy depressions appeared. This happened as a result of the deposition of a large amount of sandy material. Thus, over many millennia, the multifaceted relief of the East European Plain was formed.

Meadows of the Russian Plain. Volga river

Russian Plain

As mentioned above, on the territory of the Russian Plain there are no natural events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although some tremors (up to magnitude 3) are still possible, they cannot cause damage and are recorded only by highly sensitive instruments. The most dangerous natural phenomena that can occur on the territory of the Russian Plain are tornadoes and floods. The main environmental problem is the pollution of soil, rivers, lakes and the atmosphere with industrial waste, since many industrial enterprises are concentrated in this part of Russia.