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. Weather/seasonal concerns
Visitors are astonished at the abundance of snow and low temperatures that are so common in Russia during the winter season. It usually doesn't thaw until March in Nizhni Novgorod, and only in April does spring really begin.
May, as well as August and September, are probably the best months to visit the city. Summer is hot and humid with occasional showers, although the temperature rarely exceeds 86 F. Early fall is rather warm, while October is usually rainy and November gradually turns into winter.
II. Restaurants, Bars,Clubs, and Music
Traditional Gone Pop: the CCCP café (Bol. Pokrovskaya, 101; Tel: 33-99-17) gives you a a patriotic atmosphere (in a remolded 70’s soviet pub) and various national dishes.
More Traditional Traditional: Bar Bochka (Bol. Pokrovskaya, 14; Tel: 33-55-61) offers decent music, service, and excellent Georgian food for under $10. Try the Hatchapori!
Urban Bohemian: Buffet (Osharskaya, 14) caters to the young and artistic with a hip atmosphere and cheaply priced, tasty dishes. “Jeff” (Bol. Pokrovskaya, 101; Tel: 33-74-47) is centrally located and open until two am. Jeff also features the city’s best-stocked bar and an almost-American speak-easy atmosphere populated with Russian intellectuals.
For Music: Jazz Prestige (Bol. Pokrovskaya, 49a Tel: 33-32-46) is the hippest club in Nizhny and features live concerts of Jazz, Blues, and Rock almost every night. Also, from jazz to Russian pop, the concert hall "Jupiter" (Oktyabrskaya square, 1; Tel: 36-44-28) is another great place to go for concerts in Nizhny. Call for ahead for the schedule and tickets.
For the Homesick: McDonald’s now has two locations (Pl. Revolyutsii, 58; Pl. Gorkovo, 2). We also recommend Mexican Sketch (Ìåêñèêàíñêèå ýòþäû, ïë. Ìèíèíà, ä.2/2; 39-1460) whose food is more Ruso-Tex-Mex than anything, but still reminiscent of something you might find in the states.
For the Romantically Inclined: At Mega (Nizhny-Volzhskaya Nab., 23 tel: 31-37-20) you will hear some of the city’s best techno on a large dance floor. Wednesdays are ladies nights, with free admission for girls and (they advertise) a population heavily weighted in favor of men (98% female!). The cover increases as the club gets fuller, so get there early.
An easy walk home: Rokko (Minina St., 106) opened just down the street from the LUNN dorms, has been operating for almost a decade and remains one of Nizhy’s top nightspots. Laser shows, dancing, gambling and cabaret are all available for a nominal cover charge of about $3.
III. More Music (classical and folk)
The Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory named for M. Glinka
(ul. Piskunova, 40; Tel: 19-43-45)
Nizhny Novgorod’s main academic school for music also gives some of the best (and cheapest) concerts of classical music.
Nizhny Novgorod Academic Philharmonic Theatre (site in English)
(Kremlin, bldg. 2; Tel: 39-11-87)
Every year the Philharmonic Society arranges about two thousand concerts (for 400 thousand spectators) in the central assembly-rooms of Nizhny Novgorod (the Kremlin Concert Hall, the Conservatoire Hall, the assembly-rooms of M.Gorky State Museum and the Region Universal V.I. Lenin Library).
Municipal ensemble of folk songs "Ljubava"
(Engels str., Krasnoye sormovo Club; Tel: 23-13-03)
This theatre, as well as the Municipal Troupe of Soloists “Sofia,” (Minin square, 4; Tel: 36-67-89) will serve all your folk music needs.
Municipal Chamber Chorus “Nizhny Novgorod”
(Minin square, 4; Tel: 36-67-89)
IV. Internet cafes
Besides the free service on campus, there are some other options around town.
The Britanskogo Soveta Internet Center
(Pokrovskaja B. ul.,2; Tel: 759829)
Centrally located.
VolgaTelekom Internet Clubs
(Maksima Gor'kogo pl., Dom Svjazi Tel: 300083); also (Mira bul., d.9,or 60 let Oktjabrja bul. Tel 674020)
Good connection and decent rates.
Free City-Sponsored Internet
Kremlin, Building 5
It’s free, but expect to wait in line for a computer!
V. Doctors and Clinics
Unfortunately, outside of Moscow, there are not many English-speaking clinics and there are none to speak of in Nizhny. Below are two clinics chosen for their proximity to the LUNN campus.
Centr Profilaktiki I Bor’by So Spidom Oblastinoi
(Minina ul., d.20, korp.E)
Can provide aids tests in case you need to renew your visa.
