Russia, the country with both European and Asian cultures. Except for a few familiar cities like Moscow, Siberia, Vladivostok, or Saint Petersburg, it would not be wrong to say that we are almost blind when it comes to Russia. In this country where it¡¯s not distant physically but seems to be distant in our mind, exists an international Sister City as well- Nizhny Novgorod.
Having set up a sisterhood treaty on June 11TH, 2005, Nizhny Novgorod shares two big elements in common with Suwon. To start with, they were both venues of FIFA Worldcup. Just like how soccer matches were held in Suwon Stadium during the Korea and Japan Worldcup 2002, there were soccer matches as well in the Stadium of Nizhny Novgorod for Russia Worldcup 2018. In fact, the first preliminary round for Korea took place in Nizhny. On top of that, there are world heritages in both cities. It is widely known that Suwon Hwaseong Fortress has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage. Kremlin Fortress in the city has also been registered as a World Heritage in 1992 by UNESCO.
Kremlin, Nizhny Novgorod, nashaplanet.net
Due to its unique location, Nizhny Novgorod carries a significant economic and cultural meaning. It has a great advantage for generating hydroelectric power because it is located at the meeting point of two rivers in Russia- Volga, and Oka River. For the very same reason, it led to the early prosperity of trades, hence it has become one of the first cities to be industrialized. There are numbers of universities, museums, theaters, and churches in the old part of the city as well.
Being an industrial and cultural hub and sharing many things in common, there are annual festivals related to Nizhny Novgorod organized by SWCIC such as International Handicraft Festival. Make sure you don¡¯t miss out on further events as it is a great opportunity to learn of foreign cultures!