Yenisei

Yenisei is one of the largest river systems in the world, flowing through Siberia from the Sayan Mountains northward to the Arctic Ocean. The Yenisei proper is commonly listed among the longest rivers, with an approximate length of 5,539 kilometers (3,445 miles). Its drainage basin covers about 2.5 million square kilometers, spanning parts of Russia and Mongolia and including extensive permafrost regions.

Starting in the southern Siberian highlands, the river runs through Krasnoyarsk Krai and passes the large city of Krasnoyarsk before continuing north toward the Kara Sea. It collects a number of tributaries and traverses broad valleys and taiga forests, remaining a key feature of the Siberian landscape and climate. The river’s course is marked by seasonal ice and powerful spring floods, shaping both ecology and human activity in the region.

Hydropower plays a major role in the Yenisei basin. The Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam on the river near Shushenskaya is one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in Russia and the world. Additional hydroelectric installations operate along the lower reaches, supplying electricity across Siberia. The Yenisei remains navigable for much of its length, though ice cover and remote terrain limit shipping during winter months.

Ecology and economy: The Yenisei basin supports diverse habitats and commercial and subsistence fisheries, including sturgeon and other freshwater species. The estuary at the Yenisei Gulf forms a significant Arctic outlet near Dudinka, where the river discharges into the Kara Sea. Lower reaches experience estuarine mixing that influences biodiversity and sediment transport.

Cultural significance: The Yenisei valley is associated with Yeniseian languages, including Ket, which names a language family that has scholars tracing its origins to the region. The river has long served as a transportation corridor and a source of hydroelectric power in Russia’s Siberia.