“Mansions and towers”: the secrets of the city and its unusual estates

Varieties of the oral legend about the foundation of Nizhny Novgorod are based on the chronicle mention of the laying of the city by Vladimir-Suzdal Prince Yuri (George) Vsevolodovich. In practice, in the language of that time, the city actually means an erected fence, the wall - a military fortification. It could have been laid in a new place, inside or near an existing settlement. Later accounts of history leave aside the question of whether the area was inhabited before the appearance of the Ruriks. Taking advantage of the transition from pre-written to written history, a coherent exposition usually begins directly with this watershed - the mention in the chronicle. As a result, the reader gets the impression that the area was completely wild, uninhabited - exactly before the appearance of the princes "from the center." Meanwhile, we are not just on the banks of the largest river in Europe, also called the "great river" - this river is reliably known since ancient times, the peoples of the ancient East and antiquity. “Reputation” in practice means that it was actively used for trade, at least knew about the existence of an operating route. What is this route? How did the people who served him live? To what extent is the official history of the state consistent with the real interests and aspirations of the people? What facts allow us to reconstruct such aspirations? What do the most ancient legends tell us and what locations do they relate to?

How did the peculiarities of the city’s location affect the lifestyle and views of citizens in different eras: merchants, provincial nobility, entertainment workers, artisans and Soviet engineers? How did the views of each layer affect urban architecture, what were they trying to express? The main and most characteristic monuments of private, state, spiritual architecture. All the features of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. Great river port and its impact on the life of the city.

The main sightseeing tour of the historical part of the city. Walking route on the Zapochayan and Christmas. The end or the beginning is at the Kremlin.

The mobile option is a trip with a car rental (+ 700 r) to the place of the most ancient settlements in the city, then Zapochayanye, then Christmas and the Kremlin district.

If there are more than three participants, the price may be higher.