This summer, the capital of the Volga region, Nizhny Novgorod, will celebrate the 800th anniversary of its founding. The anniversary program includes more than 150 events that will put the upcoming celebrations on par with the 850th anniversary of Moscow and the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.
The first festive events have already begun, as the regional authorities decided to devote the entire year of 2022 to the round date. The series of anniversary events opened with the historical installation “CODE of Nizhny”, which was visited by almost 11 thousand people. At the beginning of March, the Volga region capital dressed up in “A Dress with a Story” - that was the name of the exhibition at which 32 famous women (Natalia Vodianova, Nina Zvereva, Alena Akhmadullina, Evelina Bledans and others) presented their outfits and shared the stories associated with them.
But the peak of the anniversary will be in July-August, when Nizhny Novgorod will actually turn into the festival capital of Russia. The celebrations will end only in December, because the city has already accepted the honorary status of the New Year's capital of Russia from Kaluga. Even a pandemic cannot spoil the holiday - last year the Nizhny Novgorod government accumulated impressive experience in countering the infection, and now a vaccination campaign is actively underway in the region and its capital.
Nizhny Novgorod is waiting for summer and is actively preparing for the anniversary. On April 18, a clock was installed in front of the Drama Theater building, which counts down the remaining time until the start of the gala show, scheduled for August 21. Outwardly, they resemble the famous egg clock of the famous Nizhny Novgorod mechanic Ivan Kulibin, but, unlike them, they run on electricity.
Festival Christmas Fiesta 2020
Photo: Roman Borodin
“Now we are at the finish line of preparation for the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod, and we will measure this distance with watches created as a tribute to the legacy of our fellow countryman Ivan Kulibin. Kulibin dreamed of finding a perpetual motion machine. So we, starting the countdown to the 800th anniversary, are starting the countdown to a moment that will give a powerful impetus to our city for many years to come,” said regional governor Gleb Nikitin.
The calendar for celebrating the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod is rich in events on a regional, federal and even international scale. In particular, it included public holidays - Victory Day (the equipment can be observed from Markin Square, landscaped for the anniversary), Russia Day and National Unity Day. The schedule of events was compiled by Center 800 together with the city administration, as well as the ministries of culture, sports, education and the department of external relations of the government of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Residents and guests of Nizhny can expect meetings and speeches on a variety of topics: from business and modern technologies to sports and ecology. We have collected the most significant of them.
“In the 800th anniversary program, we tried to include events of a wide variety of sizes for a variety of audiences and ages. We want the image of Nizhny Novgorod to become known to residents throughout Russia, so that as many people as possible in the country feel that there is a new point of attraction on the Volga, a place that keeps up with the times. I am sure that the holiday will allow Nizhny Novgorod residents to be proud of the city and each of them will discover something completely unknown in it,” says the region’s Minister of Culture Oleg Berkovich.
On the eve of the anniversary celebrations, Nizhny is undergoing reconstruction and improvement of significant public spaces. First of all, we are talking about the Kremlin, where the battle passage (a protected path behind a wall or tower with loopholes) and the spindle (a section of the fortress wall between two towers) are being repaired. As a result, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin will become the only one in the country in which it will be possible to walk a full circle around the walls.
The fair complex, a legacy of the merchants of Nizhny, which gained fame as the “pocket of Russia”, has already turned into a modern business center for exhibitions and congresses. The famous Chkalov Stairs will soon be open again for citizens to walk around, and this event will be marked with a special concert.
The reconstruction of the first public park in the history of the city, the Alexander Garden, will soon be completed, where the summer stage “Shell” will be restored. In July, concerts will be held there, led by the chief conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Maxim Emelyanichev, a native of Nizhny Novgorod.
Art and show business events
From May 21 to June 3, Nizhny Novgorod will hear a series of concerts at the International Arts Festival named after A.D. Sakharov. It is symbolic that the 800th anniversary of the capital of the Volga region coincided with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Soviet physicist, whose life is closely connected with this region. More than 400 domestic and foreign artists, including guests from Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the USA, will participate in the anniversary festival. The stellar bill includes concerts by pianists Denis Matsuev and Boris Berezovsky, conductor Yuri Bashmet and his Moscow Soloists ensemble, cellist Sergei Roldugin and many others. The main venue of the festival is the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Philharmonic named after M. Rostropovich, which was recently restored for the anniversary.
