Nizhny Novgorod. Host Cities

Nizhny Novgorod is located 400 km east of Moscow and is known as the connecting point for central Russia and the Volga region, Nizhny Novgorod was founded at the place where Oka river empties into the Volga – and it remains Russia’s center of river tourism The Oka river divides Nizhny Novgorod into two parts – the Upper City, or Nagornaya Chast’ (Mountainous), and the more modern Lower City, or Zarechnaya Chast’ (Behind the River). In Nizhny Novgorod, one can find a blend of magnificence and provincial charm. Visitors come from all over Russia and abroad to admire beautiful architecture and picturesque landscapes, and to experience the city’s unique atmosphere.

Founded in 1221 as the ‘Novgorod of the Lower Lands’, the town has played a vital role in Russia’s history. For centuries, it has remained one of Russia’s major merchant towns.

During the Soviet era, the city has been one of the country's industrial centers. From 1932 to 1990 the city beared the name of Gorky, a famous Russian writer born in Nizhny Novgorod. In 1959 it became USSR’s largest closed city, a symbol of military prowess, and wasn’t opened until 1990..

Nizhny Novgorod is an old Russian merchant town with timber planking and carved window frames that survived the onslaught of modern architecture. Its Kremlin was built in 16th centuries and has 13 towers. Tourists love the city’s exquisite cathedrals and monasteries and spend hours enjoying breathtaking views from its embarkements.

Nizhny Novgorod is one of a few Russian towns that still has its own Kremlin, a 16th-century medieval fortress built on the high bank of the Volga river. The Kremlin had never been captured throughout its history. The red-brick walls of the Kremlin stand 22 meters high. The Kremlin has 13 towers and 5 gates, that were severely damaged in the 20th centuries and have been under renovation since 2005. Nizhny Novgorod’s administrative center is located in the Kremlin, here one can find the Legislative Assembly, the Philharmonic and the Arbitration Court. The city’s main square – the Minin and Pozharsy Square – is right next to the Kremlin

The Strelka, historically known as Strelitsa, is one of the most scenic natural observation decks in Nizhny Novgorod. It inspired the the song lyrics “Where the Oka and the Volga throw their arms around each other, the expanse is limitless and you can touch the sky” of the popular song that is considered to be the town’s unofficial anthem.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox church built before 1880 by Russian architect Lev Dahl. It is situated next to Nizhny Novgorod Stadium and Strelka metro station, over the Oka River from Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

The winding 560 plus stairs of the Chkalov Stair are probably best viewed from a boat on the Volga. Created by Aleksander Shulpin, mayor of Nizhny Novgorod during the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, ground was broken for the staircase to mark Russian victory in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, and the stairs were named in honour of legendary Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov that today hold annual upstairs running races.

Nizhny Novgorod was one of the first cities in Russia to have a train line connecting to Moscow. Locally, the city has an excellent transport system in the form of bus routes, trams and trolleybuses, each working on a timetable of 5/6am to 11/12pm.

Tram Route 2 - the ‘City Circle’ - is a circle route going in both directions and serves the central part of the city. Public ground transport operate in the city with quite law prices comparing to the ones in the western countries.

For those wanting the most direct route to the city, they can fly to Nizhny Novgorod International Airport ‘Strigino’, which is located around 25 km from the city and connected by bus. One can go by taxi as well.

For visitors taking the scenic route, train links from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod are very handy, with trains running regularly and through the day. The journey typically last from 3 and a half to 7 hours from Moscow to Gorky-Moskovsky, the main railway station in Nizhny Novgorod. Gorky-Moskovsky is located in the geographical centre of the city, around 6 km from the historical centre and 20 km from Strigino.

• One of the architects, who worked on Novgorod Kremlin, came from Italy. According to a legend, he was a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci
• Another legend says, that the library of tsar Ivan the Terrible was buried underneath the city’s Kremlin
• Nizhny Novgorod has a modern Planetarium, offering an impressive exposition and even a space link simulator
• Nizhny Novgorod metro has a ‘ghost’ station - its construction started at the beginning of the 90ies, but was later halted
• One of Nizhny Novgorod’s houses looks ‘flat’ from a certain angle