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 low, and the city here is called Zarechny.
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, aircraft, shipbuilding and automotive.
History of the city - history of revival
The city was founded in 1221 as a defensive point to protect the borders of Russia in that turbulent period of civil wars and raids of the Mongol-Tatar Horde. The place where 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 ruined many times. But he was recovering again, replenishing what was lost.
Pocket of Russia
The pocket of Russia, its wallet, was nicknamed the city after it was transferred here in 1816 from the Makaryev Fair, which gave an unprecedented impetus to its development, the flourishing of trade. In the territory where Nizhny Novgorod is located, construction of the fair complex has begun, which has survived to this day. Now on the territory of the fair there are 6 pavilions, 5 conference rooms, the asset of the fair includes national exhibitions of many countries, and the expositions of Nizhny Novgorod at prestigious exhibitions are highly appreciated.
Lower and Montferrand
To design one of the cathedrals of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair - Spassky or Staroyarmarochny - Auguste Montferrand was involved, while 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 associated with Spassky Cathedral. The fact is that the iconostasis was painted by an Italian artist according to European canons, which turned out to be unacceptable to the inhabitants of Russia: believers did not perceive the icons on which the exposed parts of the bodies were. They prayed to the icons brought with them to the temple. Later, the iconostasis was replaced with a painted one in the usual manner for Russians.
2 km fortress
In the upland part, where the center of Nizhny Novgorod is located, the main attraction of the city is the Kremlin, built in the early 16th century on the site of a burnt wooden one. The fortress with an area of 45 hectares is a unique structure. Its 13 towers were built not flush with stone walls, but protrude forward, which provided Nizhny Novgorod with a reliable defense. Kremlin towers on the slope of the Dyatlovy Mountains, where Nizhny Novgorod is located , are located at different heights with a difference between the lower and upper to eighty meters.
Kitezh - nearby
The area where Nizhny Novgorod is located and its environs are rich in unique natural monuments, legends and traditions are associated with many. The mysterious lake Svetloyar, located near the Lower, is famous for its clean water, which does not lose its taste over the years, even spilled in a container and stored at home. On the shore of a round lake, as if drawn by 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 it at the bottom of its secrets. Will they be revealed?