Zdorove Lechnevno-Konsultativnii Center
(Minina ul., d.35; Tel: 361877)
General health services located very near the university and dorms.
International SOS Clinic
Free Advice!: askthedoctor@internationalsos.com
VI. Theatres
Nizhny Novgorod Academic Drama Theatre of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in the name of M. Gorky
(ul. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 13; Tel: 30-58-55)
Yes, the name is a mouthful, but as the theatre has been the main dramatic theatre of the Nizhny Novgorod region for some 200 years, it has gone through a few “nominal enhancements.” Plays an array of modern and classic pieces in family-friendly presentations. Tickets are still less than 100 RU.
Nizhny Novgorod Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in the name of A. Pushkin
(ul. Belinskogo, 59; Tel: 35-16-40)
Opened in 1935 and largely financed by Gorky himself, this theatre now specializes in classic ballet and opera.
Municipal Children’s Theatre “Vera”
(Meshersky bostr., 10; Tel: 47-41-89)
As is the case with many children’s theatres in Russia, this one plays family-friendly fare in the afternoon and more adult pieces in the evening. See also the Nizhny Novgorod Academic Puppet Theatre ul. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 39; Tel: 39-07-21.
Nizhny Novgorod Comedy Theatre
(ul. Gruzinskaya, 23; Tel: 33-14-76)
One of N. Novgorod’s more “cutting edge” theatres, they spell their name with a Ukrainian “i” (Koìeäiÿ) and feature everything from musical comedy to political satire. Now housed in a beautiful, new building.
Nizhny Novgorod Theatre of a Young Spectator of the Badge of Honour in the name of N. Krupskaya
(ul. Gorkogo, 145; Tel: 35-07-85)
Plays classics aimed at children and adolescents.
Municipal Chamber Musical Theatre in the name of V.Stepanova at theGarrison House of Officers
(ul. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, 30; Tel: 77-01-44)
Many from this theatre have gone on to be Soviet and Russian movie stars.
Actors' House
(ul. Piskunova, 10; Tel: 19-63-50)
A theatre run by actors and for actors, this features mostly modern plays presented in an intimate "chamber theatre atmosphere."
Youth theatre "LIK"
ul. Komintern, 166, 73-05-45
VII. Museumsof Nizhny Novgorod
Must Sees!
The Kremlin Wall (site in English)
(Kremlin; Tel: 39-18-88)
The Kremlin is Nizhney Novgorod’s main attraction. Take a walk along the battlements and see spectacular views of the city and the Volga. Within the Kremlin walls is an interesting array of WWII weaponry and vehicles, and an odd assortment of architecture from a seventeenth century cathedral to a nineteenth century governor’s mansion to the ultra-soviet concrete building block known as the “House of Soviets.” (It’s supposed to look like an airplane, if you look at it from an airplane).
A. Sakharov Museum (in English, the Sakharov Foundation)
(Gagarin av., 214; Tel: 66-86-23)
Sakharov was one of the Soviet Union’s most vocal and successful Soviet dissidents who worked to better human rights in the USSR and stop nuclear proliferation. He spent six years in exiled Nizhney Novgorod, then a bleak, closed town with an early curfew largely enforced by its own incredibly high crime rate. The apartment he lived in is now a museum to human rights and those who better the world. They still land in hot water from time to timefor their occasionally politically charged and/or controversial displays.
Makarevo Monastery
(In Makarevo, accessible from the River Station in N. Novgorod)
If not for the chance to see an operational monastery, then come for the boat ride and the village. Catch a boat on the Volga in the morning and ride to a quaint village of a couple hundred. Bring a swimming suit to jump in the Volga. Bring a lunch as well, as things to purchase here are few. The Monastery itself has a history that goes back to 1450, but the buildings here were almost all built in the 1600’s, as Tartars torched the originals. From reading Russian history, indecently, it seems the Tartars were a little prone to pyromania. The boat will bring you back in the evening (make sure you don’t miss it!).
The Gorkys(site in Russian)
Nizhny Novgorod is where Maxim Gorky, the writer,lived for most of life. There are now severalmuseums dedicated to him there, includingplaces where he lived, preserved as he knew them, and museums devotedhis and to Russian literature in general. See allentries under "Literature" below.
History
Nizhny Novgorod Ostrog (Prison)
(Svoboda sq., 2; Tel: 35-88-24)
This former prison, which is still called "The Ostrog" now houses interesting and sometimes quirky exhibits in the center of Nizhney Novgorod. You might see anything here from a display of the symbols of the Russian Government, past and present, to a display of exotic wildlife from near and far. There are several legends associated with the building. Ask some the old women who work there to tell you some of them.
