Volga

The Volga (Russian: Волга) is a river that flows through central Russia and into the Caspian Sea, making it the longest river on the European subcontinent. It serves as the main setting of the Volga chapter.

Overview
Located in the Volga's drainage basin are over half of the Russian Federation's largest cities, including its capital Moscow. Along this river are several of the world's biggest reservoirs. The Volga has attained a symbolic meaning in the culture of Russia, sometimes dubbed Volga-matushka (Волга-матушка, Mother Volga) in the country's folklore as well as its literature. It is considered by many to be the national river of the country, similarly to the Vistula (Polish: Wisła) in Poland or the Dnieper (Belorussian: Дняпро, Ukrainian: Дніпро) in Belarus and Ukraine. Its importance is so pronounced that even after the apocalypse, it waters are still used as trade routes.

Metro Exodus
As Artyom and Anna travel aboard the Aurora eastwards from the Moscow Metro, they come across the Volga early in their journey. There they must face Silantius and his techno-phobic cult of crazed fanatics, who worship the Tsar Fish. The Volga, or one of its tributaries, is one of the areas that Artyom can traverse using the rowboat. Following the nuclear contamination of World War III, the river water sustained heavy doses of radiation affecting especially its bottom dwellers. As a result, alongside the Tsar Fish, the shore banks are crawling with shrimp. The dry parts are inhabited mainly by watchmen, which are always in groups of at least 3 and can sometimes be seen fighting off the shrimps. Both creatures appear to be less active during the day (although still present, just in a sleep state or less aggressive). One can also find packs of lurkers and the occasional demon in the wilderness, but the somewhat urbanized sections of the region are inhabited by humanimals.

Bandits have also set camp in the area, looting traders and harassing the local cult members. Some fanatics states that even having a big numerical advantage, the Tsar-fish guard still loses to them due to their far superior weapons and armour. There is a total of 6 bandit camps on the region: an electricity pole used for shelter by some men (Stephan's guitar quest takes you here, there is also an imprisoned cultist that can be freed once all the bandits are either dead or unconscious), an old warehouse where the bandits keep some cultists captive (who can also be freed once the hostiles have been dealt with), an unfinished concrete structure used by snipers for over-watch, a small train depot which Artyom must visit during the main mission, a construction site that once housed a pack of bandits but have been overrun by humanimals, and a gas station converted into a small outpost.

Trivia

 * Although Krest mentions that during the day bandits go out on patrol, no such behaviour is noted during the actual gameplay with bandits being confined to their outposts all the time.
 * The level takes place in the ruins of Zavodskoy Rayon on the outskirts of Saratov.
 * To the south of the terminal there are the ruins of a small train depot with a rotating train track, swarming with humanimals. Next to the rotating train track, there is a pole with a Spartan Ranger flag and a severed hand next to it.
 * In the same area, near the shore, a group of cultists can be found preparing for a ritual to drive away an electrical anomaly. If Artyom encounters this group at night, an anomaly will appear and move around the ritual area. After a while, it will disappear and the cultists will believe that their religious devotion drove it away.
 * On an island at the center of the map, Artyom can encounter two peaceful fanatics fishing, in contrast with the hostile ones found at the church and at the bridge.
 * One of the traders mention that they travel as far as Nizhny novgorod to Baku and that the people at Nizhny are trouble with them having shot up the ships bridge last time he went there.
 * Krest mentions after you first meet him that there is nothing to do in this part of the country and that all the cities are gone, its unknown if he means they where nuked or simply abandoned though.

Gallery
Волга