🏙️ Webcams Metlino online — watch the flooded village in real time

History of the flooded village of Metlino

Metlino is one of hundreds of villages that ended up at the bottom of the Rybinsk Reservoir. In 1941, the filling of the huge artificial reservoir began, and by 1947 the water level reached its design mark. The village of Metlino was flooded during the creation of the Rybinsk Reservoir in 1941-1947. It was not just a dot on the map — people lived here, houses stood, there was a church, there was its own life. Now all of this is hidden under a thickness of water.

The decision to create the reservoir was made as part of a large-scale Soviet project for the development of navigation and energy. The initial project envisaged flooding 2500 square kilometers without flooding settlements. However, reality turned out differently — the factory settlement of Abakumovo and three quarters of the ancient town of Vesyegonsk fell into the flood zone. Metlino was among those villages that were sacrificed to progress.

Rybinsk Reservoir — the sea that swallowed villages

The Rybinsk Reservoir is one of the largest artificial water bodies in Europe. The area of the Rybinsk Reservoir is 4580 km² — that's more than two Moscows within the MKAD. The reservoir stretches for tens of kilometers, and its shores are winding, with numerous bays and islands. Where there were once fields and forests, now there is water.

The scale of flooding is staggering. During the creation of the Rybinsk Reservoir, about 700 villages and hamlets, over 100 churches, and 4 monasteries were flooded. This is a whole world that disappeared under water. The village of Metlino is just one of these hundreds of lost villages, but each place has its own history, its own roots, its own destinies.

The fate of Metlino residents and surrounding villages

The relocation of people from the flood zone began long before the water approached the houses. From 1937 to 1941, more than 130,000 people were forced to leave their homes due to the flooding of the Rybinsk Reservoir. People were relocated to other districts, plots were allocated for new houses, but can you uproot a village dweller and transplant them into foreign land?

The residents of Metlino, like their neighbors from other villages, left with heavy hearts. Some moved to nearby cities, others farther away, to Yaroslavl or Moscow. Elders said that some families could not get used to their new lives for years and returned to the shores of the reservoir to look at the place where their home once stood.

What remains of Metlino at the bottom

The question of what exactly has been preserved at the bottom of the Rybinsk Reservoir at the site of Metlino remains open. There is no detailed information about specific objects — houses, church, cemetery — in available sources. Metlino is mentioned as one of many flooded villages without details about what exactly rests at the bottom.

However, underwater expeditions are conducted to search for flooded temples and villages at the bottom of the Rybinsk Reservoir. Divers and researchers find remains of foundations, fragments of dishes, wrought iron nails — traces of past life. Perhaps someday they will discover what remains of Metlino.

Metlino in the Tver region — the village that survived

Curiously, in the Tver region there is another village with the same name. In the northeastern part of the Tver region there is a village of Metlino in the Vesyegonsky district (21 km west of Vesyegonsk); in 1859 there were 9 households here. This village was not flooded and still exists today, although it remains sparsely populated.

Thus, the name Metlino has not disappeared completely — it lives in another village, several dozen kilometers from the place where the flooded village once stood. This is a kind of thread connecting the past and the present.

Rybinsk Reservoir today

Today, the Rybinsk Reservoir is not only a monument to what was lost, but also an important economic and recreational facility. The reservoir is used for navigation, fishing, and recreation. Cities and towns stand on its shores, where tourists come. The water in the reservoir is clean, especially in places remote from industrial centers.

The shores of the reservoir are diverse: there are sandy beaches, forested capes, marshy bays. In good weather, views from the shore resemble sea views — the water goes beyond the horizon, and it seems that you are standing on the edge of a huge lake. But locals know that entire villages, including Metlino, are hidden under this water.

How webcams help to see Metlino

For those interested in the history of flooded villages, webcams become a window into the present of these places. Although the village of Metlino itself is under water, cameras installed on the shores of the Rybinsk Reservoir allow you to observe the water area and coastal territories. You can see how the water level changes, how the shores look at different times of the year, how vessels pass.

Webcams Metlino online is an opportunity to touch history indirectly. Watching the water surface, you understand that somewhere down there, the remains of the village rest in silence. It's not the same as seeing houses and streets, but it's a connection to a place that was once alive.

Interesting facts about flooded villages

The history of the Rybinsk Reservoir is full of dramatic episodes. The war interfered with the planned filling of the reservoir — the level of the Rybinsk Reservoir reached its design mark only in 1947 (6 years after the start of filling in 1941). These six years were a time of waiting for those who still remained in the flood zone, and a time of slow submersion for the already abandoned villages.

Among the flooded objects were not only villages, but also monasteries, churches, and estates. Four monasteries ended up under water — entire spiritual centers with centuries of history. More than a hundred churches — each point on the map where people prayed, baptized children, and buried the dead. All this is now at the bottom, and Metlino is part of this lost map.

Which cameras show the area

The page features webcams broadcasting views of the Rybinsk Reservoir and adjacent territories. Select a camera to observe the water area in real time. The cameras are located on the shores of the reservoir and show the water surface, the coastline, and passing vessels. This is an opportunity to see what the place where the village of Metlino once stood looks like today.