Basic details

Nizhny Novgorod province is located in the central-european part of Russia. The province territory occupies 80, 500 km2 with a population of 3,72 mln. The province includes 48 districts, 25 towns, 70 settlements and 4, 630 villages. The province centre—city of Nizhny Novgorod—built on the confluence of the rivers Volga and Oka, 400 km eastward from Moscow, occupies 350 km2 with 1.5 mln residents. By its population indicator, Nizhny Novgorod is behind only Moscow and St. Petersburg, i.e. it is the 3rd city in Russia. According to UNESCO survey, Nizhny Novgorod is in the list of 100 towns with world and cultural significance.

Natural resources

Nizhny Novgorod is well provided with non-ore mineral raw materials. The territory is rich with construction sands. The registered natural reserves in deposits amounts to 156 mln m3. The sands are well suited for production of lime-and-sand bricks, mortar and road repairs. There are four deposits of moulding sands, the biggest is Burcevskoye deposit with its estimated reserves of 138 mln t. Clay brick materials are explored at 36 deposits with industrial reserves of 63 mln m3, 33 of them are mined. Expanded-clay aggregates are explored at 9 deposits with total reserves of 46 mln m3, 5 of the are mined and one is prepared for development.

Clay raw materials for mineral wool production is found in Arzamas district Tchuvarlinskoye deposit with 1,41 mln m3. of mined reserves. High-melting clay is available at one deposit (Rizhkovskoye) in Semenovo district.

21 deposits of carbonate rock required for crashed stone and dolomite dust production are located mostly in the southern areas of the province. The industrial reserves are assessed at 325 mln m3.

The production of stringy components (white cement) is provided by dolomites explored in Arzamas district. The reserves of 3,3 mln t. ensure the operation of the designed plant. There are two known glass sand deposits with low reserves, which are mined by the local glass works.

More vast and of better quality deposits are searched for Bor glass works, with parallel study of waste sands from the mining at Lukojanovo titanium-zirconium deposit.

Gypsum and anhydride are found at 4 deposits in the south and central parts of the province. The industrial reserves are estimated at over 400 mln t.

The central and in particular the northern parts of the province are rich with peat and sapropel deposits. Over 200 peat deposits are discovered with over 232 mln t of reserves. Sapropel deposits are often linked with peat. Stone salt is discovered in Koverneno district. The huge reserves, over 2,5 bln t, are suitable for high quality table salt production, as much as for chloride and caustic soda. The deposits are being developed for industrial utilisation. Low placers of titanium-zirconium sands are discovered and conditioned for industrial mining at border line between Gagino and Lukojanovo districts.

Among other ore resources it is worth mentioning low reserves of non-ferrous (copper, lead, zinc), rare (molybdenum), trace (scandium, yttrium, lanthanum), rare-earth (neodymium, cerium, ytterbium) elements found in the southern part of the province.

The explored reserves of service and potable water total 2.67 mln m3 per day. The south-western and central parts of the province have a best supply of high quality potable underground water.

The mineral underground water is mostly featured by low-mineral sulphate potable water fit for table and medical treatment purposes. There are chloride, natrium and bromine brines also used in medicine.

In Gorodez, Shatky, Bor and Pavlovo district deposits of healing muds are explored. In the northern parts the boreholed rock shows oil. 46% of the province territory is covered with forests.

The total sate forest reserve fund of timber is 352,16 mln m3, including 321,24 mln m3 suitable for utilisation. The forest is represented by the following types 5 of them are mined, 1 is under development of trees: pine—43,2%, fir—7,15, birch—34,9%, aspen—10%, others—4,8%.

TRANSPORT

Advantageous geographic location combined with traditional function of Nizhny Novgorod as a trading centre contributed to creation of a rather developed transport infrastructure. Railways lead southward, northward, westward and eastward. Rivers and canals give access to the Baltic, Black and White sea with further possible calls at ports of Scandinavia, Western Europe, Africa, Asia. Since 1985 the city is developing its underground lines.

The transport network comprises 1, 234 km of railways, over 14, 000 of roads, 1, 033 km of internal water-ways. Two federal motorways cross the province territory: Moscow—Nizhny Novgorod—Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod—Saransk.

The province roads provide for 49% of the overall freight haulage and 92% of passenger transportation.

Development and realisation of Terminal federal project will ensure door-to-door delivery for the customers of haulage companies. These terminals are essential elements of the project for construction of an express route of freight delivery in West-Centre-Volgo-Vjatsky economy region. Passenger transportation by motor-vehicles is effected by 42 transport enterprises. The province passenger routes comprise 945 lines with total length of 49, 084 km. The province has developed the Nizhny Novgorod Bus project targeted to promote bus manufacturing by the conversion enterprises.

