Typical view of the Central Russian Upland (Belgorod Oblast)
The Central Russian Upland (also Middle Russian Upland and East European Upland) is an upland area of the East European Plain and is an undulating plateau with an average elevation of 230–250 m (750–820 ft). Its highest peak is measured at 293 m (961 ft). The southeastern portion of the upland known as the Kalach Upland [ru]. The Central Upland is built of Precambrian deposits of the crystalline Voronezh Massif.
Location
It spans approximately 180,000 miles² (480,000 km2) in central and southern European Russia northeast of Ukraine,[1] extending from the Oka river to the Donets river. The upland stretches across a number of regions in Ukraine and the European portion of the Russian Federation. Its north and northwest borders are considered to be the Oka River and an imaginary line Kaluga-Ryazan. To the southeast towards the Donets River, the upland changes into the Donets Lowland. To the east its natural border is defined by the Oka–Don Lowland and to the west there is the Dnieper Lowland. Most of the upland lies within the borders of Russia, hence its name.
History
The Kostroma river and the city of the same name suggest that the area in Central Russia is an important reference point for the original home of the Slavic tribes. The river and city bear the same name as the Slavic goddess Kostroma.
