Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Image of Nizhny Novgorod

 

Location: Nizhny Novgorod Oblas

 

Transportation

 

Description of Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod (in Soviet times - Gorky) is the fifth most populous city in Russia, located on the banks of the Oka at the confluence of the Volga. It is located at the junction of the Volga region and Central Russia, combining the grandeur of the Kremlin and the intimacy of the central regions with the scope of an old Volga fair and industrial outskirts. Nizhny is a city with surprisingly many faces, where you will find monuments from various centuries, interspersed with breathtaking panoramas from the high bank of the Volga. In addition to the completely diverse architecture in Nizhny Novgorod, there are more than a dozen museums and an active cultural life that is not inferior to other large cities in Russia.

Nizhny Novgorod is one of the most historical cities in Russia. This is the city of Gorky and Chaliapin, the cradle of Russian radio and the Soviet automobile industry. The city of the Volga merchants, the revolutionary labor movement, river and sea shipbuilding.

The development of the Lower Nizhny took centuries to develop, starting with the Kremlin and magnificent churches of the 17th-18th centuries, continuing with merchants' mansions and carved wooden houses, and turning into a bizarre interweaving of Art Nouveau and Russian style or, for example, pre-revolutionary workers' barracks and monuments of Soviet architecture by the 20th century. It cannot be said that this heritage has ever been treated with sufficient care. Everywhere, and especially in the city center, you will encounter layers of various eras, where historical buildings are thinned out by multi-storey residential buildings or glass skyscrapers. Nevertheless, a lot has been preserved in Nizhny, and for an attentive traveler, this city is a true storehouse of architectural styles and viewpoints, as well as courtyards, nooks and crannies, cliffs, ravines and, last but not least, historical reminiscences, since a good half of Gorky's plots have been collected right here. In general, the parallels between the character of the city and the work of the “petrel of the revolution” are much broader than the details of the biography and ideological renaming of the Soviet era. It is still as bright, exciting and open to the boundless expanse of the Volga.

 

Orientation

Nizhny Novgorod is a very large city and, at first, it is very easy for a visitor to get lost in it. However, not everything is so scary at first glance.

Nizhny Novgorod differs from most megacities, with a traditional radial-ring structure, in that it has the shape of a semicircle. This is due to the fact that the center of the city is shifted to the north, and immediately after it begins another city - Bor. Starting from the center, the main highways bypass it in the southern part in a semicircle. There are five such circles in total. The most extreme of them is the Southern Bypass.

It is also worth focusing on the fact that the city is divided by the Oka into two parts: Nagornaya (Upper) and Zarechnaya (Lower), and semi-circular highways connect them together.

The upland part is located on the right mountainous bank of the Oka. Here is the historical center of Nizhny Novgorod, which starts from the Kremlin. It is encircled by the first semi-circular highway, and peripheral roads and streets are directed towards the center. Routes connecting the regions of the Upland part prevail here. It has only one metro station "Gorkovskaya", from which you can go from the center to the Zarechnaya part. The upland part has two bus stations - Sennaya Ploshchad and Shcherbinki, the Nizhegorodskaya cable car station and the river station, so getting to the center is quite easy.

The riverside part is located on the left flat bank of the Oka. This is the industrial and commercial part of the city. Not far from the Moscow railway station is the old Nizhny Novgorod Fair, where various business forums are held. Here the road network is directed to two main directions - the Moscow railway station and the Gorky Automobile Plant. The transport network is very well developed. From the station you can go almost anywhere in the city by several modes of transport. It has a more developed metro system, both lines of which are located in the Zarechnaya part. Also in this part of the city is the Strigino airport. From it you can go closer to the center by city taxis and buses. There are tram lines nearby. From the airport, in general, transport routes lead to the center of the Avtozavod, where you can transfer to any type of transport in any direction.

 

Districts

Nizhny Novgorod region
Tourist, historical and commercial center of the city, where you will find the Kremlin, Minin and Pozharsky Square, Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, Rozhdestvenskaya Street, Alexander Garden, Chkalov Stairs, Annunciation Monastery and many more interesting things

Sovietsky district
Kuznechikha, Upper Pechery, Podnovye, Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, Switzerland Park
East of Nizhny Novgorod. upland part

Prioksky district
Manor, Shcherbinki, Switzerland park
Southeast of Nizhny Novgorod. upland part

Sormovsky district
Sormovo Center, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, School of Barricades, "Steam Locomotive SU-251-32" memorial, Glory Square
Northwest of Nizhny Novgorod. Zarechnaya part. Initially - a separate settlement, now the Sormovsky district of the city.

Kanavinsky district
Arrow of the Oka and Volga, Nizhny Novgorod Fair, Lenin Square, Spassky Old Fair Cathedral, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Moscow Station, Revolution Square
Western part of the city. Zarechnaya part. Initially a separate settlement, now it is the Kanavinsky district of the city.

Avtozavodsky district
Gorky Automobile Plant, Center of the Automobile Plant, Park of Culture and Leisure, Sotsgorod, Monchegorye, Strigino
Southwestern part of the city. The main industrial and most densely populated area with the largest auto giant plant. During the Second World War, most of the air strikes fell on the Avtozavod.

Leninsky district
Karpovka, Molitovka, Engine of revolution, Machine-tool plant
One of the industrial areas in the geographical center of the city

Moskovsky district
Aviation, Kalinin, Lesnoy Gorodok, Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant, Nizhny Novgorod Oil and Fat Plant, Sokol aircraft plant
Industrial area of Nizhny Novgorod. It is recognizable by the pungent smell from the oil-fat plant.

 

Travel Destinations in Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod is an inexhaustible city. For a superficial acquaintance with it, a couple of days are enough, but stopping at least for a week, at least for two, you will continue to discover new corners, museums, outlying areas, and the surroundings deserve every attention. Here is a partial list of the most important:

The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is one of the largest in Russia, a remarkable monument of defensive architecture. There are not many interesting things inside the walls, but you can walk at any time of the day, admiring the Volga and the ancient Archangel Michael Cathedral (Собор Архангела Михаила)- the only surviving Kremlin church
The view of the confluence of the Oka and the Volga (Strelka) from the high bank (Fedorovsky embankment) is one of the best panoramic points in Russia. Since 2017, the cargo port on Strelka has been liquidated and a park and a new Volzhskaya embankment are being laid out on its territory
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Собор Александра Невского) (or Nevsky Cathedral) is located in the same place, on the Strelka. One of the visiting cards of the city. The yellow cathedral with black tents is probably familiar to many who are fond of river tourism along the Volga. In Soviet times, it stood like a warehouse in a semi-dismantled state, but it was just as recognizable.
The Chkalov Stairs (Чкаловская лестница) descend from the Kremlin down to the Volga, a legacy of Stalinist architecture, ironically one of the symbols of the city. Connects the square. Minin and Nizhne-Volzhskaya embankment
Stroganov churches are the brightest monuments of the Baroque style, striking with the richness of decor and stone carvings:
- Rozhdestvenskaya is located in the Upper part of the city on the street of the same name. It is clearly visible from the Kanavinsky bridge.

- Smolenskaya is lost among the residential development of the Kanavinsky district of the lower part of the city, a ten-minute walk from the Moscow railway station

The building of the State Bank on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya is a masterpiece of architecture of the early 20th century, incorporating the traditions of ancient Russian architecture, fabulous and mythological motifs. From the same period in Nizhny Novgorod there are many monuments of eclecticism and modernity, concentrated, for example, on the Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment east of the Kremlin
Wooden houses with carvings have been preserved in many parts of the city. Particularly interesting is Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street near Sennaya Square. In 2017, a decision was made to demolish most of the wooden houses and completely build up the street with ordinary skyscrapers.

 

Uptown

Kremlin
Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin (Kremlin), Kremlin, Nizhny Novgorod. ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 439-06-96. Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00. An ancient fortress in the very center of Nizhny Novgorod. The main view point is the central Dmitrievskaya tower. The fortress was built in 1516 according to the design of the architect Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Francesco). Under Ivan the Terrible, the Kremlin served to repel the Tatar-Mongol invasions. They tried to capture him several times, but no one succeeded. Then the fortress lost its relevance and was empty for a long time until the authorities were placed in it. Since then, following the example of the Moscow Kremlin, various political centers have been located here.

On its territory there are many monuments, museums, souvenir shops and one cathedral, as well as the bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral. The belfry, 51.5 meters high, was opened in the summer of 2021, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the city; it offers a beautiful view of the entire territory of the Kremlin and the part beyond the river; You can climb the bell tower by elevator.

Now you can take a circular route along the entire Kremlin wall (a ticket for such an excursion costs 500 rubles; due to elevation changes and often uncomfortable, steep and high steps, the route is not recommended for tourists aged and / or with health problems). Along the entire route, you can meet officially opened towers: Dmitrievskaya, Ivanovskaya and Zachatievskaya. They house various museums. The Zachatievsky Tower serves as the official residence of Father Frost in winter.

Arsenal (Center for Contemporary Art), Kremlin, 6 (on the territory of the Kremlin, between the Dmitrievskaya and Powder Towers). ☎ 45 54 +7 (831) 422 45 54. 12:00-20:00. The former armory of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, converted into a modern exhibition hall. Here you can have an interesting time at exhibitions of contemporary art, chat with interesting people and spend time in a cafe. Ideal for loft lovers.
Cathedral of the Archangel Michael (Cathedral of Michael the Archangel)  , Kremlin, bldg. 2A. ☎ +7 831 419-78-97. 8:00-18:00. The oldest temple in Nizhny Novgorod, first built in 1221, and the existing hipped church was erected by Lavrenty Semyonov and Antipa Konstantinov in 1631. The ashes of Kuzma Minin are buried in the cathedral.
Monument to Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich and St. Simon of Suzdal, Kremlin, Michael the Archangel Cathedral (in front of the main gate to the temple). Monument to the founder of the city George (Yuri) Vsevolodovich and Saint Simon of Suzdal.

