Russian Severnaya Dvina
River, northern Russia.
Formed by the junction of the Sukhona and Yug rivers, it is one of the largest and most important waterways of the northern European part of Russia. It flows northwest for 462 mi (744 km) and enters the Dvina inlet of the White Sea below the city of Arkhangelsk . Navigable for most of its length, it was used by early fur hunters and colonists, and monasteries and towns were established at important confluences. It retains its economic importance and is linked with the Volga-Baltic Waterway via the Sukhona River.