Fireworks over Strelka
Photo: Vlad Zaulin
From June 17 to 20, guests will enjoy the Fifth Street Art Festival “Place”. The talent and creativity of 40 famous Russian artists will be concentrated in more than 20 new street art objects. The program also includes lectures, master classes and excursions.
In mid-summer, the Gorky Fest film festival will be held for Nizhny Novgorod residents and tourists. Film screenings will begin on July 16 with the opening ceremony; for this purpose, the city is right now setting up many new spaces that will turn into temporary cinemas.
Every Saturday, starting June 12, the Sunset music festival will be held on the Nizhne-Volzhskaya embankment: in the evening, spectators will enjoy concerts by local artists, performances by guest stars and festive fireworks. Moreover, fireworks will not be launched just like that, but as part of an entire fireworks festival, in which eight teams of professionals from different regions of Russia will take part. The organizers chose an excellent location, because Nizhny Novgorod has the status of the capital of sunsets, albeit unofficially. In the warm season, townspeople and tourists flock to the Chkalov Stairs in the evenings to enjoy the colors, which are almost never repeated.
“The Volga has the most beautiful sunsets,” adds Zarina Doguzova, head of the Federal Tourism Agency. She also recommends that guests of the city visit the multimedia art space TSEKH, the Volgo-Vyatka branch of the Pushkin Museum named after. A.S. Pushkin (“Arsenal”) and the Rukavishnikov estate. — And in the region of Semenov and Gorodets, these are small cozy cities from the picture. Going to Gorodets by boat in the summer is absolutely incredible beauty.”
On June 25, the State Center for Contemporary Art “Arsenal” will host an exhibition of nominees for the main state award in the field of contemporary art “Innovation 2021”. You can admire them until the award ceremony, scheduled for August 27.
The INTERVALS festival will bring together key representatives of world and Russian media art on August 27-29. The creativity of media artists will be broadcast directly to homes and city attractions.
Population
1.2 million people live within the city’s borders. It is the fifth most populous city in the Russian Federation. The Nizhny Novgorod agglomeration as a whole has 2 million inhabitants. This is approximately 2.2 percent of the total population of Russia.
Most of the townspeople live in the Avtozavodsky district (300 thousand people). There are half as many residents in the Kanavinsky district (150,000).
Since 1992, the city's population has been decreasing almost every year, but from 2012 to 2015 there was an increase. The reason for the outflow of residents is the comparative proximity to Moscow. Citizens left there because of higher salaries and a better standard of living.
The average age of residents is 39 years. There are 30 centenarians in the city, and 358 thousand pensioners. Large families in the city are represented by 3.7 thousand people. This is one thousand more than in 2009.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the birth rate (by 0.2 percent), as well as a decrease in mortality.
Sport
From July 4 to 12, Nizhny Novgorod will turn into the arena of the European Modern Pentathlon Championship. The international competition will bring together the strongest athletes in Europe, for whom a visit to the capital of the Volga region will be the final rehearsal before the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
From August 15 to 20, the sky over the city will be colored by dozens of balloons: one of the title aeronautical events in Russia, the Volga Fiesta hot air balloon festival, will take place here. For Nizhny Novgorod, where the author of the “dead loop” Pyotr Nesterov was born and the conqueror of the North Pole Valery Chkalov began his career, the topic of flight is unusually close.
On August 29, lovers of long-distance running will meet at the “Marathon 800”. Last year, Nizhny Novgorod became the “Running Capital of Russia” and in the anniversary year, the marathon will be held in the city for the first time in the last 12 years. The “Marathon 800” route, with elevation changes of up to 500 meters in total and steep climbs, promises to be one of the most difficult and beautiful distances in the country.
During the year, Nizhny will also host a sailing regatta and an international open water swim, X-WATERS VOLGA.
From May 5 to 9, Nizhny Novgorod will host the Final Eight of the Basketball Champions League, where the local club will play; on May 12, the city will host the Russian Football Cup final. Moscow's Lokomotiv and Samara's Krylia Sovetov will play.
INTERVALS Festival in 2022
Photo: Evgeny Egorov
History of the city's formation
Settlements in these places were formed by Finno-Ugric tribes, and then they were gradually replaced by the Slavs. The banks of the Volga were occupied by the villages of the Erzyans, belonging to the Mordovian ethnic group.
