History of the City

The history of Nizhny Novgorod began in 1221, when it was founded by Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich to protect the borders of the Russian state.

Due to its convenient geographical location, Nizhny Novgorod has always been good for trade. Since ancient times, caravans of merchant ships have sailed along the Volga and Oka. In 1817, the famous Fair began in the city, setting prices for bread and other basic products for the whole country. Trade also shaped the appearance of the city — it has preserved many merchant houses, as well as churches and temples built at the expense of business people. And now one of the unofficial names of Nizhny Novgorod is "the pocket of Russia", indicating its important role in the country's trade.

In 1932, the city was given the name Gorky, after the pseudonym of the Russian writer Maxim Gorky, who was born here. In the 30s, the city's industry developed rapidly — many aviation and defense enterprises, the “Krasnoe Sormovo” plant, and the famous “GAZ” automobile plant began their work.

In the post-war period, Gorky had many industrial enterprises related to the defense of the state, so from 1959 to 1991 the city was inaccessible to foreign citizens. On October 22, 1990, Nizhny Novgorod regained its original name.

Nowadays Nizhny Novgorod is the largest industrial, transport, scientific and cultural center of the country, a city with a non-standard appearance.