Turiia is a river that flows across the entire Volhynia region from south to north: from its sources in Zaturtsi through Turiisk and Kovel to the Prypiat. Its length is 184 kilometres. Standing along the Turiia are the ancient town of Turiisk, which got its name from the river, and Kovel, while in its lower reaches it flows through wild Polissian floodplains.
Source in Zaturtsi
The Turiia originates in a marshy basin on the northern slopes of the Volhynian Upland, near the village of Zaturtsi. The river's source near the ancient settlement site is a natural landmark, as are the neighbouring Zaturtsi Springs. From here, the river first flows northwest, then turns northeast and north.
Turiisk and Kovel
The oldest town on the Turiia is Turiisk, mentioned in the chronicle under the year 1097. From Turiisk, the river is considered navigable all the way to its mouth. Further down, it passes through Kovel, where there is a reservoir on it and locals go kayaking. During the First World War, the bridge over the Turiia in Kovel was photographed for military postcards.
Floodplains and Lower Reaches
The Turiia valley is mostly up to two kilometres wide, and in the lower reaches it broadens and becomes indistinct. The floodplain is bilateral, marshy over a significant stretch, with oxbow lakes and lakes. The riverbed is meandering, ranging from eight to twenty-five metres in width. The basin is largely covered by forests and swamps, with about a fifth of it meliorated.
The ecosystem of the lower course is protected by the Turskyi hydrological reserve. Here the river flows near Lychyny among meadows and willows, and empties into the Prypiat northwest of the village of Shchutyn. The Turiia freezes in December and thaws in late March.
Fishing
The Turiia is a quiet Polissian river with a meandering bed, oxbows and reaches. Pike, perch, roach and crucian carp are caught here. In Kovel, people fish on the reservoir and the urban banks, while in the lower reaches they fish on oxbow lakes among meadows. General fishing regulations apply, and from November 1st fishing is prohibited in wintering pits — list and map of pits.
The Turiia on Video
Nearby
Zaturtsi is the river's source, Turiisk and Kovel are towns on the Turiia. More can be found in the article Kovel Raion.
How to Get There
The easiest way to see the Turiia is in Kovel or Turiisk. Buses from Lutsk and Lokachi run to the source in Zaturtsi.
