Nizhny Novgorod



Nizhny Novgorod

Name: Mikhail Solunin

Age: 28

Profession: Photographer 

City: Nizhny Novgorod

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you? 

About five years. At first, I was only interested in doing photojournalism for mass media and commercial shooting. Now I am more interested in documentary photo stories and personal projects.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for?

Nizhny Novgorod is located 430 kilometers from Moscow at the point where two of the largest rivers in European Russia: the Oka and the Volga. People call the place where the rivers meet Strelka ("arrow"). This is also the birthplace of famous people like the writer Maxim Gorky, the inventor Ivan Kulibin, the founder of Russian photojournalism Maxim Dmitriev, and the Russian politician and social activist Boris Nemtsov. In the past, Nizhny was famous for its Commercial Fair. Today the city's calling card is its kremlin, and its very modern Aerial Tram line, which spans 3660 meters and crosses the Volga River to the town of Bor. It is the only cable car in Russia or Europe that spans a body of water, in this case the 861 meters of the Volga.

What is something about your city that only locals would know? 

Nizhny Novgorod is perhaps the only city in Russia where Lenin Prospect crosses Ilyich Prospect. The city also has a church located inside a railway car. However, the Church of the Icon of the Reigning Mother of God is stationary and has the address: Ignatiev Brothers 1, kilometer 3.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?

It is worth visiting the kremlin. Pay for an excursion inside its walls and walk along its perimeter. One should also visit the Chkalovskaya Steps, on Fyodorovsky Embankment, from which there is a wonderful view of the lower part of the city, especially at sunset. Streets to visit include Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, Rozhdestvenskaya, Ilyinskaya.

 



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955