The banks of the Oka and Volga, where Nizhny Novgorod is located, have a different relief: the high right banks of the rivers are called the Dyatlovy Gory, and the part of the city located here is upland; the left banks are lowland, and the city here is called beyond the river.
Nizhny Novgorod today is one of the largest cities in the country with a population of more than two million, a center for the development of information technology, aviation, shipbuilding and automotive.
The history of the city - the history of revivals
The city was founded in 1221 as a defensive point to protect the borders of Russia in that turbulent period of internecine wars and raids of the Mongol-Tatar Horde. The place where the city of Nizhny Novgorod is located is strategically very advantageous: steep river banks, deep ravines at the foot of the Dyatlovaya Mountain. But these advantages did not always save the city; it was captured, burned, and devastated many times. But he was restored again, making up for what was lost.
Pocket of Russia
The pocket of Russia, its purse, the city was nicknamed after the fair was moved here in 1816 from Makariev, which gave an unprecedented impetus to itdevelopment, the flourishing of trade. On the territory where Nizhny Novgorod is located, the construction of a fair complex, which has survived to this day, began. Now there are 6 pavilions, 5 conference halls on the territory of the fair, the assets of the fair include national exhibitions of many countries, and the expositions of Nizhny Novgorod residents at prestigious exhibitions are highly appreciated.
Bas and Montferrand
For the design of one of the cathedrals of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair - Spassky or Staroyarmarochny - Auguste Montferrand was involved, who at that time was working on the project of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the features of which are guessed in the silhouette of the Nizhny Novgorod creation of the architect.
A curious story is connected with the Spassky Cathedral. The fact is that the iconostasis was painted by an Italian artist according to European canons, which turned out to be unacceptable for the inhabitants of Russia: believers did not perceive icons on which there were naked parts of bodies. They prayed to the icons they brought with them to the temple. Later, the iconostasis was replaced with a painted one in the manner customary for Russians.
2 km fortress
In the upland part, where the center of Nizhny Novgorod is located, is the main attraction of the city - the Kremlin, built in the early 16th century on the site of a burned wooden one. The fortress with an area of 45 hectares is a unique structure. Its 13 towers were not built flush with the stone walls, but protrude forward, which provided Nizhny Novgorod with a reliable defense. The Kremlin towers on the slope of the Dyatlovy Mountains, where Nizhny Novgorod is located, are located ondifferent heights with a difference between the lower and upper up to eighty meters.
Kitezh is nearby
The area where Nizhny Novgorod is located and its environs are rich in natural unique monuments, legends and traditions are associated with many. The mysterious lake Svetloyar, located not far from Nizhny, is famous for its purest water, which does not lose its taste over the years, even poured into containers and stored at home. On the shore of a round lake, as if drawn with a compass, three crosses rise - according to legend, on the graves of epic heroes. According to another legend, the lake swallowed the city of Kitezh and keeps its secrets at the bottom. Will they open up?
