8 most beautiful buildings in Nizhny Novgorod

Founded in 1221, Nizhny Novgorod quickly became one of the most prominent Russian cities - a trading center, an industrial center, and a cultural center .... And it is currently the fifth-largest city in Russia with a population of over 1.2 million.

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1. Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

The Kremlin in Nizhny Novgorod stands in the historical center of the city. Although a wooden fortress used to stand here, the construction of the stone Kremlin began in 1500. The remaining walls of the old wooden fortification were destroyed by fire in 1513.

2. The main building of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair.

According to some sources, the fair dates back to 1524. It was created by the Moscow princes to compete with the fair held in the Tatar capital of Kazan. At the very beginning, the fair was one of the largest trading centers in the whole country, and it was attended by traders from India, Central Asia, and Iran.

3. Building of the State Bank.

This magnificent building was built in 1913 to celebrate the tercentenary of the Romanovs. Emperor Nicholas II even visited this place on May 17, 1913. The interior design matches the rich neo-Russian architectural style of the exterior, which was typical of the extravagant buildings of the late tsarist era. The walls inside the building are painted according to the sketches of the famous Russian artist Ivan Bilibin.

4. Nizhny Novgorod Drama Theatre.

The original 1798 building was modest. Contemporaries described it as dark and awkward. There was a theater where the actors were peasant serfs. However, in 1896 the famous German-born Russian architect Viktor Schroeter stepped in to design a new building that is arguably one of the most beautiful in the city.

5. Gorky Museum.

This is one of the few surviving mansions of the 19th century in Nizhny Novgorod, which has retained its original interior. It has also been declared a monument of Russian history and culture.

6. Spassky Old Fair Cathedral.

The cathedral was built between 1816 and 1822. French classicist architect Auguste de Montferrand, the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral and Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, helped design this beautiful cathedral. It is called "Staroyarmorochny" because it was originally built for the benefit of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair.

7. Manor Rukavishnikovs.

This family estate was built in 1877 by Sergei Rukavishnikov, one of Nizhny Novgorod's richest and most famous industrialists at the time. The family estate resembles a small city palace, the facade of which is decorated with bas-reliefs and figures, and its interior is decorated with luxurious wall paintings.

8. House of Sirotkin.

This building was built shortly before the Russian Revolution, from 1913-1916, by order of the famous shipowner and merchant Dmitry Sirotkin. The architects chose a classical style with typical semi-rotundas. After the revolution, the city estate was nationalized and became a museum.