NIZHNY NOVGOROD

In Russia's past, Nizhny Novgorod has been called fa­mous, even glorious. And to truly be able to believe it, one really needs to stand on the beautiful spot among the legendary Diatlov Hills - on the embankment of the river Volga in front of the Statue to the great pilot Valery Chkalov, where expans­es of the far north open out in front of you as far as the eye can see -and admire the famous reach where the rivers Volga and Oka meet, both flowing hurriedly on towards the south; it is not for nothing that our forefathers worked hard to the glory of their city, as they trans­formed it into such a beautiful sight.

The artist Ilia Repin described the city as "in a mighty position", Velimir Khlebnikov spoke of the town as "tender Nizhny", Boris Kornilov united his love for the city with the romance of Spring and youth: "These utterly boundless expanses, where every garden glistens" And we need be in no doubt that it was not only a matter of calcula­tion but also of the heart that con­vinced the Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal, Yuri Vsevolodovich, the grandson of the founder of Moscow.

The most important monument from Nizhny Novgorod's distant his­tory is its Kremlin - a unique en­semble of buildings, combining the rigour of medieval fortified walls and towers with the austerity of classical architecture of the 19th century. As it was erected in accordance with a high level of military and defence technology of past times, despite a large number of attempts, the Kremlin was never captured by an enemy force.

The construction of the stone Kremlin started in 1500 and was completed in 1512. The masons were directed by the talented Italian en­gineer and architect Petro Frances­co. The Kremlin consisted of 14 towers, but only 12 have survived to the 21st century. In the summer, by climbing up the brick-built Kladovaya Tower, one can go for a fascinating stroll and admire the expanses of the Volga region and views of the Strelka (the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers).

The very first church to be built in Nizhny Novgorod is considered to be the Church of the Archangel Michael in the Kremlin - one of the best examples of a hipped-roof con­struction of all the religious archi­tecture in the Nizhny Novgorod re­gion. The church used to be wood­en and as such must have been built before the foundation of the city. During its last reconstruction in 1631, it was rebuilt in stone to com­memorate the victory of the militia under the leadership of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. It was on their initiative in 1612 that a militia was formed in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The militia later liberated Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian occupation. In 1962 the ashes of Kuzma Minin were laid in the church.

Right from the very foundation of the city, The Annunciation Mon­astery - one of the most famous monasteries of the Nizhny Novgorod region - has had a hand in the shap­ing of local history. It was construct­ed with the aim of guarding the riv­er crossing of the Oka and the ap­proach to the Kremlin. The resto­ration carried out on the Monastery complex at the end of the last centu­ry has broadly preserved the build­ings as they would have been in the 17th century.

A remarkable example of Rus­sian Baroque in the context of the history of Nizhny Novgorod and Russian Architecture is the Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. It was built at the beginning of the 17th century on the orders of the famous merchant and salt trader, G. Stroganov. Entirely covered in magnifi­cent finery, richly decorated in gold­en-leaf motifs, the iconostasis star­tles one with its beauty and majesty even today.

The cathedral of Alexandr Nevsky, a monumental structure containing elements of a medieval castle, was built at the end of the 19th century using funds obtained from merchant trade fairs.

Today, the solemn-looking building of the Nizhny Novgorod Trade Fair recalls the glorious his­tory of the city's mercantile past as does the Staroyarmarochny Spassky (Old Market Sudarium) Cathedral (which was built according to the model of St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg) and the grandiose mer­chants' mansions of the 19th and 20th centuries. The city has man­aged to preserve even older build­ings belonging to the Nizhny Novgorod trading community - stone houses from the 17th century which belonged to Chatygin, Pushnikov and Olisov, constructed in the style of ancient Russian tower-chambers.

In Russia, the symbol of the enterprising merchant classes, who were frequently generous patrons, became the flourishing Nizhny Novgorod Trade Fair. It was trans­ferred from Makariev in 1817 and the trading complex was put under the direction of the architect Augus-tin Betancur. The Trade Fair was dubbed "The Babylon of Nizhny Novgorod" and the city became high­ly reputed as a trade centre - "the moneysack of Russia".