 

Center

Chkalov Stairs, Minin and Pozharsky Square/Nizhne-Volzhskaya Embankment (beginning next to the Georgievskaya Tower of the Kremlin, ending at the boat "Hero"). A staircase connecting the Upper Volga and Lower Volga embankments. It is one of the visiting cards of the city. It is beautiful in that it is made in the form of the number 8 and is very huge. No one has been able to count the number of steps on it.
Monument to Valery Chkalov, Minin and Pozharsky Square (near the Georgievskaya Tower of the Kremlin). Dedicated to Soviet pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov, who made the first non-stop flight from the USSR to the USA via the North Pole. On the pedestal are the years of the pilot's life and the inscription "Valery Chkalov, the great pilot of our time." Under these words, above the map of flights, holes from the mounts are visible - there was an inscription "Stalin's falcon", removed during the fight against Stalin's personality cult. There is also one piquant feature. If you stand on the third step of the Chkalov Stairs, from the side of the St. George Tower, and look at the monument from the back, you will notice a very interesting detail in the form of an optical illusion on the figure of Chkalov.
Church of Saint John the Baptist (Церковь Рождества Иоанна Предтечи) (Ivanovskaya Church), Ivanovsky Congress, 1B (Bus stop "Rozhdestvenskaya Street"). ☎ 38 00 +7 (831) 437 38 00, fax: 37 75 +7 (831) 437 37 75. 08:00 – 18:00. one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Nizhny Novgorod, mentioned since the 15th century. The stone temple was consecrated in 1683, again on November 4, 2005. By the name of the temple, the nearby tower of the Kremlin is called Ivanovskaya. The church is located on the National Unity Square. In the Time of Troubles (in 1612), from the porch of this - then still wooden - temple, Kozma Minin called on the people of Nizhny Novgorod to liberate Moscow from Polish intervention.
Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, National Unity Square (Tram No. 11, stop "Skoba"). A reduced copy of the monument erected on Red Square in Moscow. The monument is located in the historical part of Nizhny Novgorod on National Unity Square, under the walls of the Kremlin, near the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The history of the monument goes back to the Time of Troubles. Russia was under a Polish-Swedish siege, and Moscow was occupied by the Poles. Then, in 1611, in Nizhny Novgorod, the zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin began to call on the people to take up arms against the Polish interventionists. It was also necessary to find a commander for the future militia. Nizhny Novgorod decided to ask Prince Dmitry Pozharsky to head it. In 1803, it was decided to start raising funds for the erection of a monument in honor of Minin and Pozharsky. Ivan Martos immediately got down to business. Initially, it was supposed to erect a monument in Nizhny Novgorod. But due to the fact that it was of great value to the country, it was decided to install it on Red Square in Moscow. However, in 2004, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov decided to correct this historical injustice and decided to install a copy of the Moscow monument in Nizhny Novgorod. He offered to copy the monument to the famous Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. And already on November 4, 2005, the grand opening of the monument took place on the new square of Nizhny Novgorod - the National Unity Square. The choice of the place was not accidental - after all, it was from here that the people's militia of 1612 began.
Church of the Nativity (Stroganovskaya), Rozhdestvenskaya Street, 34 (Bus stop "River Station"). ☎ +7 (831) 430-18-60. One of the best examples of the Stroganov style. The main attraction of Rozhdestvenskaya street. It was built in 1701, but after a fire it was rebuilt in 1719. The church is a bit like St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow or the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. Interestingly, during the reign of Peter I, the church was closed until his death. After the revolution, the church was closed and was subject to demolition, but it was possible to defend it and open the Museum of Religion and Atheism inside. In modern Russia, the church is working again.
Annunciation Monastery, Melnichny lane, 8 (Bus and tram stop "Annunciation Square"). ✉ ☎ 07 97 +7 (831) 430 07 97. 07:00 – 19:00. The oldest monastery in Nizhny Novgorod, founded in the 13th century when the city was founded. The oldest buildings on the territory of the monastery date back to the 17th century, although almost all of them were rebuilt at a later time.
Bolshaya Pokrovskaya street. "Local Arbat", the main street of the city. Mostly pedestrian with an abundance of beautiful architecture of the XVII-XIX centuries, a large number of artists, musicians, cafes, bars, restaurants of all stripes. On the street there are attractions such as the State Bank, the Drama Theater and the UNN. N. I. Lobachevsky. There are many bronze sculptures, among which the most popular is the Merry Goat at the Drama Theatre.
Central Bank of the Russian Federation for the Nizhny Novgorod Region (Gosbank)   , st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 26 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 433-59-22. A very beautiful building of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is located in the very center of the city on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street. The bank was built in 1913 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in the Art Nouveau architectural style, stylized as the 17th century.
Manor of the Rukavishnikovs (Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve), Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment, 7 (access by public transport to the Water Academy stop or Minin and Pozharsky Square). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 422-10-80. Tue-Thu 10:00 - 17:00, Fri-Sun 12:00 - 19:00, Mon closed. 140–270 ₽. The main palace of Nizhny Novgorod. The estate of the merchant S. M. Rukavishnikov was built in 1875-1877 according to the project of the architect P. S. Boytsov. The estate was kept in excellent condition and the first of the Nizhny Novgorod houses was equipped with electric light in 1903. After the revolution, the house was nationalized in 1918 and in 1924 given over to the museum of local lore. The museum changed its name several times until in 1959 it became known as the State Historical and Architectural Museum Reserve.
Peasant Bank (Palace of Children's Creativity named after Chkalov)  , st. Piskunova, 39 (Bus and tram stop "River School"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 433-04-87.
Chambers Pushnikov, st. Gogol, 52. The only monument of the leather manufactory in the city. It consists of two connecting buildings - a one-story late 17th and two-story early 18th century.
Elias Church (Church of St. Prophet Elijah)  , st. Ilyinskaya, 9 (Tram No. 11, stop "Skoba". Then you need to go up Ilyinskaya Street. Or trams No. 1, 2, 21 to the stop "Dobrolyubova Street", then down Ilyinskaya Street.). ☎ +7 (831) 430-32-43. Mon–Sun 8:00–18:00. Church on the same Ilyinskaya street. Consecrated in honor of the prophet Elijah as the ruler of thunder and lightning. It was built in memory of the deliverance of Nizhny Novgorod from the invasion of the Tatars and Nogais in 1505. According to legend, at this place stood the tent of the Nogai Murza, who was killed with an accurate shot by the captured gunner Fedya Litvich. For the first time faced with a formidable weapon, the army of Mahmet-Emin fled in a panic.
Assumption Church on Ilyinskaya Gora, Krutoy Lane, 3 (Trams No. 1, 2, 21 to the stop "Dobrolyubova Street", then walk about 250 m to the end of Krutoy Lane.). ☎ +7 (831) 430-33-03. Mon–Sun 8:00–17:00. The church was built with the money of the merchant Afanasy Olisov and is remarkable not only for its architectural features, but also for the Balakhna tiles of the 17th century. Next to the church is the house of A.F. Olisov, built in 1676.
Church of the Ascension of the Lord, st. Ilinskaya, 54 (Trams No. 1, 2, 21 to the stop "Nizhegorodskaya Street"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 437-39-17. Mon–Sun 7:00–18:00. The church was built in the Russian-Byzantine style in 1872 on the site of an older church. In Soviet times, the church was closed and a grain warehouse was located in it. After the collapse of the USSR, the church was transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese and restored. Its bell tower with a non-standard dome is the most conspicuous building on Ilyinskaya Street.
Varvarskaya Street (Figner Street in Soviet times). The central street of Nizhny Novgorod, one of the seven streets that diverge radially from Minin and Pozharsky Square.
Rozhdestvenskaya street. The most unique concentration of stone buildings of the old Lower times of its golden era. Bank of the Rukavishikovs, a pearl of Art Nouveau, architect Shekhtel, sculptor Konenkov.
Ilinskaya street. Beautiful monuments of merchant architecture
Upper Volga embankment. modernist mansions and villas in the Stalinist Empire style
Observation deck on the Fedorovsky embankment. Stunning view of the sunsets
Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women (1649), st. Dobrolyubova, 13a.
Monument to Maxim Gorky, Gorky Square (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). Monument to the famous Nizhny Novgorod writer Maxim Gorky. It was opened on November 2, 1952. The figure of Gorky, raised high above the square, is set on a tetrahedral pedestal, as if "growing" out of a granite rock. Vera Mukhina created the image of the young Gorky during his life in his native Nizhny Novgorod, it was during this period that he wrote the famous “Song of the Petrel”.
Bust of A. From Pushkin. Installed at the main entrance to the Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Pushkin park.
Kulibin park. Former cemetery, barbarously destroyed in the first years of Soviet power. Only Kulibin's grave has survived, after which the "park" was named. Gorky's grandmother, known to us from his novel Childhood, is also buried here.
On the territory is the Church of All Saints (Vsevyatskaya, or Peter and Paul). You can also find the following monuments: a bust of Kulibin, a monument to Maxim Gorky, a monument with a high relief of Kulibin, a stele with a bas-relief. In addition, the park is located: a children's town, a cafe "Ark", an entertainment center, a nightclub.

 

Pechory

Pechersky Ascension Monastery (Печерский Вознесенский монастырь). The monastery was founded in the 14th century by Dionysius of Suzdal, who came to the Volga from the Kiev Caves Monastery. The existing monastic ensemble was mainly built in the middle of the 17th century by Antipa Konstantinov. The Archangel Cathedral of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin served as a prototype for the over-gate St. Euthymius Church, and the bell tower of the monastery is a rare example of ancient Russian belfries of the 16th-17th centuries.
Sennaya Square. Numerous wooden mansions in the Russian and Art Nouveau styles have survived, in which the spirit of the old Nizhny Novgorod still lingers and, unfortunately, are being destroyed with the full connivance of the local authorities.
Rowing canal and surroundings. Pecherskaya Sloboda, which originally housed the Pechersky Monastery, before it was destroyed by a landslide. There is a church on this site.
Gagarin Avenue
Park Switzerland. ☎ +7-831-282-63-00. 05:00 - 22:00. Opened after reconstruction for the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod. Most of the park is a valuable natural landscape. There are playgrounds for children, playgrounds for sports.
Stunning view of the lower part of the city, especially at night.
Shchelokovsky farm, Nizhny Novgorod, st. Gorbatovskaya, 41. Forest park zone in the mountainous part of the city between the Soviet and Prioksky districts. In the center of the park there are three lakes, stretched in one line. The third, lower and largest lake in terms of area is equipped with places for swimming. In winter, the park is a place for skiing for citizens, as well as cross-country skiing and orienteering competitions. In the park, ski routes roll up with snowmobiles - 3, 5, 10, 15 km. The Museum of the History and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Volga Region is located in the area of the second lake, where wooden buildings of past centuries are presented. The exhibits were brought disassembled to the museum in the period 1970-1975 and reassembled in the museum. You can get to the Museum of Wooden Architecture at Shchelokovsky Farm by bus 28 without transfers, the final stop is right at the museum. Currently, restoration work is underway on the territory of the museum, so the visit has been stopped for some time.