Kashirin House
(Pochtovy descent, 21; Tel: 34-06-70)
The communists preserved this house because it is where their favorite playwright and poet, Maxim Gorky, spent his childhood. Even if you don’t like Gorky, or know who he is, the museum is an interesting preserved specimine of how middle-class families lived in pre-revolutionary, provincial Russia.
The Ethnographical Museum of Volga-region
(Gorbatovskaya, 41; Tel: 65-15-98)
There are several of these open-air museums across Russia now, which celebrate the Russian tradition of wooden architecture. Basically, several examples of regional architecture from various periods are dismantled and reassembled in a location not far from a major city into a sort of preserved mini-village.
Religion
The Annunciation Monastery
(Chernigovskaya St.)
This is surrounded by strong walls and has another five-domed cathedral (1649) and the Assumption church (1678).
The Monastery of the Caves (Pechorsky)features the austere five-domed cathedral (1632) and two rare churches surmounted by tent roofs, dating from the 1640s.
Art
The Museum of History of Art-Crafts
(Bolshaya Pokrovskaya str., 43; Tel: 33-34-27)
Displays anything and everything that might be considered “the peoples,” especially those produced by minorities. Clothing, furniture, metal work, arts-and-crafts, etc. can be seen on display.
Art Museum
(Kremlin, bdg. 3; Tel: 39-08-55)
This is the main art museum of N. Novgorod. While certainly not as impressive as the massive collections of St. Petersburg, this provincial cultural center does provide an interesting visual array of Russian and European painters and sculptors. Worth a look while you are at the Kremlin!
The Yurkova Gallery
(B. Pokrovskaya, St., 39-07-38)
Dedicated to “non-standard art,” this museum displays paintings made on dry leaves and other interesting experiments.
Exhibition Center
(Minin sq., 2/2; Tel: 39-09-71)
Expositions of paintings, drawings, applied art
The Yemelina Gallery
(Vaneyeva str., 1à; Tel: 35-84-38)
This museum presents the art of and art concerning “the ancient Russian way of life.” On permanent display are a collection of original “three-dimensional” paintings by I. Yemelina
Museum of Photography by M. P. Dmitriyev
Located on the Kremlin grounds, this is a unique museum with a collection of 19th-20th century photos.
Literature/Theatre/etc
Literary Museum
(Minin str., 26; Tel: 36-65-83)
Dedicated to Maxim Gorky and part of the triad of museums in his name, this museum offers exhibitions on history of the intelligentsia, plus occasionally live music and poetry evenings.
A.M. Gorky Museum (site available in Russian)
(Semashko str., 19A; Tel: 36-15-29)
This is the apartment that Gorky lived in with his family from 1902-1904, restored to look like it did when he lived there. It has additional displays on literature, etc. as well.
Kashirin House
(Pochtovy descent, 21; Tel: 34-06-70)
The communists preserved this house because it is where their favorite playwright and poet, Maxim Gorky, spent his childhood. Even if you don’t like Gorky, or know who he is, the museum is an interesting preserved specimine of how middle-class families lived in pre-revolutionary, provincial Russia.
N. A. Dobrolyubov Literary Memorial Museum (in Russian)
(Lykova Damba St. 2-2a. Tel: 8312-33-5389, 8312-33-9910)
A couple centuries ago, this priest was one of Russia’s most important literature critics. This museum is an exhibition of the priest’s life and the Golden Age of Russian Literature that he worked in. An affiliate of the A.M. Gorky Museum
Technology and Science
The Museum of History of N. Novgorod Railway, Museum of Locomotives
Iyulskikh Dney, 1à; Tel: 48-35-17
Nizhney Novgorod is one of the many Regions in Russia to have hosted a “Children’s Railway,” a short rail line which not only provided a limited, regional transportation line, but also gave children a chance to receive first-hand experience running a railway! Find out more about these railways in English!
The Museum of the History of "GAZ"
(Lenin av. Tel: 56-14-38)
Gas and natural resources are very important to the Nizhney Novgorod region, as to Russia in general. This museum exhibits the products and processes of N. Novgorod’s gas refinery. It has been named one of the best technical museums in Russia (there are many of them, thanks to the Communists) and sevices some 11,000 people each year.
The Memorial Museum of V.P. Chkalova
(Chkalovsk St., 5. 83160-2-2499, 83160-2-1706)
Dedicated to a hero-pilot of the Soviet era, this features an interesting collection of aviation history and a hanger with a few soviet airplanes.
VIII. Other
Limpopo Zoo
Ñîðìîâñêèé ïàðê
Nizhny Novgorod’s zoo!
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