The city grew in wealth through merchant trading and in repute through the names of traders such as Bugrov, Rukavishnikov, Sirotkin and the Bashkirov.

Nizhny Novgorod is the birth­place of the world-renowned writer Maxim Gorky. The town was named after him from 1932 until 1990.

Today, it is the museums and exhibition halls of Nizhny Novgorod that tell the story of the town's glori­ous past, its famous inhabitants, its traditions and everyday life.

The most important of these in­stitutions in the Nizhny Novgorod region is the Architectural and His­torical Fund, which is made up of seven museums. The museum of architecture and folk culture of the Nizhny Novgorod and Volga re­gions, located on the Shchelkovsky Khutor, presents a detailed account of the culture, traditions and every­day life of the inhabitants of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The mu­seum on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street holds materials about the history of folk art and cottage industry, including the famous decorative style Khokhloma.

One of the city's oldest museums can be found in the Dmitrievskaia Tower in the Kremlin. Its opening coincided with that of the All Rus­sian Exhibition of Industry and the Arts which took place in Nizhny Novgorod in 1896. The museum keeps a careful record of the history of the Kremlin itself, a beautiful collection of handmade porcelain and everyday objects from the mansions of the Nizhny Novgorod merchant classes and intelligentsia.

The other museum that can be found in the Kremlin - the Nizhny Novgorod State Museum of Fine Arts - is housed in the former residence of the military governor. It was built at the end of the 19th century. The collection includes more than twelve thousand Russian and international works of art, from 14th century an­cient Russian icons to the latest works of the 20th century

There are three museums which tell the story of the lives of the fa­mous citizens of Nizhny Novgorod from the world of arts, culture and science: they are The Museum of the Nizhny Novgorod Intelligentsia, the Gorky Museum of Literature, and the Sakharov and Dobroliubov Commemorative Museum.

Antique cameras and the works of famous Nizhny Novgorod pho­tographers are housed in the Rus­sian State Museum of Photography.

You can also find out all about radio and electronic technology, from the very first inventions to the con­structions of the self-taught inventor, Ivan Kulibin, at the Nizhny Novgorod Radio-Laboratory Museum.

The Museum of the Gorky Au­tomobile Plant (known as GAZ) has a huge collection of cars, all of which were manufactured at GAZ.

The Museum of the "Sokol" Air­plane Factory has the job of keep­ing a collection of unique models of the fighter jets MiGs and Yako-vlevs, amphibious hovercraft and many other examples of secret Rus­sian aviation equipment. The mu­seum can even organize a flight in a MiG, but this is only for the most courageous tourists! Visitors also have the possibility of looking around the museum of the Krasnoe Sormovo Factory, where subma­rines were manufactured.

No less interesting would be a visit to the museums of wood sculp­ture, Green Shoots or the muse­um and exhibition hall in the Mosk-ovsky District, where the huge fes­tivals known as The Secrets of Wood and Beauty: Born of Fire take place.

You will also be able to find a whole host of galleries and exhibi­tions in the city's central square of Minin and Pozharsky as well as on the main pedestrian street Bolshaia Pokrovskaia. The gallery Yurkova, founded by the talented artist A. Yurkov houses the most genuinely beautiful fund of floral mosaics. In the central exhibition rooms and gal­lery, Russian Century (Russky Vek), exhibits include those of lead­ing artists from the city and the whole region. The exhibition rooms on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street have gathered together a rare collection of museums and artistic reserves. If the idea of plunging deep into the world of everyday Russian life takes your fancy, then the best place for this is Irina Emelina's gallery.

It is said that to get properly ac­quainted with the history, culture and artwork of Nizhny Novgorod, you need to visit for no less than a week. To cater for all the needs of our tourists, the town boasts a great many comfortable and relaxing ho­tels: the Volna, Jouk-Jacques, Oktyabrskaya, Volzhsky Otkos, Central, Nizhegorodskaya, Oka, and Bereg, to name but a few.
 

Nizhny Novgorod is always happy to have guests to stay!