 

Lower town

Kanavino
Nizhny Novgorod fair , Sovnarkomovskaya st., 13 (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 277-55-80. 09:00-18:00. The largest fair in Russia, the fame of which thundered far beyond its borders. It was repeatedly visited by Russian emperors, as well as by a number of very curious characters, such as Lewis Carroll. The modern fair is the Main Fair House and several trade pavilions. Exhibitions, business meetings and seasonal fairs are regularly held here.
Arrow (Arrow of the Oka and Volga), Strelka street (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). One of the main natural attractions in the historical center of Nizhny Novgorod. It is located at the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers. Since the 17th century, there has been a river port on the territory of Strelka, which was moved from this place only in 2018. Now there is a park with historical warehouses (warehouses) headed by the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky (New Fair Cathedral)   , st. Strelka, 3 (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ✉ ☎ +7 831 246-24-84. Cathedral of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Metropolis
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral (Staroyarmarochny Cathedral), Yarmarochny proezd, 10/1 (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ☎ +7 (831) 246-07-15. Mon–Sun 7:00–19:00. Temple in the style of late classicism in Nizhny Novgorod on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. It was built in 1822 by the architect Auguste Montferrand, the creator of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. In Soviet times, the temple was closed and used as a warehouse for grain and flour. In April 1989, by decision of the Council for Religious Affairs, the cathedral was transferred to the Gorky diocesan administration for its restoration and use as a cathedral. On September 11, 2009, Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill took part in the opening of a monument to Nizhny Novgorod residents - participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Park them. May Day (1 (Avtozavodskaya) Chkalovskaya line). Built for the All-Russian Exhibition of 1896, the park is one of the most attractive places in Nizhny Novgorod. There are many attractions, walking areas and a food court. It is patrolled by mounted police, which looks very nice.
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium , st. Betancourt, 1A (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). International football stadium. It is located on Strelka, at the confluence of the Oka River into the Volga.
Smolensk Church in Gordeevka (Smolensk-Vladimir parish in Gordeevka), Ul. Gordeevskaya, 141A (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 215-30-50. Mon–Sun 7:00–19:00. Baroque house church of the country estate of the merchant Grigory Stroganov. Next to it is the Vladimir Church of the early 20th century in the eclectic style.

 

Sormovo

Sormovsky Park , Yubileiny Boulevard, 31B. ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 281-47-27, fax: +7 (831) 281-47-27. Quiet pine forest park - beautiful landscapes and unique coniferous aroma. If you are careful, sometimes you can see woodpeckers living in the park on the trees. There is also a private zoo "Limpopo" with many animals, all well-fed and well-groomed, for a fee you can buy animal food and feed them. In Limpopo there is a contact zoo "Russian Village" - animals that are safe for humans (goats, sheep, rabbits, etc.) are outside the enclosures and you can pet them. Small children especially love this part of the zoo.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral (Sormovsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral), st. Shcherbakova, 13A (2 (Sormovskaya) line "Petrel" and any bus or tram to the stop "Center of Sormov"). ☎ +7 (831) 270-47-97. Mon–Sun 8:00–17:00. The cathedral was built as an addition to the already built earlier church of Alexander Nevsky. Sormovo grew thanks to the Sormovo plant, which employed more than 10 thousand people, and the small temple could not accommodate everyone. In 1898, the construction of the cathedral designed by the architect Pavel Malinovsky was approved, and in 1905 the main throne was consecrated. In 1927, the cathedral was closed, the roof was removed from it and church utensils were confiscated. Initially, it was decided to blow up the temple, however, an orphanage of culture was opened in it, and later a warehouse and a refrigerator were created. Only in 1990 the temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church and later restored.

 

Avtozavod

Avtozavodsky Park (Central Park of Culture and Leisure of the Avtozavodsky District)   , st. hero Prygunov, 2 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Park Kultury"). ☎ +7 (831) 256-58-65. The main park of the Avtozavodsky district of Nizhny Novgorod. It is located in its central historical part (Sotsgorod microdistrict). Built in the spirit of the Stalinist Empire style. Nearby are the cinema "Mir" and the Palace of Culture GAZ. There are many attractions for adults and children, a skating rink, World War II memorials, beaches and fountains.
Palace of Culture GAZ  , st. hero Smirnov, 12 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Park Kultury"). ☎ +7 (831) 295-72-28. Tue-Sat 11:00 – 19:00. Monumental building in the "Stalinist" style. It was considered the largest palace of culture in the USSR
Serobusyginsky quarter (Busyginsky quarter), Oktyabrya pr-kt, 21 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Kirovskaya", or bus stop "Station" Happy ". You can also take the train to the station" Happy "). Several houses-communes, united among themselves. The houses in the quarter were built in the "Stalinist" Empire style and have a cold gray color. Green areas are laid out around and inside the quarter, and the communal houses themselves amaze with their grandeur. In addition to the gray house, on opposite sides of it are other Stalin-era houses built in the same style, but with a different color. Together they make up the most beautiful part of the Sotsgorod Automobile Plant of the 1930s - the Busyginsky Quarter.

 

Annunciation Monastery (Благовещенский монастырь)

House museum of A.D. Sacharov (Музей-квартира А.Д.Сахарова)

House Museum of A.M Gorky (Музей-квартира А.М.Горького)

 

What to do

To study the history of Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the history of the USSR during the first five-year plans. The city is very beautiful, especially in summer. Two large rivers and a high bank with the Kremlin promise a magnificent panorama, but, in fact, there is nothing to look at: the coast beyond the Volga is deserted, the coast beyond the Oka is sleeping areas. Caution - a fairly strong wind always blows, it must be taken into account, especially in bad weather. Cycling around the city is not an idea, there is no cycling infrastructure here at all. You can ride a boat, since there are many different ones.

Museum of Architecture and Life Shchelokovsky farm  , Gorbatovskaya street 41 (On the western outskirts of the park of the same name). ☎ 422-10-87. Temporarily closed due to restoration work.
Art Museum, Kremlin, bldg. 3 (Russian art), Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment, 3 (foreign art), pl. Minin and Pozharsky, 2/2 (art of the 20th century). ☎ +7 (910) 130-02-84. 10:00–18:00 Tue-Wed, 12:00–20:00 Thu, 11:00–19:00 Fri, Sat, Sun; Monday - day off; The box office closes 30 min. until the end of the museum.. The exposition of Russian art, ranging from icons to the avant-garde of the early XX century. The section of ancient Russian art is quite large and includes icons from Nizhny Novgorod, which you will not see anywhere else. Russian art of the 17th and 19th centuries. pretty standard and looks like a branch of the Tretyakov Gallery. Most likely, you will not discover any new names for yourself, although the exposition is not bad. On the other hand, the painting of the beginning of the 20th century is quite high quality - again, there are no little-known names, but they are known in large numbers, including, for example, the Larionov and Goncharova hall. The building - Rukavishnikov's house - is an architectural monument in itself.
Museum of the History of Artistic Crafts  , st. B. Pokrovskaya, 43, 4th floor. ☎ +7 (831) 282-25-43. 11:00–18:00, closed on Mondays. Art crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod region from the 17th century to the present day: painting and wood carving, forging, pottery, dolls and folk costumes.
Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium (Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium named after G. M. Grechko), st. Revolutionary, 20 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 272-50-94. Mon–Sun 9:00–21:00. 100 - 250 ₽. The planetarium was opened in 1948 and until December 5, 2005 it was located in the building of the Alekseevskaya Church of the Annunciation Monastery. After the return of the building of the Russian Orthodox Church, it was decided to build a new planetarium. During construction, he did not interrupt his work. When creating the planetarium, the latest technologies were used, in addition, it surpassed the old building and is ready to receive more than 50 thousand spectators annually and hold 1300 events. The planetarium complex includes multimedia halls "Planet" and "Cosmonautics". The planetarium has the first digital planetarium program in Russia. The opening of the Great Star Hall of the Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Space Age and took place on October 4, 2007.
Nizhny Novgorod Circus (Nizhny Novgorod State Circus named after Margarita Nazarova)    , st. Communist, 38 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 246-13-80. Mon–Sun 10:00–19:00. 800 - 2000 ₽. The history of the Nizhny Novgorod circus dates back to 1883, when Akim and Pyotr Nikitin built the first wooden circus building. In 1886, the construction of the stone building of the circus was completed. In 1923, the Nizhny Novgorod Circus came under the jurisdiction of the Central Administration of State Circuses (TSUGTS). The modern building of the circus for 2000 seats was built in 1964, opened after reconstruction in 2007.
Aquapark "Oceanis", st. Gagarin, 35, building. 3 (near the Switzerland Park; buses 1, 12, 43, 68, 85). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 2-831-831. 10:00–22:00. Prices: from 1500 ₽ adult rate Lite on weekdays for 4 hours to 2600 ₽ for an aqua park and thermal baths for an adult for 12 hours on weekdays; on weekends, the cheapest ticket for an adult: 1700 ₽, the most expensive: 2900 ₽. The water park opened in 2022. Safe slides are provided for children, extreme slides for adults. Play area for children 0+, family water play complex 3+. Pools of different depths. There is also a thermal complex with various spas, jacuzzis, baths. It is possible to purchase a ticket for 12 hours and not go out: there are cafes and bars on the territory.
Zoo "Limpopo" (located in the Sormovsky Park of Culture, this is the riverside part of the city)  , st. Yaroshenko, 7-b (buses 3, 12, 45, 57, 65). ☎ +7 (831) 271-67-37. 09:00–21:00. 700 ₽, complex with "Amazonia": 850 ₽. The zoo is located on two sites, next to the Museum of the History and Life of the Soviet Union “Back to the USSR” (10:00–19:00), rides and cafes. The zoo occupies about 7 hectares, there are more than 1300 representatives of the fauna, as well as the Amazonia tropical botanical garden.
Academic Philharmonic named after Rostropovich   (on the territory of the Kremlin). ☎ +7 (831) 439-11-87. 10:00–19:00, lunch break: 14:00–14:30. The main organizer of symphony, chamber, organ, children's and literary concerts. It holds the International Sakharov Festival, the annual children's festival "New Names", provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the work of the best musicians in the world. There are charity concerts with free admission by advance registration.
Opera and Ballet Theatre. A.S. Pushkin, st. Belinsky, 59 (tram 2 to the stop "Opera and Ballet Theatre", buses to the stop "Freedom Square" and walk through a small square). ☎ +7 (831) 234-05-34. 9:30-19:00, lunch break: 14:00-14:30. One of the founders of the annual festival "Boldino Autumn", which has now become international and annual. The theater itself opened in 1935, although it can be considered that the beginning was laid in 1897, when, with the active support of Maxim Gorky, a decision was made to build the People's House, which would also include a people's theater. The People's House opened in 1903 with a concert by F.I. Chaliapin.
Drama Theatre. M. Gorky, st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 13 (travel to the Minin and Pozharsky Square stop by bus or tram 2, 21 to the Bolshaya Pokrovskaya / DK Sverdlova or Black Pond stop; you can get to the Gorkovskaya metro station and walk along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya). ☎ +7 (831) 419-51-73. Since 1896, the theater has been located in a beautiful building on the central pedestrian street of the city. The building was designed by the chief architect of the imperial theaters, academician V.A. Schroeter. The repertoire includes plays by N.V. Gogol, M. Gorky, A.S. Pushkin, A.P. Chekhov, W. Shakespeare, A.N. Ostrovsky, G. Gorin, V. Tokareva and others. On the basis of the theater, the Russian Theater Festival named after I. M. Gorky.

