Theme Park and Cable Car: Major Projects Needing Billions in Nizhny Novgorod Region
The Nizhny Novgorod region is looking for investors for dozens of projects: from building hotels and resorts to organizing production facilities. We studied the proposals on the regional investment portal and are highlighting the most unusual ones.
The portal lists over 160 projects. The oldest postings contain data on deadlines and costs that is clearly outdated. However, since they remain on the Nizhny Novgorod region«s investment portal, we consider them active.
Development of the «Bolshoye Boldino» Cluster
The main center of Alexander Pushkin«s legacy in the Nizhny Novgorod region is intended to be made more tourist-friendly. In 2017, local authorities announced plans to create themed sites there: an amusement park, a village with an inn, and the »Dubrovsky Estate.« Later, they presented a project with an estimated cost of 6.2 billion rubles ($76 million at current rates), which includes building:
twenty museums;
a hotel and tourist complex in the style of a 19th-century estate called «Onegin,» with a ballroom, a concert hall, a film studio, an equestrian club, and a pottery center.
The project also included Pushkin«s Fairytale Park, a golf club with a mini-hotel, and the exhibition hall »Pushkin Park – Four Seasons.« The initiative is currently at the stage of »forming an action plan for project implementation.«
Pushkin«s Fairytale Park
The comprehensive project failed to attract investors, so the fairytale park was separated into its own lot worth 5.1 billion rubles ($62 million). It is proposed to be built between the villages of Bolshoye Boldino and Lvovka. The site would consist of segments:
for children and youth, with an amusement park and theater stages;
for adults, with an elite leisure club called «Onegin.»
The goal of such a park was stated as popularizing the Russian language and literature. The project was planned for 2024–2029 and is now at the «business planning» stage.
In 2024, Deputy Governor Oleg Berkovich spoke about transforming Bolshoye Boldino for the celebration of the 225th anniversary of Alexander Pushkin«s birth. He also mentioned the planned fairytale park.
«Boldino lacks hotels; we need hospitality infrastructure. Plans also include building a glamping site nearby. I think in the near future we will also be able to return to the idea of the Park of Pushkin»s Fairy Tales. The poet«s fairytale worlds belong here,» added Berkovich.
Myza–Kstovo Railway Branch
Last year, the press service of Gorky Railway (GZhD) reported that a positive state expert review had been issued for all stages of constructing the Myza–Kstovo railway branch. The work deadlines and their cost will become known after «completing all approvals and the Russian government determining the project»s funding model.«
As reported on the investment portal, Gorky Railway is ready to accept a co-investor into the project. To recap, the branch was planned to be built by 2025, with an estimated cost of nearly 2.4 billion rubles ($29 million) at the time.
Cable Car in Gorodets
Gorodets is discussing the construction of a cable car from the «Gorod Masterov» (City of Masters) complex to the square near the monument to Alexander Nevsky. Investors are invited to participate in the project, for example, by concluding a concession agreement.
«We need financing for many projects: just the cable car, the project for which, I remind you, has long passed state expert review, costs a lot of money. But under current conditions, of course, it is not possible to divert funds from the local budget to create such a tourist infrastructure object,» commented Alexander Mudrov, head of the Gorodetsky district.
Creative Estate in Vachsky District
In the village of Kazakovo, they want to build the creative estate «Zagorye.» The territory is planned to house a masters« school, an exhibition space, a park with art objects, and a viewing platform. The project also includes a 20-room hotel decorated in the style of Russian fairy tales and the art residency »Metelitsa« (Blizzard). The cost of the creative estate was estimated at 2.9 billion rubles ($35 million). Project implementation was scheduled for 2024–2030; it is at the business planning stage.
Concert Hall
In the Bogorodsky district, they propose building a cultural venue «unmatched in the region.» It is expected that the «Berezopolye» concert hall with 1,500 seats will be located near the «Nizhegorodskoye Koltso» (Nizhny Novgorod Ring) sports complex. It will host events of various scales and orientations. The project is at the business planning stage. The required investment volume is estimated at 1.5 billion rubles ($18 million), with the project implementation period from 2026 to 2029.
Sports and Wellness Complex
In Chkalovsk, they plan to build the «Vzlyot» (Takeoff) sports and wellness complex with a sailing station. In 2022, authorities intended to sign a concession agreement for constructing the sports facility, but the investor withdrew from the project.
The complex is expected to include an indoor arena with artificial ice, a universal game and gymnasium, swimming pools, and a football field. The project received a positive state expert review; its cost was estimated at 1.2 billion rubles ($15 million).
