The municipality is developing a street reconstruction concept

The administration of Nizhny Novgorod has begun developing the concept of the historical and cultural center “Rozhdestvenskaya Side”, which provides for the global restoration of Rozhdestvenskaya Street and its stylistic development. As part of the project, the municipality decided to return to the construction of a funicular from the Kremlin to National Unity Square, and the creation of a transport backup is also being discussed. City Duma deputies, who were introduced to the idea of reconstructing the street, warned the municipality about the inadmissibility of multi-storey development of Rozhdestvenskaya.

Yesterday, at a joint meeting of the City Duma commissions, the head of the department of architecture and urban planning, Mikhail Romanychev, announced the start of work on the concept for the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Street, into the historical buildings of which “they want to breathe new life.” The administration plans to thoroughly restore the street, preserving its appearance, and enrich it with public useful functions, adding more residential, hotel and retail space. In addition, the administration hopes that the Nizhny Novgorod architectural community will offer its ideas for the development of the street, consistent with the historical buildings. Mikhail Romanychev presented some proposals yesterday. So, in his opinion, it is worth returning to the idea of building a funicular from the Kremlin to National Unity Square, so that tourists and vacationers can go down the slope and go back up without driving cars to Minin Square. “On the slope near the square you can make an amphitheater or stage for holding public events,” said Mr. Romanychev. It is also proposed to design underground parking lots, and a backup road for Rozhdestvenskaya at the bottom of the slope. To implement the project, the head of the administration, Oleg Kondrashov, is preparing to establish a separate administrative unit - the Rozhdestvenskaya Side prefecture - and promises to personally persuade Nizhny Novgorod entrepreneurs to participate in the development of the hotel business or low-rise housing construction.

City Duma deputies supported the idea, but immediately asked the head of the city to pay attention to the current development plans. Thus, the president of the Pir group, Alexander Kotyusov, said that a six-story shopping center is being designed next to the Pochainsky ravine, the construction was approved by the investment council under the governor, and this could spoil the appearance of the street and provoke a transport collapse. “It’s high time to actually implement the right of veto,” suggested Mr. Kotyusov. “The taboo needs to be imposed, otherwise the street there has been defaced for a long time,” supported his colleague Vyacheslav Rasteryaev. And Mikhail Barkovsky recalled that it was necessary to think about the preservation of the historical appearance even when restorers destroyed the Stroganov Church, replacing its stone carvings with a new one.

In response, Oleg Sorokin suggested that the deputies begin working with the region regarding the possible cancellation of the investment council’s decisions and “take patronage” of the project, which promises to be long-lasting: according to the assessment of the city mayor, the reconstruction of historical centers in European cities takes 15–20 years.

Roman Kryazhev

Rozhdestvenskaya made history