 

Etymology

It was founded in 1221 under the name of Novgorod, which, perhaps, meant not just “new city”, but repeated the name of the city of Novgorod on the Volkhov River. To distinguish cities of the same name, the definition “lower” is introduced, which at first was used sporadically, and from the 14th century it was almost constantly used. This definition is most often understood as an indication of the location of the city in the lower lands, on the Niza. According to N. D. Rusinov, in this case the city would be called not Nizhny, but Nizovsky Novgorod. In addition, he draws attention to the fact that pairs of toponyms with the components "lower" and "upper" usually arise within the same river - in other words, the city, in relation to which Novgorod is "lower", should have been located upstream of it. Oka or Volga. Rusinov considers Gorodets to be such a city, which arose before Novgorod, lies upstream of the Volga, and it was from it that the functions of an advanced defensive point were transferred to Novgorod. Nevertheless, the etymology based on the Nizovsky land is evident, for example, in the great imperial title that was preserved until 1917, in which the emperor was called the “Grand Duke of Novgorod of the Nizovsky land” (in the old spelling - “Novagorod of the Nizovsky land”).

On October 7, 1932, in commemoration of the 40-year literary activity of the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky, a native of this city, Nizhny Novgorod was renamed Gorky, although he himself was against this, he forbade his relatives and friends to call Nizhny Novgorod in a new way and in general disagreed with the city renaming campaign. As part of the “process of revival of historical original names” carried out in the late perestroika period, at the suggestion of the Toponymy Council of the Soviet Cultural Fund, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR No. Gorky region to the Nizhny Novgorod region, the historical name of Nizhny Novgorod was returned to the city.

 

History of Nizhny Novgorod

The emergence of the city and the Nizhny Novgorod principality
Starting from the 9th century, the Slavic colonization of the lands along the upper Volga, inhabited by Finno-Ugric peoples, took place. By the end of the 11th century, Rus' owned the entire upper Volga, almost to the mouth of the Oka. The borders of the Volga Bulgaria began a little lower, and the right bank of the Volga up to the mouth of the Sura was inhabited by the Erzyans. At the same time, Gorodets was the “last” Slavic city on the Volga until 1221.

In 1221, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, at the confluence of the Volga and Oka, founded a stronghold for the defense of the borders of the Vladimir principality from the Moksha, Erzya, Mari and Volga Bulgars under the name Novgorod of the Nizovsky land. Novgorodians called the principality of Vladimir “Nizovsky land”, later this name was transformed into Nizhny Novgorod, and it remained in the imperial title until 1917.

During the period of feudal fragmentation, Nizhny Novgorod was alternately the lot of Suzdal and Vladimir principalities. In 1350, the city became the capital of the independent Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal Grand Duchy, created in 1341, which occupied a vast territory and competed with Moscow. During this period, the Nizhny Novgorod lands began to be actively settled.

Russian kingdom
In 1392 (but finally only in 1425 under Vasily II), during the growth of the lands of the Moscow principality, the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal Grand Duchy was annexed to the possessions of Moscow, and Nizhny Novgorod became the center of the county.

Around 1469, the city was visited by Afanasy Nikitin, who mentioned it in his travel notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas".

Under Ivan III and Vasily III, the city played the role of a border post with the Kazan Khanate, had a permanent army and was a gathering place for warriors during campaigns against it. In 1500-1511, instead of the existing wooden one, the stone Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin was built. After the campaign of Vasily III to Kazan, in 1523, the city of Vasil (now Vasilsursk) was founded on the Sura River, to which border duties were transferred, and with the conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan by Ivan IV, the borders on the Volga disappeared completely. In 1565, after Tsar Ivan the Terrible divided the Russian kingdom into oprichnina and zemshchina, the city became part of the latter.

During the Time of Troubles, Nizhny Novgorod, along with the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, continued to support Moscow. The decisive role in the liberation from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders was played by the Nizhny Novgorod militia of 1612, led by the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo elder Kozma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

In the XVII century, the church schism that occurred in the Orthodox Church under Patriarch Nikon led to the fact that in the vicinity of Nizhny Novgorod, and especially on the Kerzhentse River, numerous settlements of Old Believers were formed. To eradicate the schism in Nizhny in 1672, the Nizhny Novgorod and Alatyr diocese was founded, headed by the metropolitan until 1719.

Russian empire
As a result of the administrative-territorial reforms of Peter I, in 1708 the Nizhny Novgorod district became part of the Kazan province. On January 26 (February 6), 1714, it became the center of its own province of the same name. From the largest, at that time, Kazan province, Nizhny Novgorod province stands out, including Arzamas, Alatyr, Balakhna, Vasil (Vasilsursk), Gorokhovets, Murom, Yuryevets, Yadrin, the lower reaches of the Kerzhents and Vetluga rivers. In the 1720s, the Alphabet, Slavic-Russian and Hellenic-Greek schools were created in the city, and in 1721 Archbishop Pitirim opened the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary. On April 23 (May 4), 1733, a police force was established in the city. The first Nizhny Novgorod police chief was a retired army captain, Grigory Ratkov.

On May 20-21 (June 1), 1767, the "highest" visit to Nizhny Novgorod by Catherine II took place. The Empress, in a letter to Count Panin, gave a low assessment of its development:

This city is beautiful in its situation, but its structure is disgusting, everything is either lying on its side, or close to it ...

As a result, Governor Yakov Arshenevsky was ordered to remove the exact plan of Nizhny Novgorod, on the basis of which a new regular plan of the city was created in the capital's Commission on the structure of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Well-known urban planners headed by A. V. Kvasov were involved in the work on the project. The plan was approved by the Governing Senate and approved by the Empress on April 13 (24), 1770[52]. According to it, various social and cultural institutions appear: the first city hospital and the first pharmacy (1780), the first provincial printing house in the Volga region (1791), the first public theater of Shakhovsky with a troupe of serf actors (1798)

In 1817, the largest fair in Russia was moved from the city of Makaryev to the left bank of the Oka, thanks to which the rapid economic development of the city and the settlements adjacent to it began. Arrangement of a fair town on the low sandy bank of the Oka became an outstanding urban planning project created under the leadership of A. A. Betancourt: an artificial canal was dug, a sewer system was created. The complex of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair included the Main Fair House, the Orthodox Old Fair and New Fair Cathedrals, a Sunni mosque, an Armenian church, the Great Fair Theater, and a circus. Thanks to the fair, Nizhny Novgorod received the nickname "Pocket of Russia".

In the years 1834-1841, town-planning transformations were carried out in Nizhny, which still determine the appearance and infrastructure of the historical center: several congresses were laid connecting the Lower and Upper Posadas (one of them, Zelensky, was dug into the slope of the Kremlin Mountain). The lower Safronovskaya and upper Georgievskaya embankments were built. From the earth collected during the construction of the Zelensky Congress, the Lykov dam was poured in place of the old wooden bridge across the Pochaina. A military garrison was stationed in the Kremlin, for which residential development was finally removed from there. The Kremlin became the military and administrative center of the city.

In the middle of the 19th century, large industrial enterprises appeared in the nearby villages: the Nizhny Novgorod Mechanical Plant in Sormovo and the metal plant in Kanavina. In 1861, one of the first in the country, the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod railway was built here. In 1880, the Nizhny Novgorod Commodity Exchange was established.

In 1896, the largest All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition in pre-revolutionary Russia was held in Kanavin, on the occasion of which large-scale landscaping work was carried out in the city: an electric tram was organized (the first in Russia in modern borders), funiculars were built from Nizhny to Upper Posad ( in Nizhny Novgorod called elevators), the new building of the city Nikolaev theater.

In December 1905, an uprising of the workers of the Sormovo plant took place in Sormov and Kanavin. Although it was quickly suppressed, the newspapers of the time noted widespread public support for the strikers' actions.

During the First World War, Nizhny Novgorod was filled with refugees from the west of the empire. Thanks to the governor A.F. Girs, in 1915, a telephone factory "Siemens and Halske" was built near Nizhny Novgorod. Enterprises, institutions and defense factories were evacuated to the city (including the Felzer and Etna factories in Riga). In 1916, the Nizhny Novgorod People's University was opened and the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute (which became the base of the future Gorky Polytechnic Institute) was evacuated. To accommodate it, the architect Vladimir Pokrovsky is designing a whole complex of educational, administrative and auxiliary buildings. Their construction was not completed in full due to the revolutionary events unfolding in the country. For the same reason, the construction of a temple for almost a thousand people in the Russian baroque style of the late 17th century, as well as the projects of the architect Nikolai Streletsky in 1913-1915 - a drawbridge across the Oka and a tunnel under the Volga, commissioned by the Moscow-Kazan Railway Society - did not take place.

In early April 1917, the Nizhny Novgorod Provincial Executive Committee of the Provisional Government was created. In mid-March, a provincial council of peasant deputies was also formed, and a period of dual power began.

 

Soviet period

In the autumn of 1917, Soviet power was established in the city. Then the city was shaken by turmoil, civil war and the First World War. In 1929, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was formed in the city. During the NEP period, the Nizhny Novgorod Fair was revived for a short time. However, with the beginning of industrialization in the 1930s, the fair was closed as a "socially hostile phenomenon."

In 1929, the settlements of Sormovo and Kunavino were abolished, their territory, together with other settlements (villages: Gordeevka, Karpovka, Vysokov, as well as the villages: Vysokov, Koposov, Pochinki, Burnakovka, Knyazhikha, Ratmanikha, Kostarikha, Molitovka, Borzovka, Monastyrka and others ) was included in the greater Nizhny Novgorod, which since then has been divided into districts. In the same year, the Nizhny Novgorod province was abolished, and Nizhny Novgorod became the center of the region. October 7, 1932 the city was renamed Gorky.

The thirties of the XX century were marked by the rapid growth of industry. In 1932, the largest industrial enterprise in the city, the Gorky Automobile Plant, built with the participation of Ford Motor Co., began operating. In the 1930s and 1940s, the city was even referred to as "Russian Detroit". The automobile plant was an important object of the defense industry during the Great Patriotic War, along with the Krasnoye Sormovo plant, aircraft plant No. 21, the Gorky Zhirkombinat and the Gidromash aircraft plant evacuated from Moscow. In 1932, a large river cargo port was created on Strelka, which was of high importance both for the city and for the entire European part of the country. During this period, the first capital bridges were built: the Kanavinsky automobile bridge across the Oka and the Borsky railway bridge across the Volga, connecting Gorky with a direct railway connection with the Urals and Siberia.

During the Great Patriotic War, several large military units and formations of the people's militia were formed in Gorky, the 137th rifle division of the Gorky formation received the title of guards. In 1941-1942, a defensive line with a total length of more than 1,000 kilometers was built around the city. Industrial enterprises were important suppliers of weapons for the front. At the Gorky Machine-Building Plant (New Sormovo), as many artillery pieces were produced as at all enterprises in Germany. Due to its military-industrial significance, the city was bombed by German aircraft. During the war, enemy bombers made 43 raids on Gorky, 26 of them at night.

