Season 1

The first episode follows the Volga from its many sources to where it starts to be the dominant force in the European part of Russia. Although situated on the edge of densely populated Europe, this river realm offers vast regions of untamed nature. European bison, moose and wild boar live side by side with beavers, minks or otters. The still intact river habitats provide shelter for species that are virtually absent in Western Europe. The Russian Desman’s global distribution is restricted to the Volga basin. In slow-flowing side arms, these strange water moles hunt for insects and fish. The ALTAYFILM team captured the fascinating Volga in breathtaking pictures. From Impressive images, epic aerials and the hardly before documented behavior of rare animals - from the first minute, the empire of the Volga captivates its viewers.

This episode leads from the forest border of Central Russia through the southern Russian steppes to the Caspian semi-deserts. It grazes the edge of the Asian continent along the Kazakh border. The Volga has hardly any inflows here. It has collected its water in the forested north and now flows into the interior of the continent. Smaller rivers branch off from it to return to the main stream a few hundred kilometers further on. In their up to 20 kilometers wide stream valley, river forests press forward into the dry south. With them the strange Russian Desmans that only occur in the Volga Basin. The strange water moles hunt for insects and fish in poorly flowing old arms. Along the middle course of the Volga, steppe marmots colonize the dry slopes and great bustards display on the fields. Steppe foxes, young cranes and saiga antelopes are messengers of the Central Asian steppes, which extend far from the Volga to Eastern Mongolia.

The 2nd episode follows the Volga from the forests of Central Russia through the steppes on the outskirts of Kazakhstan to the mighty estuary of the Volga on the Caspian Sea. The river stretches across the entire Western Russian lowlands. Its Southern course is over 1,300 kilometers long before the Volga gets lost in hundreds of individual arms in the Caspian delta. Opulent pictures, breathtaking aerials and animal behavior - from the first minute on, the empire of the Volga captivates its viewers.