Khvalynsk is a river port town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located by the Volga River. Population: 13,094 ; 13,752 ; 14,948 ; 16,000. It is located on the right bank of the Volga, at the foot of the Khvalynsk Mountains, 180 kilometers northeast of Saratov and 160 kilometers southwest of Samara. The place name stems from the old Russian name of the Caspian Sea: Хвалынское море, or "Khvalyn Sea". The latter is derived from the name "Khwalis" for the inhabitants of Khwarezm.