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How does the Volga-Don Canal connect the Volga River to the Sea of Azov?
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Volga River
The Dnieper, Don, and Volga river basins and their drainage network.
The Volga-Don Canal connects the Volga River to the Sea of Azov by linking the Volga to the Don River.12
The canal spans 101 km (63 miles), running from Krasnoarmeysk on the Volga to Kalach-na-Donu on the eastern shore of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, which feeds into the Don River. Because the Don River flows into the Sea of Azov, the canal effectively integrates the Volga into a broader waterway system that provides access to the Black Sea and oceanic commerce. Completed in 1952, the canal utilizes 13 locks to manage the elevation changes between the two river systems.12