After the end of the war, public transport was gradually restored in the city. The transport network and infrastructure, at that time, were built without taking into account the possibility of competent city management, which served as the basis for modern transport and infrastructure problems. Multi-populated dormitory quarters were built in the Lower part of the city near the factories where their inhabitants worked. At that time, the daily movement of the working population to other areas or to the other side of the Oka was not supposed. Gorky in the 1930s-1950s was a city itself and several factories with workers' settlements and villages around them, separated by wastelands, which, by the end of the 20th century, were already built up with multi-storey residential areas. At the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, the shortcomings of such a scheme appeared: a significant number of the population of the residential microdistricts of the Zarechnaya part began to work and study in the upland part and vice versa. As a result, four bridges across the Oka, three of which were built during the Soviet period, still remain bottlenecks in the city's transport system. The subway in the city was also built without taking into account the movement of residents to the Upper part of the city. Because of this, it was unprofitable for a long time, until the opening of the Gorkovskaya station. It was assumed that the metro will serve to move the working population from different parts of the city to the Gorky Automobile Plant. Nevertheless, the plans for the construction of the metro initially called for four lines, one of which would completely cover the Upper part of the city.

Due to the presence of defense plants in Gorky, from August 4, 1959, according to the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, it became a closed city for foreigners. Subsequently, this affected the low influx of tourists and the poor development of the Gorky airport. Cruise ships on the Volga with foreign tourists on board passed through Gorky at night, without disembarking.

In 1970, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the city of Gorky was awarded the Order of Lenin.

In the same year, a major radiation accident occurred at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant. 12 people died immediately, the rest received severe exposure.

 

Russian Federation

On October 22, 1990, the city was renamed back to Nizhny Novgorod. On September 6, 1991, it was reopened for visiting by foreign citizens. In the 1990s, the fair began to function again, which became a platform for international assemblies, exhibitions and business forums. At the same time, the German corporations Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen bought out part of GAZ for their own production.

The business center of the city is developing in its historical part, despite the fact that narrow streets become an obstacle to this. In the early 2000s, it began to be actively built up with multi-storey residential and office buildings, while infill development is often carried out, which constantly attracts public attention. Arson of old wooden buildings is also a problem in the city center. Some construction projects that began before the crisis of 2008-2009 remained frozen for a long time, as a result of which there were many unfinished retail and office buildings in the center.

In 2010, the city government, with the participation of the public, approved a new master plan for the development of the city of Nizhny Novgorod. The new development concept implies the following main points. In terms of socio-economic and territorial development: an increase in the number of inhabitants to 1.47 million people, the working-age population - up to 660.5 thousand people with a reduction in employment in industry from 35.4% to 28% due to an increase in those employed in services up to 72 %; the transfer of business activity from the overloaded historical center to the riverside part of the city (such a transfer was envisaged by the Soviet general plans of the 1980s). In terms of designing industrial areas: reduction of industrial areas from 5.9 thousand hectares to 4.1 thousand hectares, mainly due to the elimination of industry in the central planning zone. In terms of recreational areas: providing green areas for common use in the amount of 58 square meters per person (average for the city). In terms of natural and environmental development: strengthening the banks and equipping embankments along the Volga - 22 kilometers, along the Oka - 39 kilometers; expansion of the rain sewer network; installation of noise-protective windows on residential buildings along highways and an increase in the sanitary break zone of the airport. In terms of transport infrastructure: reconstruction of the international airport, construction of a light rail and electric trains from the nearest metro to the airport; removal of cargo berths for water transport from the Strelka area; completion of the construction of automobile bypasses of the M7 Moscow-Kazan highway and the complete removal of the flow of transit traffic from the city; extension of the Avtozavodskaya subway line to Sennaya Square on the right bank of the Oka and to a residential area on the South Highway on the left; extension of the Sormovskaya line to Slavy Square and Strelka station. However, in late 2011 - early 2012, the regional authorities decided to suspend the design of the Sormovskaya line towards Slavy Square in favor of a project to develop it towards the Meshcherskoye Lake microdistrict and the Avtozavodskaya line towards Sennaya Square. Among the reasons are problems in negotiations between the city authorities and Russian Railways, which owns land intended for construction, on which the existing transport infrastructure of railway workers is located. The interest of the city's power and economic elites in raising interest in the Meshcherskoye Lake microdistrict, where they are actively building commercial housing, is discussed even more often.

Nizhny Novgorod is the largest center of river cruise tourism in Russia. In 2016, Vladimir Putin opened a new Nizhny Novgorod plant named after the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the Almaz-Antey concern, which produces military equipment.

In January 2019, Nizhny Novgorod ranked first among Russian cities and 109th in the world in terms of quality of life. The rating was compiled by the site numbeo.com, which specializes in statistics on the cost of living and consumer prices in different countries of the world. On June 2, 2020, Nizhny Novgorod received the honorary title "City of Labor Valor" for his contribution to the Victory over Nazism.

In 2021, a number of festive events were held in Nizhny Novgorod in honor of the 800th anniversary of the city.

 


Transportation

Get in

By plane
Nizhny Novgorod Airport is in the shadow of Moscow: flying from here to other cities is not very unprofitable. In autumn 2015, flights are operated to Moscow (8 times a day: Aeroflot, UTair, S7), St. Petersburg (1 time per day, UTair), Yekaterinburg (every other day, UTair), Ufa (almost every day), as well as some Volga cities under the program of regional subsidized transportation. Local transportation is handled by Dexter air taxi. There are very few international flights. Most likely, you will fly with a transfer through Moscow, or simply travel from Moscow by train.

Strigino Airport (named after V.P. Chkalov, IATA:GOJ) , Strigino International Airport (can be reached directly by bus 11). ☎ +7 (831) 269-38-19, 8 (800) 1000-333. It is located on the left bank of the Oka in the Avtozavodsky district of the city, the Strigino microdistrict. From 1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Park Kultury" 8 km, from the center 23 km. You can get there by bus No. 20 from 1 (Avtozavodskaya) Proletarskaya line, No. 11 (or minibus No. 29) from Avtozavodsky department store or minibus No. 46 from the center (Gorky Square, Lyadova Square). The option with a transfer to the metro is recommended, since a trip to the center on the "direct" minibus No. 46 can take about an hour. All routes except No. 46 stop at Kiseleva Square, which is a 5-10-minute walk from 1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Park Kultury". There is no transport at night. Due to the proximity of the airport to the city, there are no fixed taxi fares, payment by mileage: count on 500-600 rubles for a trip to the center. An official taxi at the airport will cost 800 rubles. The terminal building has several cafes, free Wi-Fi, and a museum. 500 meters from the airport, a hotel offering double rooms with private facilities at a price of 2500 rubles.

By train
Nizhny Novgorod stands on the main line Moscow-Kirov-Yekaterinburg, one of the branches of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the European part of Russia. Another line goes south from Nizhny to Arzamas and Saransk. Many trains from Moscow to Siberia and the Far East pass through the city, so traveling from the west or east will not be a problem for you.

From Moscow: in addition to the passing ones, there are several daily trains from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, departing from the Kursk railway station. 3-4 times a day there are high-speed trains "Strizh" (3.5 hours), twice a day - "Swallows" (4.5 hours, five stops along the way). Both those and others are seated, go during the day. The price of tickets varies several times, the level of comfort is not so much. There is also a night train that takes a little over 6 hours to travel, so either the departure time or the arrival time is not very convenient. Nizhny Novgorod is quite close to Moscow, so traveling between cities is more pleasant during the day. If you go from Moscow and do not spend the night in Nizhny Novgorod, then you will arrive at 10:10, and leave back no later than 20:10.

From Kirov: Mostly passing trains, travel time is about 6 hours, on average 10-12 times a day. Suburban express Kirov-Nizhny Novgorod was liquidated, instead of it the train 010G, departure from Nizhny Novgorod 17:20, arrival 23:00, return 06:50, arrival 12:30

From St. Petersburg: night branded train "Volga" (14 hours) and a couple more passing.

In other directions, the transport situation is not the most favorable. The only night train runs to Kazan (via Arzamas, 9 hours). Similarly, there is only one, but this time already a daytime train to Ivanovo (5 hours) and Yaroslavl (8.5 hours), but the bus will leave faster. There are an average of 2 trains a day to Saransk (7-8 hours). There is no stable rail connection to Cheboksary, although it is possible to travel by Kazan train with a change in the Chuvash city of Kanash.

Electric trains run along dead-end lines to Zavolzhye, Bor (Mokhovye Gory station) and Pavlovo (Metalist station), towards Moscow to Kovrov, towards Saransk to Arzamas, towards Kirov to Uren station.

Moskovsky railway station (Nizhny Novgorod-Moskovsky), pl. Revolution, 2 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 248-28-00. After the abolition of the Kazansky (Romodanovsky) station on the right bank of the Oka in Nizhny Novgorod, only one central station remained, which is officially referred to simply as the Station, but is still colloquially known as the Moscow Station. It is located on the left bank of the Oka in the middle of the Kanavino district. The facade overlooks Revolution Square, next to the metro station, from which one stop to the center. From the metro, you immediately find yourself in a pedestrian tunnel under the platforms, where there is also a storm of trade. For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the station was thoroughly put in order. The building itself has two floors and a mighty mosaic panel on the worker-communist theme. To the right of the ticket office entrance, to the left are the waiting rooms, which are all paid as one: 35 rubles for hard seats, 100 rubles for soft seats, as well as a VIP room (150 rubles + 80 rubles per hour). If you want for free, go to the second floor, where it is surprisingly empty, and only the busts of prominent representatives of the Russian merchant class - Savva Morozov and Savva Mamontov - will keep you company. Automatic lockers (up to 6 hours: 50 rubles, 6-12 hours: 90 rubles, up to 24 hours: 120 rubles) next to paid waiting rooms. Manual lockers are located somewhere in the underground floor of the station.
At the Moscow railway station there is no separation of platforms for long-distance trains and electric trains, so the turnstiles are poked everywhere. Long-distance train passengers (and those who see them off) are allowed through special gates on the side of the turnstiles and only before the train departs. Passengers of high-speed trains "Strizh" and "Lastochka" should remember that they have special control with luggage clearance. All this is located on the platform farthest from the station building, so the journey to the train will take at least 3-4 minutes (if you count from the metro station, then all 8-10 minutes).

There are several catering outlets at the station (Burger King, etc.) You can also eat at the Respublika shopping center across the road from the station or in the Gordeevsky market area, which is on the opposite side of the railway: there are several barbecue-type cafes there and they sell everything whatever you can think of. In addition, next to the station, opposite the "Republic", there is a Spar store. True, ramps are not everywhere, so with heavy things you are unlikely to want to go outside the station.

