“Mother Volga” and “Mother Russia”: On the role of the river in gendering Russianness

For centuries “Mother Russia” has been one of the most important symbols of Russian culture. This symbol has been formed by various factors, which cannot be considered without analyzing another well-known maternal symbol  – “Mother Volga.” Just how popular is the symbol of “Mother Volga” in Russian culture? What traits are attributed to it? How are they gendered? What role does it play? How does it influence stereotypes of Russianness? And finally, to what degree are maternal images of river and country correlated?