The Tarka is a river in Pavlovsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region, a right tributary of the Oka. Its length is 13 km. In its middle and lower reaches it flows through the town of Pavlovo, emptying into the Oka just below the pontoon bridge.[1]
Physical Characteristics
The river's source is near the village of Shishkino. The Tarka flows through hilly, karst terrain. Outcrops of fine-grained gypsum and anhydrite are found along its banks. In its upper reaches the river dries up.
Historical Role and Environmental Condition
Until the second half of the 20th century, the waters of the Tarka were notably clean. The river divided the Upper and Lower posads of Pavlovo (at that time a selo, a larger village)[2], and seven bridges spanned it. Later the riverbed turned into a drainage ditch, and its banks became heavily littered. Within Pavlovo's limits, the Tarka is currently badly polluted and in need of cleanup.
Etymology and Toponymy
The name of the river comes from a Mordvin word meaning "camp" or "stopping place." This toponym occurs three times in the territory of Pavlovsky District: the Tarka River, as well as the villages of Malaya Tarka and Bolshaya Tarka. The village of Bolshaya Tarka became part of the town of Pavlovo in the early 1960s.[1]
Sources
- Wikipedia (ru) — Tarka (archive)
- павмет.рф — Where Are You Running, River Tarka? (photo report by Mikhail KOLOSOV) (archive)