The city of Nizhny Novgorod was founded in 1921 by Russian Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich. A little over a hundred years later, the new urban formation became the capital of the Novgorod-Suzdal principality.
During the campaigns against Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod was an outpost, the last city when warriors were sent against enemies.
The role of the city in the Time of Troubles is important. The Nizhny Novgorod militia, led by Minin and Pozharsky, helped liberate Moscow from Polish invaders.
In 1714, as a result of the reforms of Peter I, Novgorod became a provincial city and began to develop rapidly. Under Alexander III, Nizhny became the center of Russian merchants. Then, in the 19th century, the largest fair of the Russian Empire was moved there, which made the city also a center of trade.
During Soviet times, Nizhny also began to rapidly develop its industry. It was then renamed Gorky. A large automobile plant was built - a real auto giant. Metalworking, mechanical engineering, and information technology enterprises were also founded.
Science and technology
On June 23–25, Nizhny Novgorod will host the annual conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” (CIPR) for the second time. This is the largest event in the country's digital economy. The conference will become the main platform for discussing economic sectors, digitalization of the humanitarian environment, digital art, the development of new media and intellectual property issues in the digital world.
In the fall, the federal forum “Universities 2030: science, competencies, youth” will be held in Nizhny, at which the heads of Russian universities will discuss the most pressing industry issues.
Ethnographic composition
The population of Nizhny Novgorod is represented by a huge number of nationalities. There are more than 100 of them. The majority of the population in the city is Russian. There are 95 percent of them.
There are also Tatars, Mordovians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Azerbaijanis, Maris, Belarusians, Chuvashs, Jews and others. 0.12 percent of the population are Yazidis, who belong to the Kurdish ethnicity (Iraq).
Among other ethnic groups, the majority are Nizhny Novgorod Tatars. They make up 1.3 percent of the population.
The indigenous inhabitants of these lands - Erzyans and Mordovians (otherwise called Moksha) - there are only about 3,550 people in the city. This represents 0.28 percent of the city's population. Mostly indigenous small ethnic groups live in the region. These are Lukoyanovsky, Gaginsky, Shatkovsky districts in the south of the region.
Ecology
In the spring, Nizhny Novgorod residents actively became involved in environmental protection with the help of subbotniks. Moreover, at the instigation of the city authorities, these events were held in a new format - with music, treats and lectures on separate waste collection. On August 14-15, the city will host the Botanica Ecological Festival, dedicated to ethical consumption and conscious lifestyle. It will be held in Switzerland Park, the improvement of which is planned to be completed in August, and which local residents rightly consider “the lungs of the city.”
The central event of the anniversary will begin on August 21 at exactly 20:21. The organizers are keeping the details secret for now, but they promise that it will be a world-class show. It will take place in the waters of the Volga and Oka, at the confluence of which Nizhny Novgorod grew up. The 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod promises to become an event of federal scale. Throughout the year, the city prepares to welcome tourists from all over the world and celebrate its anniversary with them. The program of events has already aroused great interest among thousands of Russians, and this is not at all due to the borders closed due to coronavirus. In the capital of the Volga region there will be something to see and something to learn.
“It won’t be boring in Nizhny this year. We will be the center of culture and art in Russia, without any exaggeration,” wrote the region’s governor, Gleb Nikitin, on his Instagram.
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod is one of the oldest cities and most beautiful cities in Russia, which traces its history and development back to the 13th century AD. There are a huge number of ancient monuments, interesting architectural structures and other attractions that distinguish this place from hundreds of other cities. Despite the active development that is currently taking place, Nizhny Novgorod has still retained the spirit of antiquity, which is also confirmed by numerous traditions.
Features of the city's location, population and climate
The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, just 400 km away. from Moscow, right in the center of the East European Plain. Moreover, it has an elongated layout along the Volga (length about 30 km) and Oka (length about 20 km) rivers. Currently, the city is the capital of the Volga Federal District with a population of about 1.3 million people, and the national composition is predominantly Russian (over 96%).
It is important to note that 12 rivers flow through the city and there are over 30 small lakes, not to mention numerous parks and squares, which makes the city even more beautiful and attractive in the eyes of guests. The climate here is temperate continental, and summers are warm and sunny with intermittent rain and rare thunderstorms. Snow in winter lasts from mid-December to early April.
How to get to Nizhny Novgorod?
You can sign up for a tour in one of the major Russian cities located in relative proximity to the city.
