The Pina — the blue artery of Pinsk

The Pina ... A small river of Belarus, one of the little blue arteries of which the mighty Dnipro is composed.

The Pina. Pinsk. Brest region. Belarus

The place where the Pina flows into the Prypiat, the largest tributary of the Dnipro by area, is called Strumin.

There are several interpretations of the origin of the river's name — Old Indian, Baltic, Jewish. In my view, the most understandable and congenial variant is the Slavic one. In olden times these remote places could be reached only by the river. The root 'pin' means a dam, a wharf, a stop. In the Belarusian language there is an analogous word, 'prypinak'.

The hydronym gave its name to the city, which appeared at the confluence of the rivers in 1097.

Over its almost thousand-year history, Pinsk has constantly used the water resources of the city's blue thoroughfare.

This quiet river with low banks, 40 kilometres long and 35-40 metres wide, is part of the Dnipro-Bug Canal, during the construction of which the channel changed and oxbow lakes appeared.

Freight turnover on the Pina fell sharply after the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the collapse of the Union and the unification of Germany, to which crushed stone from Ukrainian mines was delivered by barge. On the river the Pinsk river port has been created.

Hydrological observation has been carried out since 1922. During the low-water period a reversal of the Pina's current occurs.

The Pina. The hydrological post

Before the Second World War the base of the Pinsk Military Flotilla was situated here, whose sailors took part in holding back the enemy at the crossing of the Dnipro and the defence of Kyiv, and distinguished themselves especially in the liberation of Pinsk and the taking of Berlin. Later the flotilla was renamed the Dnipro Flotilla, and this name was given to the former Embankment.

Pinsk. The memorial sign to the sailors of the Dnipro Flotilla on the street of the same name

The station is a specimen of wooden Polesian architecture. In spring the floating pier is towed to the wharf; in autumn it is taken away. A gangway leads to it from the bank. In the building there is a ticket office and a waiting hall.

The Pina. The river station

In Soviet times there was a connection with Kyiv by the "Raketa" hydrofoil river vessel.

Pinsk. A cafe built from the hull of the motor ship "Raketa". The ship bore the name "Boris Tsarikov".

Half-hour trips on the motor ship "Pinsk" are a favourite way for townspeople and guests of the city to spend their leisure. Romantic and instructive voyages on the vessel and viewing of the riverside landmarks are a success with tourists, newlyweds and schoolchildren. The former collegium and the domes of the Church of St Mary look quite different.

Pinsk. The motor ship "Pinsk"

The road bridge over the Pina was built in 1973, and at that time the designers did not allow for the growing load. About 5,000 vehicles cross it a day.

In 2019 a reconstruction is planned of the only bridge connecting Pinsk and Stolin. It is the city's only crossing in the direction of Ukraine. For that time, restrictions on the movement of water transport on the Pina and the operation of a pontoon bridge are envisaged.

An original solution was adopted by the artist Yevhen Sosiura, who transferred onto the piers of the old bridge copies of photographs with views of Pinsk in the 19th century. The stone monoliths turned into canvases depicting the past epoch, when paddle steamers plied the river, the later blown-up Church of St Stanislaus propped up the sky, fishermen in boats caught fish, and the bridge itself was made of metal trusses.

The Pina. The piers of the old bridge

In 2018 the embankment of the Pina was radically renewed: the retaining wall was restored, kerbstones were installed, parapet slabs were laid, and the green zone was put in order.

Pinsk. The reconstruction of the embankment in 2018

The embankment and the beach with its little mushroom shelters and boats are favourite recreation spots of the townspeople.