Almost all electric trains arrive at the Moscow railway station. In rare cases, you may find yourself at one of the other Nizhny Novgorod stations:
Myza Station (Prospect Gagarin). A dead-end station left from the Kazan railway, which ran along the right bank of the Oka to Kazansky (Romodanovsky) station. It is located in the southern part of Gagarin Avenue next to the terminal tram of the same name. The transport value is minimal. It serves one intracity electric train and another electric train in the direction of Arzamas, as well as several trains to the Royka station in Zeleny Gorod, stopping at the Bolshaya Yelnya station next to the Mega shopping center. Until 2013, working electric trains went from here to Zeletsino (the city of Kstovo), but then they began to be canceled.
Varia platform. Another dead-end station, which is the terminal for some electric trains from the Volga region. Located in a residential area a kilometer from the 2 (Sormovskaya) Burevestnik line. If you happened to be here, go out to Komintern Street (aka Sormovskoe Highway) and leave at least for Sormovo, at least towards the Moscow railway station, at least to the city center. Walk to the subway about 7-10 minutes.

By bus
From Moscow, buses leave from the Shchelkovskaya bus station, the journey time is about 8 hours.

There are several bus stations in Nizhny Novgorod:
Bus station "Kanavinsky", Moscow highway, 4E (2 (Sormovskaya) line "Kanavinskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 246-20-21. Buses to Balakhna, Zavolzhye, Gorodets, Chkalovsk, Kovernino, Dzerzhinsk, as well as all interregional routes of the north-western direction: Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, etc. It is located 5 minutes walk from the metro station "Kanavinskaya". The new building of the bus station is located opposite the metro station.
Bus station "Sennaya", st. Bolshaya Pecherskaya, 84 (not far from the cable car). ☎ +7 (831) 469-01-74. A small bus pier with a bus station pavilion, closed in the summer of 2014, either for reconstruction, or for good. Buses to Kstovo.
Shcherbinki bus station, Gagarin Ave., 234A (Southern exit from the city towards Arzamas and Bogorodsk). ☎ +7 (831) 469-01-74. 05:30 – 22:00. Buses to Kstovo, Bogorodsk, Balakhna, Lyskovo, Pavlovo, B. Murashkino and Arzamas.

Some buses and minibuses can depart directly from the square in front of the Moscow railway station or from metro stations.

By car
Nizhny Novgorod stands on the M7 Volga highway, 420 km from Moscow and 400 km from Kazan. The road between Moscow and Nizhny is mainly four-lane, with the exception of a two-lane section of the Vladimir bypass. However, the flow of cars and especially trucks is huge here, so get ready for a slow and rather stressful ride. The road takes from 5-6 hours to infinity, depending on traffic jams in the Moscow region and repairs throughout the entire route. From the side of Kazan, the road is two-lane with rare four-lane sections. Extremely unfavorable situation on the bypass Cheboksary.

From the north, the P152 highway leads to Nizhny Novgorod from Ivanovo (250 km). You can travel the same way from Yaroslavl (360 km) or Kostroma (320 km). To the south, R158 goes to Arzamas (100 km) and further to Saransk (290 km). Finally, to the northeast, beyond the Volga, the P152 highway leads to Yaransk (355 km) and Kirov (560 km) with a branch to the east of the Kostroma region, to Sharya.

Main entrances to the city:
Moskovskoe highway (left bank of the Oka) comes to the Kanavino area and rests on the flyover that leads to the metro bridge, and it is already easy to get to the city center along it
Gagarin Avenue (the road from Arzamas, the right bank of the Oka) rests on Lyadov Square, immediately after which the center begins
The Kazan highway enters the city from Kstovo and, of course, Kazan, eventually leading to Sennaya Square
Sormovskoye highway, which is the entrance to Nizhny Novgorod from the north, is the least trivial route to the city. Get ready for the fact that the road from the city border to the center will take at least half an hour, and you will end up in the area of the Moscow railway station
Bridges across the Volga (Bor bridges) lead directly to the Kanavinsky district to the Moscow railway station. Then look for the way to the metro bridge or Kanavinsky bridge

There is also a Southern Bypass, which allows you to partially or completely bypass the city when driving along the M7 highway. This is the Nizhny Novgorod ring under construction. Now the bypass is located along the southern border of the city. If you need to go to Kazan, continue along local roads eastward past the oil refinery and merge onto the M7 in the Kstovo area.

On the ship
Lots of cruise ships passing from Moscow to Astrakhan and back. Long and expensive.

River Station , Nizhnevolzhskaya Embankment, pl. Markina, 15A. (Any bus or fixed-route taxi to the Rechnoy Vokzal stop, you can also take tram number 11 to the Markin Square stop, though only in summer.). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 431-30-01. Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00. A complex of buildings and structures for servicing passengers of river transport in Nizhny Novgorod. It is located on the right bank at the confluence of the Oka and Volga. Built in 1964. Architect M. I. Churilin. It is shaped like a river boat. During the reconstruction of 2002-2003, semicircular rotundas were added.

 

Get around

Metro
Nizhny Novgorod Metro (Nizhny Novgorod Metro) , Nizhny Novgorod, Pl. Revolution 7. ☎ +7 831 245-57-80. 05:15-00:15. 28 ₽. It consists of two lines - red (Avtozavodskaya) and blue (Sormovskaya), with a total length of 21.6 km. The Red line runs along the left bank of the Oka from the Avtozavodsky district to the Moskovsky railway station, after which it crosses the Oka and comes to the center, where the only station on the right bank, Gorkovskaya, is located. The blue line consists of only five stations and runs from Sormovskoye highway to the Nizhny Novgorod stadium on Meshchera.

The fare is 35 rubles in cash (30 rubles on a transport card with free transfers to ground transport), payment with metal tokens with a hole in the middle or an electronic transport card. A monthly pass costs 1,000 rubles and is unlikely to be in demand by travelers. There are also electronic transport cards for 90 rubles for 24 hours of travel on all types of public transport and 28 rubles for 70 minutes.

Trains run from 5:30 am to midnight. Traffic intervals during peak hours are 2 to 4 minutes on the red line and up to 5 minutes on the blue line. During the day, during a decline in the main passenger flow, you can expect a train for about 6 minutes, in the evenings the intervals reach up to 8-10 minutes, so you can see what happens to the traditional clock, counting the time from the previous train: when it reaches 10 minutes, it simply goes out, and time stops. Especially rare movement in the evenings on the blue line.

The Nizhny Novgorod metro is useful for those travelers who want to visit the city center, the well-maintained industrial Avtozavodsky district, the Sormovsky district with a large number of pre-revolutionary and Stalinist buildings, and Meshchera with a new stadium, while spending a minimum of time to travel by transport. The first stations were built in the early 1980s; from an architectural point of view, they are of little interest. Nevertheless, two of them deserve attention: Moscow (the only one in the territory of the former USSR with four tracks) and Gorkovskaya (the walls are decorated with panels depicting the main sights of the city). Taking a ride between them by train, you will see the metro bridge and, with some skill, the panorama of the Oka River (however, the view from the bus is better). Also of interest is the ground covered station Burevestnik, besides this is the only station of the Nizhny Novgorod metro with side platforms. Another interesting station is Zarechnaya, where the track walls are decorated in the form of a river wave, and at the end of the station there is a panel "City of Kitezh". Echoes of revolutionary themes are found at several stations of the red line.

Since 2018, the blue line has been extended to Strelka station, which is designed to serve passengers during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and, in the future, for residents of the surrounding microdistricts. Also in 2021, it is planned to extend the red line in the Nagornaya part of the city to the Opera Theater station. It is planned to be an interchange between the red and promising green lines in the Nagornaya part of the city.

Ground transport
The main type of land transport in Nizhny is PAZ mini-buses. During rush hours in the morning and evening, the city plunges into many kilometers of traffic jams, especially in the areas of bridges across the Oka, so the journey can take several hours. In 2009, the metro bridge was opened - the fourth building connecting the upland and river parts. The second Borsky bridge has been built, so the problem of traffic jams in the Kirov direction is a thing of the past.

Also, the city train runs around the city - an analogue of the surface metro. It serves as an addition to the subway lines in those areas where it has not been extended. It has 2 lines: Sormovskaya and Prikoskaya. The fare on the Sormovskaya line is 28 rubles in cash and 26 rubles on the Citycard transport card. Two tariff zones have been introduced on the Priokskaya line: From Moskovsky railway station to Petryaevka station and from Petryaevka station to Prospekt Gagarina station. The fare in them is also equal to the cost in the rest of the city transport, however, if you go from the Moscow railway station to the Prospekt Gagarin station, the cost will consist of both tariff zones and will already be 56 rubles in cash and the same amount on a transport card.

Ground trams run throughout the city. The longest route of all is No. 417. It connects the outskirts of the Avtozavodsky district with the railway station. Travel time is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. The route runs through sleeping areas (about 75% of the way). Also, the routes of several more trams run through the courtyards, but in most cases, they are located in the upper part of the city. By the way, you can get to the Upper part of the city by tram 27 or 10 directly from the Moscow railway station.

Trolleybuses do not link the upper and lower parts. The trolleybus network is divided into 3 parts that are not interconnected. This:
Nagornaya trolleybus network (connects all 3 districts - Nizhny Novgorod, Sovetsky, Prioksky) with a turning circle on Minin Square, near the Kremlin.
Avtozavodskaya trolleybus network (connects all remote residential microdistricts)
Zarechnaya trolleybus network (connects Kanavinsky, Moskovsky and Sormovsky districts)

A lot of different buses. They can take you to any part of the city, but after 18:00 - 19:00 there may be problems with a long wait for the desired route. Bus drivers are jerks.

The fare in the metro and ground transport (including a fixed-route taxi) is 28 rubles in cash or 26 rubles on a transport card with free transfers. It is possible to pay by bank cards.

Cable car station. Mon–Thu 6:45–21:00, Fri–Sun 6:45–22:00, technical break on Mondays and Thursdays 10:45–13:00. The schedule may depend on the season, check the website of the cable car. 100 rub. The ticket is sold only in one direction, the return ticket is purchased at the other end of the cable car. They accept bank cards, you can pay with a contactless transport or bank card right next to the turnstiles.

 

Shopping

In Nizhny Novgorod you can buy: local chocolate, Gorodets gingerbread with various inscriptions, handicrafts: with Khokhloma painting, with Gorodets painting; landscapes with views of Nizhny Novgorod in different techniques, products from Chkalovsky flax, ceramic products, birch bark products. The folk crafts for which the region is famous also include Varnavin bone carving, Bornukovo stone carving, Gorodets gold embroidery, and knives from Vorsma. Souvenirs can be purchased at various specialized stores on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, in particular, "Russian Gingerbread" (house 2), "Lower 800" (house 8, room 1), "Russian Souvenirs" (house 14), " Artistic crafts” (d. 43). Albums about the history and architecture of Nizhny Novgorod can be bought in museum stores, for example, the National Center for Contemporary Art "Arsenal" (Kremlin, 6), and in bookstores, for example, in the stores of the "Airship" chain (Bolshaya Pokrovskaya st., 46, st. Belinsky, 118, Shcherbakova st., 2) and the "House of the Book" (Sovetskaya st., 14 - Lenin Square and Kazanskoye Highway, 6). On Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, artists, needlewomen and craftsmen usually exhibit their paintings, selling knitted toys, designer jewelry, leather goods, and so on.