From Yoshkar-Ola
From Cheboksary
From Kazan
Several planes fly to the city from Moscow every day, and they depart from all 3 airports of the capital: Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. Flight time is only 35-40 minutes. Those who prefer to travel by train should take their suitcases to the Kazansky, Kursky or Yaroslavsky railway stations, from where trains depart daily to Nizhny Novgorod. The average travel time is 7 hours, however, there are also high-speed trains “Lastochka” and “Sapsan”, on which the travel time is reduced to 3.5-4 hours.
From St. Petersburg you can also get to Nizhny Novgorod by train, and it will take about 9.5 hours. If we consider bus service, it is preferable to start the journey from Moscow, where a comfortable bus departs daily from the Kursk bus station. For those who are going to the city with their own car, it will be useful information that it is best to drive along the M7 Volga federal highway. Even if travelers do not have a GPS navigator, there is nothing to worry about, since there are appropriate signs along the way.
Helpful advice: upon arrival in the city, it is best to leave your car in a paid parking lot and transfer to the metro, since in this case you can get to different places in the city faster and more conveniently, thereby avoiding traffic jams and wasting time.
Historical information about Nizhny Novgorod
The city was founded by the famous Russian prince Yuri Dolgorukov in 1221, and the place was chosen well and protected Rus' well from enemy attacks. Until the reign of Ivan III, an army was almost constantly stationed in the city, which confirmed the guard purpose of the city. At the beginning of the 14th century, Nizhny Novgorod was the capital of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal principality. The episode is well known when the famous heroes of the city - Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin expelled Polish interventionists from Nizhny Novgorod, saving the people from inevitable enslavement.
Thanks to its excellent geographical location, namely, being located right at the intersection of trade routes, the city almost always had many merchants who transported their goods along the Volga and Oka. They stopped in Nizhny Novgorod to purchase some goods and sell others. Since the beginning of the 19th century, city-wide fairs began to be regularly held here, which attracted traders from different parts of Russia.
It is interesting to note that the unofficial name of the city is “Pocket of Russia”, which confirms the important role of trade in the development of the city.
After the revolution of 1917, industry began to rapidly develop here, new plants and factories were built, the population increased sharply due to the relocation of many peasants to the cities. In 1932, the city was renamed Gorky, several defensive and aviation defenses and “Krasnoe Sormovo” were created.
In 1990, the city returned its original name - Nizhny Novgorod.
An important historical note: from 1959 to 1990, representatives of foreign states were prohibited from visiting the city, which was associated with a large number of secret enterprises.
Today, Nizhny Novgorod is the largest shopping, scientific, industrial, cultural and entertainment center, home to very hospitable residents.
Main attractions of the city
Probably, all tourists, without exception, who come here not only to have fun, but also to broaden their horizons, are interested in the historical places of the city and its attractions. Fortunately, there are a very large number of them here, so everyone can safely count on an interesting pastime, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the contemplation of not only architectural buildings, but also sculptural monuments, of which there are also many.
The majestic Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
The main and, perhaps, the most famous building is the Kremlin, which is a majestic fortress wall 2 km long. The place of its original construction was not chosen by chance and was due to the fact that it is the highest fortification, offering a panoramic view of both the city and both rivers.
By the way, construction of this fortress wall began during the reign of Yuri Dolgorukov, but the construction was finally completed only in 1515.
Despite the considerable age of the structure, 12 towers out of all 13 have reached us in their original form, and therefore represent real architectural value.
On the territory of the Kremlin there are many interesting objects that are definitely worth visiting. The most famous and worthy of tourists' attention include the Museum of Military Equipment, the Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic, as well as one of the oldest church buildings - St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral, which was built almost immediately after the founding of the city in 1221.
One of the main shrines, the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God, is still kept in the cathedral. Walking through the Kremlin, you can also see monuments to Minin and Pozharsky, Yuri Dolgorukov and Simon Suzdal, as well as to soldiers who died during the Second World War.
The Kremlin is located at the beginning of Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, where there are no cars, since it is completely pedestrian.
In ancient times, this place housed the houses of wealthy merchants and nobles, representatives of the aristocracy, famous artists and architects, and managers. There are still paving stones here that were laid over 150 years ago, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes when walking along the street. It is here that tourists will find such unusual metal sculptures: “The Postman and His Bicycle”, “Noble Couple” and “Mother and Son”, the pilot “Valery Chkalov” and others.