A vital role is performed by river transport. In 1994, privatisation of the Volga United Steamship Lines was completed. At present within the former steamship line operate 3 river ports, 3 steamship companies, 1 line and 25 maintenance organisations. Volzhskoye Parokhodstvo—a local ship company, provides direct cargo delivery from Nizhny Novgorod region to any ports of the White, Baltic, Northern, North, Black, Mediterranean sea and vice versa.

By the start of 1995 shipping season, 55 enterprises of various forms have become ship-owners, where 4 private enterprises have 12 vessels, 19 enterprises of mixed ownership and foreign-run company possess 72 vessels.

The main transported cargo: timber, construction materials, grain, ferrous metal, fertilisers, chemical and machine-building industry products.

The air gates of the province—the Nizhny Novgorod airport. The international routes are mainly operated by Nizhegorodskije Avialinje—a local air company.

Currently the airport is building the second runway. Nizhegorodskije Avialinije perform internal flights, flights to CIS countries, as well as charter flights to Egypt, Turkey, Syria, India, Pakistan and Arab Emirates.

Industry

By its industrial output, Nizhny Novgorod province rates the 7th in the Russian Federation, whereas the manufacturing industries are dominant in the local economy structure. The share of the extractive industry does not exceed 1.7%. The province industry involves over 650 enterprises with 700, 000 of workforce, i.e. 62% of the overall employment in material production. The industry yields 83% of GDP of the province, and inputs 86% of total production expenditures. The main branches are machine-building and metal processing, followed by chemical and oil refining industries, is farther wood-working and paper-making.

The mentioned three industries cover about 75% of the total output of production. Apart from it there are less significant industries, for example, tailoring, machine-tool building.

The main sektor of the manufacturing industry is transport machine-building; motor industry, ship-building, diesel engine production, aircraft manufacture, whereas the motor industry plays the leading part (50%).

Today in region AO GAZ—largest enterprise. The region accommodates dozens of enterprises producing components, parts and items for motor industry: AO ZSA, Zavolzhje Motor-Building Plant, Liskovo Electrical—Engineering Plant, Pavlovo Tool Plant, Bor Glass Works, Bogorodsk Tannery, AO Etna etc.

New motor industry plants have been built in Pavlovo (buses), Zavolzhje (caterpillar prime movers), Arzamas (automobile spare parts).

A range of items and raw materials for the motor industry are supplied to the province from Centre, Povolzhje, Ural, South. Ship-building is an old tradition of Nizhny Novgorod industry.

The oldest Russian ship yards Sormovo and Mordovshikov (Navashino) gave birth to large-scale ship-building enterprises involved in bunch production of modern vessels. They have designed, have built and are building new in principal river and sea vessels, river-sea vessels, diesel and electro-propelled, railway roll on-roll off, catamarans, hydrofoil ships, ground-effect machines.

Shipyards and ship repair works are operating in Gorodez, Tchekalovsk, Bor and in Vorotinez, Bor, Vyksa, Bogordsk districts. Here are built floating cranes, landing stages, docks, concrete vessels, pontoons and other vessels, winches, water heaters, pumps, ship-building items, as well as ship repairs are performed.

AO Rumo—a major diesel maker—is a leader in ship engines production. AO Melinvest—a 130-year old enterprise— produces modern automated complexes for food industry. Formation of Khimmash firm has boosted the chemical machine-building industry significance. The plants of this company are operating in Dzerzhinsk, Zavolzhje, Semenovo and in other towns of Volgo-Vjatsky region. Machine-tool building and metal working industries production districts: Pavlovo, Vatcha, Sosnovskoye and in other areas.

They are focused on metalware and tool products for machine building industry as well as on production of metal consumer goods (knives, forks, scissors, locks, etc.), and tools (medical, fitting-assembly, automobile, woodworking). The leading part in the machine-tool building belongs to AS ZeFS involved in production of N/C milling machines equipped with microprocessors. A range of machine-tool building and metal working plants are producing household appliances, consumer goods for leisure and home.

Chemical and oil-chemical complex has a significant impact on the industrial development of the province.

Dzerzhinsk is one of the major centre of chemical production in this country. It has pioneered in development of synthetic corundum used in production of textile machines, laser, jewellery. The Dzerzhinsk chemists are producing sulphuric acid, fatty acid, caustic soda, organic glass, polyvynilchloride resins and copolymers, plastics, effective plant protection means, mineral fertilisers, various catalysts, activators, conservancy, washing agents and many other products. The chemistry complex of the province includes the following enterprises: AO Zarya, AO Kaprolaktam, AO Korund, AO Orgosteklo, AO Plastik, GP Sverdlov Plant, AO Syntes. PO NORCI, built in 1957 in Kstovo, is the major producer of petrol, kerosene, diesel fuel, fuel oil, oil bitumen, mineral lobules, paraffin and other oil products.

