Unity Square

From Soviet times until 2005, the square was called Skoby because of the nearby house in the form of a staple. It was opposite the monument to Minin and Pozharsky ^[2] . However, the name of the square was more likely to be national than official. Most of the indigenous Nizhny Novgorod residents (Gorkovites) still call this square “Skoboy”.

In December 2005, by the decision of the City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod, the square was given the official name "National Unity Square". It was chosen by a vote of deputies. Among other items were: “Appeal Square”, “Ivanovo Square” and “Cathedral Square” ^{[3] [4]} .

The name of the square is closely connected with the Day of National Unity , which is celebrated on November 4 from 2005.

In the XIII - XIV centuries, the area began to colonize the colonists from the Vladimir-Suzdal principality . Then, residential buildings began to appear on the streets adjacent to it.

In the 16th century, the Posad , located at the Zelensky Congress, moved to the square in front of a small wooden church . So the lower posad was formed (later the lower bazaar) ^[5] . He, along with the upper posad , provided Nizhny Novgorod and visitors with a variety of goods. The lower bazaar existed on the square until the beginning of the 20th century.

Time of Troubles

The square played its main role in the Time of Troubles . Moscow was occupied by the Poles . In the Moscow Kremlin was the Polish-Lithuanian garrison under the command of Alexander Gonsevsky .

Not everyone was happy with this state of affairs. The urban population suffered from Polish invaders. Zemsky elder Kuzma Minin , who was elected to this post in early September 1611, began calls for a liberation struggle among the townspeople. In this, he was supported by the city council of Nizhny Novgorod , governors , clergy and service people . After his speech, it was decided to hold a meeting of Nizhny Novgorod. The townspeople first defended a prayer service in the Kremlin 's Transfiguration Cathedral . Then Minin from the porch, then still, the wooden church of John the Baptist, appealed to the people with an appeal for a liberation struggle against Polish intervention . The people approved the words of the elder. Residents did not limit themselves to voluntary contributions and signed a “sentence” on surrender for militia, without fail, part of their property ^[6] .

After raising funds, Minin raised the question of choosing a commander of the people's militia. After brief persuasion, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky became such a person. Under his leadership, the militia moved to Moscow, freeing it from the Poles .

Lower Pose

Since the 19th century, the square has been given the nickname "Milliosha", as it had a huge bunch of local tramps and tramps. Here was the overnight house of the merchant Nikolai Bugrov ; events of the story “ At the Bottom ” of Maxim Gorky took place in it. The development of the area was then made up of warehouses and shopping arcades.

Nizhny Novgorod local historian Nikolai Khramtsovsky described the area in this way:

The wooden church of St. John the Baptist was rebuilt into a brick one in 1839. Around it were removed wooden trading benches. Then, a little later, the tent chapel of Alexander Nevsky was attached to the church and the bell tower was built on. In 1899, after the gap in the temple of the iron link, the altar was shifted.

The Ivanovo Tower of the Kremlin from 1786 to 1788 was used as a prison. Then, until 1887, it housed a police station and a fire department. In 1896, the Kremlin elevator ( funicular ) station was opened on the square as part of the All-Russian Exhibition ^[7] .

Bracket

After the October Revolution, the appearance of the square began to change again. In 1937, the Ivanovo Church was closed, and its abbot was shot. At the same time, the temple was rebuilt into the so-called “civilian view” and was partially used as communal housing. Then it was empty for a long time and, in the last Soviet years, was given over to the DOSAAF motorcyclist sports school ^[8] . Also, in Soviet times, a guest yard for posadskih merchants was demolished. Rozhdestvenskaya Street , which began from the Ivanovo Church, was renamed Co-operative, and then Mayakovsky Street. In 1924, a section of the tram line along the Zelensky congress was launched. In this regard, in 1927, the Kremlin elevator was closed ^[7] . The overnight house was also closed and converted into communal apartments. After the landslide, in the 1960s, part of the house was bombarded.

In 1929, the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was closed and dismantled. In its place was built the Gorky Model House, which now houses the business center "Ant" ^{[9] [10]} . Also, in the 1950s, the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was demolished, restored in new forms in 2011 ^[11] .

Modern Russia

In June 2004, the restoration of the Church of St. John the Baptist began . Funds for restoration were received from philanthropists, out of 67 million rubles 60 million were invested by Balakhninsky PPM . November 4, 2005 the church was consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II ^[12] . On the same day, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky was unveiled ^[13] .

• National Unity Day
• Monument to Minin and Pozharsky
• Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
• Second Militia