Narew


The Narew, in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a right tributary of the Vistula River. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided hair.

Etymology

The name of the river comes from a Proto-Indo-European root *nr primarily associated with water or from a Lithuanian language verb nerti primarily associated with dive and flood.

Name of the lower portion

The portion of the river between the junctions with the Western Bug and the Vistula is also known as the Bugonarew, Narwio-Bug, Narwo-Bug, Bugo-Narew, Narwiobug or Narwobug. At the confluence near Zegrze the Bug is 1.6x longer, drains a 1.4x larger basin, and has a slightly higher average discharge. Thus the Bugonarew was often considered part of the Bug river and the Narew a right tributary.
On December 27, 1962, Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz abolished the name Bugonarew soon after the Zegrze Reservoir had been constructed. Since then the river is officially part of the Narew, and the Bug became a left tributary. The name Bugonarew however is continued to be used, especially by the inhabitants of local towns, such as Pułtusk.

Geography

The Narew flows through the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie located within the Podlaskie Voivodeship and Masovian Voivodeship of Poland and the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus.
CountryLengthBasin Area
Belarus
Poland
Total

The Narew is the fifth longest Polish river.

Cities and towns

Country
Voivodeship		CountyGminaVillageComments
BelarusCzoło - osada
Podlaskie VoivodeshipHajnowskiNarewkaSiemianówka
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokMichałowoBondary
Podlaskie VoivodeshipHajnowskiNarewNarew
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokZabłudówKaniuki
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokJuchnowiec KościelnyCzerewki
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBielskWyszkiStrabla
Podlaskie VoivodeshipbiałostockiSurażSuraż
Podlaskie VoivodeshipbiałostockiŁapyUhowo
Podlaskie VoivodeshipbiałostockiTurośń KościelnaTopilec
Podlaskie VoivodeshipwysokomazowieckiKobylin-BorzymyKurowoThe seat of Narwiański Park Narodowy
Podlaskie VoivodeshipwysokomazowieckiSokołyWaniewo
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokChoroszczChoroszcz
Podlaskie VoivodeshipmonieckiKrypnoGóra
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokTykocinTykocin
Podlaskie VoivodeshipmonieckiTrzcianneZajki
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokZawadyGóra StrękowaThe fortifications defended by Captain Władysław Raginis during German Invasion of Poland
Podlaskie VoivodeshipBiałystokZawadyŁaś-Toczyłowo
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaWiznaWizna
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaPiątnicaDrozdowoThe seat of Łomżyński Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Narwi and Museum of Nature
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaŁomżaSiemień Nadrzeczny
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaPiątnicaPiątnica
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaŁomża
Podlaskie VoivodeshipkolneńskiMały PłockChludnie
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaNowogródNowogród
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaZbójnaGontarze
Podlaskie VoivodeshipŁomżaMiastkowoNowosiedlinyThe last village in Podlaskie Voivodeship
Masovian VoivodeshipostrołęckiLelisŁęg Starościński
Masovian VoivodeshipostrołęckiRzekuńLaskowiec
Masovian VoivodeshipOstrołękaOstrołęka
Masovian VoivodeshipostrołęckiOlszewo-BorkiOstrołęka-
Masovian VoivodeshipostrołęckiRzekuńDzbenin
Masovian VoivodeshipmakowskiRóżanRóżan
Masovian VoivodeshipwyszkowskiDługosiodłoOstrykół Dworski
Masovian VoivodeshipmakowskiRzewnieNowe Łachy
Masovian VoivodeshipwyszkowskiRząśnikNowy Lubiel
Masovian VoivodeshippułtuskiObryteZambski Kościelne
Masovian VoivodeshippułtuskiPułtuskPułtusk
Masovian VoivodeshippułtuskiPokrzywnicaŁubienica
Masovian VoivodeshippułtuskiZatoryStawinoga
Masovian VoivodeshiplegionowskiSerockSerock
Masovian VoivodeshiplegionowskiSerockJadwisin
Masovian VoivodeshiplegionowskiNieporętNieporęt
Masovian VoivodeshiplegionowskiSerockDębe
Masovian VoivodeshiplegionowskiWieliszewTopolina
Masovian VoivodeshipNowy Dwór MazowieckiPomiechówekStare Orzechowo
Masovian VoivodeshipNowy Dwór MazowieckiNowy Dwór MazowieckiNarew flows into Vistula

Tributaries

History

On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing to divide Poland along the Narew, Vistula, and San rivers.
On September 6, 1939, Polish military forces attempted to use the Narew as a defense line against German attack during the German invasion of Poland. This was abandoned the next day in favor of the Bug as German forces had already penetrated the defenses.
The Battle of Wizna was fought along the banks of the river between September 7 and September 10, 1939, between the forces of Poland and Germany during the initial stages of Invasion of Poland. Because it consisted of a small force holding a piece of fortified territory against a vastly larger invasion for three days at great cost before being annihilated with no known survivors, Wizna is sometimes referred to as a Polish Thermopylae in Polish culture.
On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland. By 28 September, the Soviet Army had reached the line of the rivers Narew, Bug River, Vistula and San – completing the division of Poland as negotiated in advance.