Сборы X-WATERS Волга 2026

The X-WATERS Volga camp is a five-day training program held from July 21 to 26, 2026, in Nizhny Novgorod. Participants engage in intensive open-water swimming sessions designed to prepare for the main competitive event, the X-WATERS Volga race. Wetsuits are mandatory for all water-based training, providing necessary thermal protection and buoyancy in the river conditions. The curriculum balances in-water technical drills—focusing on drafting, sighting, and open-water starts—with land-based conditioning to build endurance and shoulder strength.

Swimming through history

As you navigate the Volga, the city’s architectural timeline unfolds directly from the water level. You will swim past the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, a red-brick citadel that has withstood centuries of conflict without being breached. Near the Ivanovskaya tower, the Church of St. John the Baptist remains a focal point; it was here in 1612 that Kuzma Minin called upon the local militia to march on Moscow. The perspective from the river also highlights the Dmitrievskaya Tower, the main gate of the Kremlin, which has dominated the skyline since the 16th century. Further along the embankment, the monumental Chkalov Stairs, Russia's longest staircase, rise from the water in a figure-eight formation. At their base sits the 'Hero' boat monument, a reference point for those training near the city center. While carving through the current, keep in mind the river’s scale; this is the same waterway that carried the cruise ship 'Aleksandr Suvorov' after its 1983 collision with a railway bridge, an incident that remains a grim chapter in local navigation history. The city is defined by the confluence of the Oka and Volga, where the high, hilly banks of the Dyatlovy Mountains create a natural amphitheater for the training sessions.