In the early 1980"s it served as base for construction of a complex to produce ethylene, propylene and benzene which via a pile line supplied to Dzerzhinsk for polymer production. The settlements of Vakhtan, Sjava, Vetluzhsky and Nizhny Novgorod and Uren are the places where Orgsintes enterprises have been set up. They produce colophon, turpentine, lubrication for diamond drills, substances for fish smocking, hard resistant varnish.

The third main component of the Nizhny Novgorod industry is wood, wood working and wood-pulp paper industry Nizhny Novgorod province has created large-scale furniture production (Bor, Balakhna and Gorodez furniture factories and Nizhegorodez factory in Nizhny Novgorod). Apart from it, most of local enterprises have shops involved in furniture production.

The wood-pulp and paper industry is located in Balakhna and Vetluga districts. AO Volga in Pravdinsk is producting one thrid of the newprint in Russia. Apart from Pravdinsk Paper Factory there are two board making factories—in Balakhna and in Kalinin settlement of Vetluga region.

Fuel-energy complex

The energy system of Nizhny Novgorod province is propped by 6 state-run electric power stations and 2 incorporated in enterprise structures. The overall output of the hydr and thermal power stations is 2519,5 MWt. The local power stations cover 43% of the province demand. The territory is provided with a network of HT electric power lines of 10 Kv to 220 Kv with the total length of 28, 579 km and 262 transformer sub-stations.

The province has a network of gas transit pipe lines run by Gasprom concern, providing natural gas delivery not only for the province itself but also to western provinces of Russia as well as for export. The gas supply system comprises gas pipe lines of 11, 692 km total length, over 80 gas distribution stations, 530 gas distribution units, 8 gas filling stations.

The supply of oil refinery products is ensured by oil transit pipe lines, delivering oil from oil producing areas (Tatarstan, Tyumen province) to Neftesintez enterprises, 7 oil storage’s run by Nizhnenovgorodneftproduct— a local oil distributor. The province territory accommodates a number of oil pipe line integrated in the pipe line transport system of Russia.

The supply of oil refinery products is ensured by oil transit pipe lines, delivering oil from oil producing areas (Tatarstan, Tyumen province) to Neftesintez enterprises, 7 oil storage’s run by Nizhnenovgorodneftproduct— a local oil distributor. The province territory accommodates a number of oil pipe line integrated in the pipe line transport system of Russia.

Firstly it is Surgut-Polotzk transcontinental oil pipe line, pipe lines from Tatarstan Almetjevsk- Nizhny Novgorod., pipe lines delivering oil to oil refineries located in the central areas of Russia: Nizhny Novgorod-Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod-Rjazan. Nefteorgsintes enterprises are processing about 20 mln t of oil p.a. offering the customers a wide scope of oil products and consumer goods. Over 30 oil storage’s run by Nizhnenovgorodnefteproduct provide direct oil product deliveries as much as via 150 filling outlets.

Agriculture

Nizhny Novgorod province is a large non- black earth area. The farming land occupies—2 755, 000 hectares, including arable land—2 115, 000 hectares, haymaking land—169, 800 hectares, Nefteorgsintes enterprises are processing pastures—467, 300 hectares . The main province crops are: grain, potatoes, vegetables, flax, sugar beet and fodder crops.

Science potential

Nizhny Novgorod province has a large-scale potential of science personnel. High education is provided in Nizhny Novgorod, Arzamas, Dzerzhinsk, Pavlovo, Zavolzhje, and Kstovo. The region has 16 HE institutions (14 state-run and two not state), 3 military academies, a high militia school.

HE institutions are training personnel for academic sciences and foe a wide of industries of the country. The teaching staff totals 5,200 teachers and lectures. 376 of them have PhD degrees, 2586 candidates of science. The local graduates are employed practically in all regions of Russia, in CIS countries and abroad. Nizhny Novgorod is a cradle of many science discoveries of world significance.

The names of Nizhny Novgorod scientists Lobatchevsky, Setchenov, Andronov, Alexeev, Devjatikh, Razuvajev, Gaponnov-Grekov and many others are well known throughout the world. Academician Andrey Sakharov has a long science record with the Nizhny Novgorod Federal Nuclear Research Centre. At present 104 organisations in Nizhny Novgorod are involved in science research, design and project activities. The Russian Academy of Sciences is represented by the Applied Physics Institute, the Microstructure Physics Institute, the Metall-Organic Chemistry Institute, the High-Purity Chemistry Institute and other research centres.