Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod is Russia's third largest city after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Quick Facts

• Year established: 1221
• Population: ~1.34 mln (2002)
• Location: ~400 km (280 miles) South East of Moscow
• Latitude: 56'20''N
• Longtitude: 44'10''E
• Time Zone: Canadian Pacific + 11 hours
• Area code: 8321

Nizhny Novgorod belongs to the Central Region of Russia. You can find Nizhny Novgorod on this map of administrative regions of Russia.

Weather

• Summer temperature ranges from 20 to 30C ( ..F)
• Winter temperature ranges from -10 to -25C (..F)
• Snow is around between from mid-November to February
  
  

Kremlin

And you thought Kremlin was in Moscow... Well, Nizhny Novgorod has one of it is own.

Cultural Heritage

Nizhny Novgorod preserved a great deal of historic treasures and was included by UNESCO into the list of the 100 cities in the world reflecting the heritage of the world culture.

Theater academy                                         History Museum

Soviet History

In 1932, the city was was renamed to Gorky after Aleksey Maximovich Pyeshkov -- the founder of the Soviet literature and a friend of Lenin who was born in Nizhny Novgorod. Pyeshkov used a pseudonym Maxim Gorky in literature. Gorky is a Russian word for bitter. Anybody who went to school during soviet times had read his works. After the collapse of the Soviet party, the city was renamed back to Nizhny Novgorod in 1991, and the sculpture of Maxim Gorky at the central square was demolished.

The city was closed to foreigners throughout the Soviet times due to its military significance. The famous MIG fighter jets are made here as well as submarines. Arzamas-16 (aka as Sarov, Kremlev) is a small town close to Nizhny Novgorod, which serves as the Russia's Federal Nuclear Research Center. This is where the first Russian atomic bomb was designed. On the left, picture of the Air Show.

Volga & Oka Rivers

In previous centuries, Nizhny Novgorod was a commercial hub of Russia, located at the strategic confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers. The was an old saying: "Moscow is Russia's heart, St. Petersburg - head, and Nizhny Novgorod - pocket." Today, Nizhny Novgorod is one of the chief industrial cities of the Russian Federation.

Life in Nizhny

Nizhny Novgorod is a very urban city. The vast majority of people live in 5-9 story apartment buildings and get around by public transportation, which includes a huge network of buses, trolleys, trams and metro. Most people have a private phone line and those who have computers typically have dial-up access to the Internet.

I grew up in a fairy remote area of Gorky -- Avtozavodskii Rayon. This area hosts the second largest automobile plant in Russia - GAZ. But the great part was that while we enjoyed all the conveniences of a city and lived in a 9 story apartment building, the forest and a couple of lakes were just a short walk away.

Bolshaya Pokvskaya street in the center of the city...

Quiet back street ...

With its 14 universities and approximately 100 research institutions, Nizhny Novgorod is one of the key scientific centers of Europe.

Russia's Heartland

Nizhny Novgorod region is the cradle of a lot of Russian traditions.

   Semenovskaya rospis

      Matreshki

    Traditional dress

   Holiday street festivities

    Gorodetskaya rospis

Even though during the Soviet times religion was largely suppressed a few churches have been preserved and are now being restored.

Architecture

Nizhny Novgorod has a lot of great traditional Russian architecture.

   State bank

Minim and Pozharskii Square

    Yarmarka (trade fair) at night

Nizhny Novgorod Links In English

Unofficial Guide to Nizhny by a fan from UK
http://www.visitnizhny.com/index.php?lang=en

Welcome to Nizhny Novgorod!
www.unn.runnet.ru/nn/

Business Portal
www.innov.ru/english/

Photos of the city
www.innov.ru/kosolapov/eng

Visitor's Guide
www.unn.runnet.ru/nn/guide

Live WebCam With View of Gorky Square
www.nbdbank.ru/camera.html

Nizhny Novgorod State University
www.unn.ru/main_eng.htm