Zarechnaya part
1  Central department store (TSUM)   , st. Heroya Filchenkova, 10 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 233-23-80. 🕑 Mon–Sun 9:00–21:00. The very first department store in Nizhny Novgorod since 1905. At that time, the largest shop with food was opened here. In the late 1930s, the City Council decided to build the first Central Department Store, but due to the Great Patriotic War that began in 1941, construction was postponed indefinitely. The TSUM opened its doors to the first buyers only on April 30, 1954. And, from the moment of opening, the building was rightfully recognized as an architectural landmark of Nizhny Novgorod. The Central Department Store is a beautiful building of the "Stalinist" construction and is a magnificent monument of architecture of the Soviet era.
2  Shopping center "Respublika", pl. Revolution, 9 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 277-92-22. Mon–Sun 9:00–21:00. The shopping center is located close to the Central Department Store and makes up a single architectural ensemble on the forecourt square, or rather, its single shopping ensemble.
3 Shopping center "Chkalov", st. Chkalova, 1V (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 908-17-33. Mon–Sun 9:00–21:00. Another shopping center on the forecourt of the Revolution. Relatively inexpensive.
4 Shopping center "Kanavinsky", st. Heroya Filchenkova, 7 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). Mon–Sun 9:00–20:00. Shopping center converted from the former cinema "Kanavinsky". It is highly not recommended due to the abundance of dirt on the territory, small "covens" without documents inside the building and high prices.
5  Gordeevsky department store (GUM)  , st. Gordeevskaya, 2 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 241-12-90. Mon–Sun 9:00–20:00. The department store is located opposite the suburban Moscow railway station on the Gordeevskaya side. It is located in the former apartment building of I.S.
6 Avrora shopping center, Sovetskaya street, 12 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 276-62-29. Mon–Sun 10:00–20:00. Shopping center in the building of Marins Park hotel. Located opposite the Fair.
7  Decathlon   , st. Betancourt, 3V (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ☎ +7 (831) 202-44-32. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00. Sports store of the French company Decathlon.
8  Metro (Metro Cash & Carry)   , Meshchersky Boulevard, 3A (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ☎ +7 (831) 278-00-00. around the clock. Network wholesale store of the company "Metro Cash & Carry". Entry by cards only.
9  SEC "Seventh Heaven"   , st. Betancourt, 1 (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line). ☎ +7 (831) 202-90-60. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00. Shopping center near the stadium "Nizhny Novgorod". Nearby is the Volga embankment.
10 Avtozavodsky department store, ave. Oktyabrya, 2A, Sotsgorod-I microdistrict (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Park Kultury", or a combined tram and bus stop "Department Store"). ☎ +7 (831) 295-85-70. Mon–Sun 9:00–21:00. The main shopping center of the Avtozavodsky district. The department store is a beautiful architectural monument of the 30s of the XX century. It was built in harmony with the Sotsgorod of the Automobile Plant and got its place on the central square of the district.

Upland part
11  Shopping center "Nebo", st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 82 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya", then from McDonald's by any bus to Lyadova Square). ☎ +7 (831) 262-24-24. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00.
12  Shopping center "Etazhi", st. Belinsky, 63 (Tram number 2, tram stop "Opera Theatre"). ☎ +7 (831) 416-72-72. Mon–Sun 10:00–21:00. Large shopping center on a very beautiful street.
13  Shopping center "Fantastica", st. Rodionova, 187V (Buses and fixed-route taxis in the direction of the Upper Pechery microdistrict. Bus stop "Business Street".). ☎ +7 (831) 220-22-26. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00. A giant shopping center with a cinema in the Upper Pechory microdistrict.
14 Shopping center "Firebird", pl. Sovetskaya, 5 (Bus stop "Soviet Square"). ☎ +7 (831) 202-99-99. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00. A new huge mall in the center of the Soviet district. Located near Sovetskaya Square and the district administration.
15  Artistic crafts   , Bolshaya Pokrovskaya st., 43 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 433-09-09. 10:00 - 20:00. A huge selection of various antiques, decorative ornaments, memorable gifts, traditional Russian dresses and all kinds of paintings: Khokhloma, Gorodets, Semyonov nesting dolls, Palekh, Gzhel and much more.

 

Restaurant

Eating out in Nizhny Novgorod is not very cheap. On average, prices here are higher than in other regional centers, but lower than in the capitals. Network establishments from other cities practically did not penetrate into Nizhny. There are local chains, but there are also many original cafes that exist in a single copy.

Most cafes and restaurants are on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street and around it. That part of the center that stretches to Sennaya Square is already less promising, but the Lower City has become, on the contrary, a kind of club district, where there is food for every taste. If the night life in Nizhny is quite active, then the morning life remains extremely sluggish. Rare coffee houses open before 9 am, so for breakfast it is better to focus on round-the-clock cafes and restaurants. There are few of them, but in principle they are (in the center: Skuratov Coffee coffee houses on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya 2, Bolshaya Pecherskaya 44, Kovalikhinskaya 4A open at 6:55; from 7:00 the restaurant-bakery "Volkonsky" on Ulyanova 13 opens).

Cheap
1  McDonalds, pl. Gorky, 2. 7:00–23:30. temporarily closed in Russia
2  The same shawarma on Sredny, Kostina street, 13 (Near the Sredny market and Nebo shopping center). ☎ +7 (831) 230-00-00. around the clock. 200 ₽. Perhaps the best kebab restaurant in Nizhny Novgorod. This can be judged by the constant queues for shawarma, and by checking the TV show "Revizorro". Ideal for Petersburgers to compare shawarma and shawarma. Among Nizhny Novgorod residents there is even such a joke: “I didn’t try shawarma from Sredny - I didn’t see Nizhny Novgorod.” Fans of gastronomic tourism are also requested not to pass by. By right, this place can be considered a gastronomic attraction of the city.
3  Network of dumplings "Lepi dough"  , st. Minina, 12, st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 47 (city center). ☎ +7 (831) 213-80-82, +7 (831) 212-89-39. 11:00–21:00. The first dumplings in Nizhny Novgorod. Dumplings and dumplings with various fillings. Salads, soups, burgers, desserts are also offered.
4  Noodles "Sovok"  , st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 2; TRK "Sky" Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 82; Sun-Thu also st. Embankment of the Rowing Canal, Judicial Tower. ☎ +7 (953) 574-38-46. 10:00–22:00. Noodles in a box, author's drinks, soups and Viennese waffles with fillings are offered.
5  The bakery of the Pechersky Monastery (on the territory of the Pechersky Monastery). 🕑 Mon–Sun 9:00–19:30. Tea, coffee beans, buns and pies with various fillings.

Average cost
6  Papasha Billy link=https://vk.com/papa_billy email= , st. Rozhdestvenskaya, 22 (opposite the River Station). ☎ +7 (831) 210-55-56. Mon–Sun 12:00–00:00. Hot dishes: from 400 rubles. Country styling, American-Mexican cuisine. WiFi.
7 Cafe "Library", st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 46, 3rd floor (in the city center, it is more convenient to go from Gorky Square). ☎ +7 (831) 433-69-34. Mon–Sun 11:00–22:00. The menu is based on Italian cuisine. The cafe is small, located on the 3rd floor of the building, where the first and second floors are occupied by departments of the large bookstore "Airship" (you can buy various books, souvenirs). The discount card of the store also provides a discount in the cafe. There are not very many places, in the summer a small queue of people who want to get into the cafe usually accumulates at the entrance.
8  Club "Mate" - tea club   , st. Rozhdestvenskaya 40. ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 430-32-54. Mon–Sun 12:00–22:00. from 300 ₽. Cozy, esoteric interior. Very friendly staff. For a relatively small price, you can try more than 30 types of Mate, the tea drink of the Indians. Also on the menu there are many other drinks (except for alcoholic ones - they should not be consumed with mate), hookahs and dried fruits. Everything costs about 300 rubles per person, but the unique atmosphere of the institution pays for everything.
9   Restaurant Khurma  , st. Bolshaya Pecherskaya, 26. ☎ +7 (831) 435‒23‒46. 🕑 Mon–Sun 11:00–23:00. business lunch from 440 rubles, average check - 800-1000 rubles. Restaurant of Azerbaijani and European cuisine, there is a vegetarian menu. Good food with fancy decor. You can pay by card, there is Wi-Fi.

Expensive
10  Kladovaya tower  Wikidata element, Kremlin, 12A (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 439-12-68. Mon–Sun 10:00–20:00. The cafe is located in the Kremlin's Pantry Tower, on the left side of the central (Dmitrievskaya) tower. Tasty and expensive.
11 Literary cafe "Bezukhov", st. Rozhdestvenskaya, 6 (Lower City). ☎ +7 (831) 433-87-63. around the clock. Amazing atmosphere but very expensive. Beginning writers are clearly too expensive, although they like to go to this cafe for poetry evenings or film screenings. Reviews about food vary greatly: perhaps you should look elsewhere for dinner.
12 "Tarelkin" restaurant, st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 8. 10:00–23:00. Hot dishes: 300–600 rubles (2014). Claims for a merchant style are justified in the interior, but they are unlikely to be reflected in the menu, which is more than standard here and creates the illusion of Russian cuisine for foreigners. It's nice to sit on a special veranda in the courtyard lined with antique utensils, but the main hall (in the basement) looks cramped and gloomy.

 

Night life

Coffee-club "Insomnia"  , st. Osharskaya, 1/2. ☎ +7 (831) 411-82-46, +7 (831) 419-44-26. around the clock. The nightlife is bustling, as the name suggests, but there is also a rather quiet restaurant area serving good food until late at night: this is one of the few 24-hour establishments in the Upper Town.
The Top Club (The Top)   , Nizhne-Volzhskaya Embankment, 16. ✉ ☎ +7 (910) 388-22-22. Fri–Sat 23:00–6:00. From 1000 ₽. The most fashionable nightclub in Nizhny Novgorod. Located in the historical building of the stock exchange on the Nizhne-Volzhskaya embankment. For those who like to retire from the noisy hall, a magnificent view of the Oka and Volga Spit opens from the balcony of the 2nd floor.

 

Hotels

Cheap
1 Gorky Hostel (Hotel "Gorky"), B. Pokrovskaya 5/6 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) Gorkovskaya line, entrance from the courtyard, from Pozharsky St.). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 439-09-00. From 450 ₽ per day.
2  Happy Holiday Hostel, st. Grebeshkovsky Otkos, 9a. ☎ +7 (831) 282-04-44. 🕑 around the clock. From 400 ₽ (bed in 8-bed room). Excellent hostel, many rooms, including a separate double room with its own bathroom. At the reception desk you can order breakfast from the evening, which will be delivered at the right time in the morning. The only inconvenience is that the nearest public transport stop is about half a kilometer away.