6 places worth visiting
1. Chkalov staircase. It connects the Verkhne-Volzhskaya and Nizhne-Volzhskaya embankments and has 560 steps. The staircase was designed and built according to the famous project of architects Alexander Yakovlev and Vladimir Muntz, representing a figure eight. At the same time, at the intersection of the steps there are specially equipped observation platforms where you can take pictures and admire the beautiful view of the city.
2. Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The majestic five-domed temple, which is decorated with white stone carvings, not to mention the magnificent interior decoration. The church building is crowned with a weather vane with a golden cross and an old clock showing not only the time, but also the phases of the moon. Icons of Seraphim of Sarov, Nicholas the Ugodnik and Philaret of Moscow, which are of great value, are also kept here.
3. Nizhny Novgorod prison is an ancient prison located next to the public transport stops “Freedom Square”. Today there is a museum here, so tourists can walk around the cells and see with their own eyes the arrangement of the medieval prison.
4. Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The oldest stone temple, built and consecrated in 1683, located on National Unity Square.
5. Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A functioning Orthodox church, which was erected at the end of the 18th century with donations from the merchant G. D. Stroganov. Despite several fires, it still managed to survive and today many tourists visit this place to appreciate the Baroque style in which this church building is made.
6. The building of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. This is the main exhibition complex of the city, which even during the times of Tsarist Russia was the main place where annual fairs and exhibitions took place. The building was erected back in 1817, so it recently celebrated its 200th anniversary.
During Soviet times, the building was used for the Detsky Mir department store, but since 1991 the city council decided to restore the tradition of systematically holding exhibitions and fairs.
Parks and city museums
There are a large number of museums in Nizhny Novgorod, thanks to which everyone can study more deeply not only the history, but also the culture of the city, its traditions and way of life. For lovers of engineering art, we can recommend visiting the “Technical Museum” located on the street. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya 43, as well as exhibition items from the open-air museum “Steam Locomotives of Russia” (Arkhangelskaya St. 1). School-age children will find it extremely interesting to see the “Museum of Entertaining Science”, which is located on the street. Sovnarkomovskaya 13, as well as at the Limpopo Zoo (Yaroshenko St. 7B).
The largest park in the city is Switzerland, where all kinds of attractions are located, as well as a small zoo called Mishutka. For those who want to take a boat ride on the Oka River, you should go to the River Station, where you can easily buy a ticket for the flight. It should be noted that from the river side there is a wonderful panorama of the city. There is also a planetarium and a circus, where you can also have a great time in your free time. To purchase interesting souvenirs, you should definitely visit the “Art Crafts” store, where visitors will be offered crafts made from stones and bones, homemade tablecloths, nesting dolls, filigree items and Khokhloma painting.
Hotels, clubs and restaurants
There are many hotels and mini-hotels in the city offering excellent and comfortable rooms of regular and superior comfort. In addition, you can also rent housing from private individuals, but this should be done only in exceptional cases. It is better to use the services of official hotels and inns, which can guarantee comfortable accommodation, a variety of services and food options. Regarding the last point, problems usually do not arise, since there are many restaurants, cafes, bars and canteens where you can try dishes of both national and overseas cuisine.
The most popular restaurants include Robinson, Vitalich, Jam Prestige, Chaika and Ermak.
Those who want to have a great time in the evening and at night should visit the California cafe-club, where there is an interesting show program and karaoke. You can get to the right places not only by taxi, but also by city public transport, which is highly comfortable. City minibuses, trolleybuses, trams and metro run here.
In conclusion, it is worth adding that Nizhny Novgorod is a wonderful city that is definitely worth visiting for anyone who wants to have a good time in their free time, as well as broaden their horizons and learn a lot of new and interesting things.
Area and districts
The city of Nizhny Novgorod is divided into two parts by the Oka River. On the right are three districts: Prioksky, Nizhny Novgorod and Sovetsky. This is the so-called Upland part. On the left side of the Oka lies Zarechye. This part contains Sormovsky, Leninsky, Moskovsky, Kanavinsky and Avtozavodsky districts. From the north, the Volga River flows along the entire city.
The area of Nizhny Novgorod is, according to various estimates, from 410 to 466 square meters. km. The Nizhny Novgorod urban district includes thirteen other settlements, which is why the numbers vary so much.
Nizhny Novgorod: what federal district, area, population. Volga Federal District on News4Auto.ru.
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