The International Forum "Twin Cities and Partner Cities" is an annual international event held in Nizhny Novgorod beginning in 2023, on the eve of City Day. The Forum brings together official delegations from Nizhny Novgorod's twin cities and partner cities and serves as a platform for inter-municipal cooperation, exchange of experience, and the signing of cooperation agreements.
Format and Participants
The Forum traditionally takes place in the days leading up to the celebration of Nizhny Novgorod's birthday. As of 2025, the city maintained ties with more than 20 twin cities and 6 partner cities.[1] Delegations from CIS countries, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and other states participate in the Forum's events. Meetings between delegations and the Mayor of Nizhny Novgorod serve as the main discussion platform, where issues of international inter-municipal cooperation are addressed and agreements are signed.[2] During the Forum, the TV Tower is illuminated with light-based greetings in the languages of the participating cities.[1]
History
The third Forum "Twin Cities and Partner Cities" was held on 14 August 2025 and was timed to coincide with Nizhny Novgorod's 804th birthday. It was opened by Shalabayev Yuri. Delegations from China, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska), Belarus, Serbia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Abkhazia, and Transnistria took part in the event; specific cities represented included Kerman, Sukhum, Minsk, Vitebsk, Bendery, Novi Sad, and East Sarajevo.[1][2] Timur Agrba, head of the Sukhum administration, visiting Nizhny Novgorod for the first time, noted the active development of cooperation in Culture (nnov.ec).[1] Roman Ivanchenko, head of the state administration of Bendery, identified urban improvement, housing and utilities, and social policy as priority areas of cooperation.[2] Evgeniy Chintsov, Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma, described the Forum as a celebration of unity and friendship, calling Nizhny Novgorod "the main link between cities and countries."[1]
In 2026, as part of preparations for the next Forum, planned joint projects with twin cities included presentations of tourist potential, sports tournaments, participation of performing arts groups in festivals, and the involvement of craftspeople and musicians in Nizhny Novgorod exhibitions and the jazz festival "Autumn in Shveytsariya".[3]
Expanding the Twin Cities Network
The Forum is accompanied by the signing of new twinning agreements. In August 2026, on the sidelines of the VIII Russian-Kyrgyz Economic Forum, an agreement on friendly relations between Nizhny Novgorod and Bishkek was signed: the capital of Kyrgyzstan became Nizhny Novgorod's 24th twin city.[3] The parties began developing a cooperation roadmap covering key areas — economy, education, and cultural dialogue — through 2028.[3] Mayor Shalabaev noted "great potential for developing relations and mutually beneficial cooperation," while Kubanych Imanaliey, First Deputy Mayor of Bishkek, confirmed readiness to implement joint plans.[3]
Sources
- Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — Yuri Shalabaev Opens the International Forum "Twin Cities and Partner Cities"
- KP — Nizhny Novgorod — Yuri Shalabaev Opens International Forum Dedicated to Twin Cities
- Kommersant (Volga Region) — Nizhny Novgorod and Bishkek Become Twin Cities