Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin at sunset.

© Maks Ershov/Shutterstock

Kremlin

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Built on remnants of an earlier settlement, Nizhny Novgorod’s magnificent kremlin dates to 1500–15 when Italian architect Pyotr Fryazin began work on its 13 towers and 12m-high walls. Most of the buildings are government offices, though the city's two most important museums are here as well as the 17th-century Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and a striking Monument to Heroes of WWII. You can walk the walls from May to November and take in riverside views.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

2. Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

0.12 MILES

This small church within the kremlin walls is the oldest surviving building inside the complex. It dates from the middle of the 16th century and it was…

3. Dmitry Tower

0.13 MILES

Squat Dmitry Tower, topped in green, is the main entrance to the kremlin and is visible for the length of pedestrianised Bolshaya Pokrovskaya ul. The…

4. Monument to Heroes of WWII

0.14 MILES

On the river side of the kremlin is a large monument and eternal flame dedicated to the fallen soldiers of WWII.

5. Nizhegorodsky State Art Museum

0.17 MILES

The former governor’s house inside the kremlin houses the Russian collection of the vast Nizhegorodsky State Art Museum. Exhibits range from 14th-century…

6. Pilot Valery Chkalov Monument

0.3 MILES

This stirring monument and photo-op overlooks the Volga near the kremlin. It honours the memory of Soviet test pilot Valery Chkalov, who made historic…

7. Western European Art Collection

0.39 MILES

The Nizhegorodsky State Art Museum's collection of Western European art is exhibited a short walk from the kremlin along Verkhne-Volzhskaya nab, an…

8. Rukavishnikov Mansion

0.52 MILES

This exhibition space is located inside a 19th-century mansion once belonging to the Rukavishnikov merchant family. You can wander through the rooms on…