Average cost
3  Marins Park (Marins Park)   , Sovetskaya st., 12 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line 2 (Sormovskaya) line "Moskovskaya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 211-55-00. around the clock. From 1500 ₽. One of the first luxury Gorky hotels in the Soviet Union. Previously, it was called the Central Hotel. Its windows offer a magnificent view of the Fair, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Nizhny Novgorod stadium. Convenient location close to the city center. The rooms are different, from deeply Soviet (where the last renovation was in the 1980s) to modern ones. Dec 2019
4  Hotel Russian capital  , st. Mineeva, 29. ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 295-99-12. 🕑 around the clock. From 2000 ₽. The hotel is located on the outskirts of the Avtozavodsky district of the city, which, for some reason, does not make it cheaper.
5 "Oktyabrskaya" hotel, Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment, 9a (located in the city center, close to the Kremlin on foot, view of the Volga. The nearest bus stop is "Academy of Water Transport" (3 min.), Buses 19, 40, 45, 52 and others. ). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 432-80-80. from 2700 rubles. Three Stars. The main advantage of the hotel can be called the location in the city center, on the Verkhnevolzhskaya embankment: from the windows there is a beautiful view, immediately upon exiting you get to the embankment, close to the Kremlin, the Chkalov Stairs. Near the hotel there is a monument to the pilot Pyotr Nesterov in the park named after him, the temple of the icon of the Mother of God Joy of All Who Sorrow. Nearby museums are the Rukavishnikov Estate, the Nizhny Novgorod radio laboratory, a branch of the Art Museum, the House of the Architect.

Expensive
6 Grand Hotel Oka, 27 Gagarina Ave. (Bus stop Hotel Oka). ☎ +7 (800) 100-04-77. around the clock. From 390 ₽. New, modern, it has a lot of things for leisure and business communication. There is also a restaurant, a banquet hall and a karaoke hall.
7  Wolna   , Lenin Ave., 98 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Kirovskaya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (831) 295-19-00. around the clock. From 4230 ₽/day. The elite hotel in the Avtozavodsky district of Nizhny Novgorod was built back in the days of the Soviet Union and has been keeping the brand ever since. The best hotel if you want to enjoy the views of Sotsgorod Avtozavod.

 

Connection

City code +7 831. Several mobile operators operate in Nizhny Novgorod.

1  Megafon , st. Nartova, 6 (Central office in Nizhny Novgorod. Combined tram and bus stop "Medical street"). ☎ +7 (800) 550-05-00. Mobile communications, 4G Internet on the street and in the subway.
2  MTS (Mobile Telesystems) , st. Maksim Gorkogo, 121 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (800) 250-08-90. Mobile communications, 4G Internet on the street, as well as GSM and 3G in the subway.
3  Beeline   , st. Kovalikhinskaya, 8 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya". World Trade Center). ☎ +7 (800) 700-06-11. Mobile communications, 4G Internet in the street and in the subway.
4  Rostelecom   , st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 56 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (800) 100-08-00. Mobile communications, 3G Internet on the street and in the subway
5  Yota    , st. Betancourt, 1 (2 (Sormovskaya) Strelka line. Central office). ☎ +7 (800) 550-00-07. Mobile communications, 4G Internet on the street and in the subway.
6  Tele2 (Tele2)    , st. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 58 (1 (Avtozavodskaya) line "Gorkovskaya"). ☎ +7 (831) 291-16-11. Mobile network, 3G internet on the street and partly in the subway.

 

Precautionary measures

Like all large Russian cities, Nizhny Novgorod is quite safe in the center, but on the outskirts the situation is different. For example, in the old part of the Kanavino district, which is between the Oka and the railway station, it is better not to walk in the dark, because there is very poor street lighting and broken pavements, there is a high risk of stumbling or getting lost. In the evening, in the sleeping areas, there are a lot of idle staggering local people, and if you don’t know how to behave, it’s better to inspect the outskirts during daylight hours, and return to the center by dark. Avtozavodsky, Kanavinsky and Leninsky districts are considered the most dangerous in terms of crime, while Prioksky, Sovetsky and Moskovsky are considered safest. In the area of the Kremlin and Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, life does not stop even after midnight. In summer, the viewing platforms of the Fedorovsky Embankment are also crowded: you can safely walk there at any time of the day, especially since the night view of the Strelka is very conducive to this.

 

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position

Nizhny Novgorod is located at the confluence of the two largest waterways of the European part of Russia - the Volga and Oka rivers. The city is divided by the Oka into two parts: the eastern elevated Nagornaya, located on the right banks of the Oka and Volga at the northwestern tip of the Volga Upland - the Dyatlovy Gory, and the western (on the left bank of the Oka and the right bank of the Volga) lowland, beyond the river.

The area of the city itself is 410.68 km². The area of the urban district, which, in addition to the city itself, includes 20 more settlements (after the accession of Novinsky Village Council in 2020) is about 515 km², including 465.82 km² of territory within the boundaries until 2020 and 48.74 km² of territory the annexed Novinsky village council (according to the website of the city administration, the former area of \u200b\u200bthe urban district was about 460 km², according to Rosstat - 410.68 km² without village councils and a resort village). Before joining the urban district of Novinsky Village Council in 2020, 13 settlements were subordinate to the city.

The length of the city is 20 km along the Oka, and about 30 km along the Volga. There are 33 lakes and 12 rivers on the territory of the city.

The height of the upland part is from 100 to 200 m above sea level. The left bank has a height of 70-80 m above sea level. The historical center of the city is located in the mountainous part. In the course of historical development, most of the suburban villages and villages became part of the city itself. The borders of the city come close to Bor (the border runs along the fairway of the Volga), Kuzminka, Nikulsky, Afonino, Utechino, the village of Ankudinovka, the village of Ankudinovka, Experienced, the village of Cheremissky, the village of Cheremissky, Sadovsky, Rumyantsevo, Novinka, Dzerzhinsk, Bolshoi Kozino. The Nizhny Novgorod agglomeration also includes the cities of Kstovo and Bogorodsk.

The urban district of Nizhny Novgorod borders on Bor in the northeast, Kstovsky district in the southeast, Bogorodsky district in the southwest, Dzerzhinsky in the west and Balakhna district in the northwest.

Nizhny Novgorod is located 400 km east of Moscow, and a transport corridor has developed between the two cities.

 

Timezone

Nizhny Novgorod is located in the MSK time zone (Moscow time). The offset of the applicable time from UTC is +3:00. In accordance with the applied time and geographic longitude, the average solar noon in Nizhny Novgorod occurs at 12:04.

 

Hydrography

Nizhny Novgorod was built at the confluence of two rivers: the Oka and the Volga. This location made the city the most important shipping center of the country. Oka divides the city into two halves - upper and lower. The Volga separates Nizhny Novgorod from Bor and its environs. Before the strengthening of the banks, in the spring the rivers flooded huge areas at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and Nizhny Posad.

 

Climate

In 1834, the first weather station was opened in Nizhny Novgorod. A century later, it was transformed into the Gorky Department of the Hydrometeorological Service, since 1978 - the Upper Volga Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Control.

The climate in Nizhny Novgorod is temperate continental, with cold, long winters and warm, relatively short summers. Due to the large differences in the terrain in the riverside part of the city, it is somewhat warmer than in the upland. Precipitation on it, on average, falls by 15-20% more per year. Average monthly long-term temperatures in lowland areas vary from −11.6°C in January to +18.4°C in July, in mountainous areas from −12°C in January to +18.1°C in July. The average annual temperature is +4.8°C; wind speed - 2.8 m/s; the average annual air humidity is 76%. The city is located at the confluence of two large rivers in a swampy area, so there are very frequent fogs and high relative humidity in summer.

The sun in Nizhny for a year shines for about 1775 hours. The maximum duration of daylight hours in June is 17 hours 44 minutes, the minimum is in December, 6 hours 52 minutes. Cloudiness in winter is quite high: 75-80% of the time the sky is covered with clouds, and from April to August the probability of a clear sky is already 49-56%. In the autumn-winter period, the sky is often covered with clouds in the morning, and in the afternoon the weather clears up. In spring and summer, on the contrary, it is mostly cloudless in the mornings, by the middle of the day powerful cumulus clouds appear, which disappear in the evening.

Due to the greater continentality of the climate, the temperature in Nizhny Novgorod is slightly higher in summer than in Moscow, and lower in winter. In spring, the positive temperature is usually set around April 5 and remains until the end of October. Precipitation averages 653 mm per year, the largest amount - in July, the smallest - in March. On average, there are 180 days of precipitation per year. Snow begins to fall in October, but a stable snow cover falls in late November and breaks up by mid-April. As a rule, the air temperature in winter fluctuates slightly and amounts to −10…−20°C. Winter thunderstorms are occasionally observed (in particular, such thunderstorms were observed on November 27, 1940, November 30, 1951, February 14, 1960 and December 3, 1962). Precipitation in spring is less frequent than in other seasons. Spring passes quickly, the snow begins to melt in the second half of March, and usually completely disappears by the end of April. Summer comes at the beginning of June, when the stable temperature is around +15°C. The maximum heat is usually observed in the third decade of July. The average temperature in summer is +15…+20°C. In summer, rains fall mainly in the form of short-term, but intense showers, usually there are about 20 days with thunderstorms. Thunderstorms may be accompanied by strong winds. In September, the temperature drops sharply and by the 20th it drops below +10°C. In autumn it rains often and for a long time. In the tenth of October, plant growth stops and there is a transition to late autumn. In late autumn, the weather becomes cloudy and rainy.

 

Vegetation

Parks, forests and slopes occupy one fifth of the city's territory. Mixed forests predominate.

Gardens, squares, boulevards, parks and forests occupy one seventh of the entire green zone of Nizhny Novgorod - about 1,400 hectares. The largest park is "Switzerland", it occupies 380 hectares.

There are more than 15 parks in Nizhny Novgorod, and maintenance enterprises have been established for eight of them. The most famous parks are Sormovsky, Avtozavodsky, "Switzerland", Pushkin, Kulibin, May 1, "Dubki".

On the outskirts of the city there are forest park zones (for example, the forest park Shchelokovsky farm in the upland part and Striginsky forest in the river) and forests adjacent to the city, which are recreation areas.

 

Ecological state

In Nizhny Novgorod, as in any other large industrial center, there is a problem of environmental pollution. Groundwater is polluted, small reservoirs, the main sources of water intake - the Oka and Volga rivers are subject to strong anthropogenic impact. Due to the built hydroelectric power stations and the discharge of sewage, high bacterial contamination is observed in the Volga, which does not allow it to be used for recreational purposes and forces chlorination of drinking water with increased doses. This circumstance leads to an aggravation of the problem of the formation of carcinogenic organochlorine compounds.