The Sudzha (Russian: Суджа) is a river in Russia, a right tributary of the Psel, which flows through the Bolshesoldatsky and Sudzhansky districts (raions) of Kursk Oblast. It is 63 kilometres (39 mi) long, and the basin area is 1,102 square kilometres (425 sq mi). The river flows for a considerable distance through wetlands with a large number of oxbow lakes.[1][2]
| Sudzha | |
|---|---|
 Sudzha River in the summer of 1996 | |
 | |
| Native name | Суджа (Russian) |
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Oblast | Kursk Oblast |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 51°16′49″N 35°42′26″E / 51.28028°N 35.70722°E |
| • elevation | > 151 m |
| Mouth | Psel |
• coordinates | 51°07′51″N 35°16′47″E / 51.13083°N 35.27972°E |
• elevation | < 135 m |
| Length | 63 km (39 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,102 km2 (425 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Psel → Dnieper → Black Sea |
 | |
Its tributaries include: Skorodnaya – 22 km, Vorobzha – 28 km, Ivnitsa – 23 km, Loknya – 26 km, Malaya Loknya – 24 km, Smerditsa – 17 km, Rzhava – 9 km, Oleshnya – 12 km, and Konopelka – 16 km.[citation needed]
The biggest settlement on the river is the identically-named town of Sudzha.
History
editThe Sudzha River is mentioned in descriptions of Polish roads of 1584–1598 and in chronicles of the 16th century.[1]
Archaeological data indicates that in the 7th century, hoards of items were deposited in this area, which are part of the Dnieper group of early medieval hoards, or the "antiquities of the Antae". It is possible that in the 7th century, one of the centers of power of the Dnieper tribal union was located on the Lower Sudzha.[3] From the 8th century, Slavs of the tribal union of the Severians inhabited these lands, having fortified towns near the present-day village of Gornal and several settlements across the modern Sudzhansky District. Settlements of the Cumans, who were allied with the Russian princes, were also located in this area.
Hydronym
editPresumably the name Sudzha comes from the Turkic words "su" — water and "ja" — place; that is, a watery place.[1][4]
The name is also compared with the ancient Indian śudhyati "to become pure" and śuddhá "pure".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "СУДЖА — река" [Kursk Encyclopedia]. Курская энциклопедия (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ Донидзе, Г. И., ed. (1999). Словарь названий гидрографических объектов России и других стран — членов СНГ [Dictionary of names of hydrographic objects of Russia and other CIS member countries] (PDF) (in Russian). Картгеоцентр — Геодезиздат. p. 350. ISBN 5-86066-017-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ "В пространстве археологии: клады древних славян". www.archaeolog.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Что за город Суджа и почему он так называется?" [What kind of city is Sudzha and why is it called that?]. Аргументы и факты (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ Moszyński, Kazimierz (1957). Pierwotny zasiąg języka prasłowiańskiego [The original range of the Proto-Slavic language] (in Polish). Wrocław—Kraków: Polska Akademia Nauk. p. 189.