Shukhov Tower on the Oka River

Shukhov Tower - One of a Kind

Nizhny Novgorod is Russia’s fourth largest city and it is filled with a number of interesting attractions which you may want to see. Nizhny Novgorod, which was known as the city of Gorky between 1932 and 1990, enjoys strong economic, cultural and administrative roles in the Volga-Vyatka economic region. This makes it an important and progressive city but it still enjoys strong historic ties.

One of the most interesting attractions in Nizhny Novgorod is the Shukhov Tower on the Oka River. Also know as the Dzerzhinsk High-Voltage Mast the tower is significant as it is the only surviving hyperboloid electricity pylon in the world. The city of Nizhny Novogorod is divided into upper and older or lower and more industrialized sections by the beautiful Oka River. If you are looking for this particular tower, you will spot it quite easily on the river’s left bank not far from Dzerzhinsk. The tower stands up proudly against the skyline and it is easy to note the peculiar hyperboloid shape that has given this tower its important status. Originally the tower was on of six which were designed by Vladimir Shukhov, a Russian scientist and engineer. They were built between 1927 and 1929 and were an architectural marvel at the time. The tower main purpose is to support the 110 kV NiGRES electric lines as they cross over the Oka River. The tower’s concrete foundation is a massive 30 meters in diameter and it measures 128 meters in height. The Shukhov Tower is the only remaining hyperboloid tower and it now enjoys state protection.

Once you have visited the tower, you will likely want to see what else the city has to offer. You might wish to visit the Novgorod Kremlin which suffered much destruction during the Bolshevik Revolution. Today its main feature is the tent-like Archangel Cathedral which was first built in the 13th century. Nizhny Novgorod also has two medieval abbeys and some great baroque churches worth looking at. There is also great craft centre in the north of the city where you can find superb wood painting if that sort of thing interests you. So visit the Shukhov Tower on the Oka River, as well as the many other great attractions the next time you go to Nizhny Novgorod.