Kovalikhinskaya Street, Kovalikha — a street and the historic district of the same name in the eastern part Historic Center Nizhny Novgorod. The name is linked to the blacksmithing trade practiced by the residents of this part of Gorod: they were called "blacksmiths," which most likely indicates a Ukrainian origin (for Wed. - Russians The Grasshopper) the first group of residents of the settlement located southeast of Kremlin. Land in the eastern part of the city center (Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street, Kovalikha) since its inception Nizhny Novgorod Principality consisted of the estates of their owners, whereas in the western (Ilyinka, Scallop) - a well-to-do local Peoples of Nizhny Novgorod.
Runs from Varvarskaya Street to Belinsky Street along the bottom of the Kovalikha River ravine (first marked on the map Nizhny Novgorod in 1784), following its curves. Beneath the roadway lies a collector The Kovalikha River, emerging onto the surface behind Belinsky Street.
The Essence of the Phenomenon
Kovalikhinskaya is the only street Historic Center, densely built up with Soviet high-rises as a distinct—albeit informal—neighborhood, surrounded by one- and two-story houses.
A distinctive feature of Kovalikha is the difference in how residents interact with their neighbors at the everyday level—specifically, in their courtyards.
Adult residents don't always know their immediate neighbors, while children form large communities—such as the "Republic of Shkid"—where individuality is suppressed and uniformity is enforced.
In general, the old Nizhegorodsky District is a place where people of all ages gather in courtyards to seek common ground.
Kovalikha gives rise to isolated families, whose children either blend into the crowd of other neighborhood children, undergoing social and behavioral standardization, or become outcasts. This is a typical phenomenon in areas with high-rise residential buildings; in the case of Kovalikha, which is compactly situated among small houses that foster traditional social relationships, this phenomenon is most clearly evident.
Attractions
Near the former Kovalikha Square—an open space in the center of Kovalikha where a park has been laid out—stands a house that once belonged to workshop foreman Vasily Vasilyevich Kashirin. Nearby is a cottage where, on March 28, 1868, Kashirin’s daughter Varvara and the townsman Maxim Peshkov welcomed their son Alexei, the future writer. Maxim Gorky. This is where he spent the first three years of his life.
Interesting Facts
Near the end of Kovalikha, near the gas station, a tunnel used to begin—an underground passage running beneath Sennaya Square and leading to Volga River under the ski jump. A few years ago, the owner or tenant of the space above the entrance to the underground passage sealed it off. Now, the only way to enter the tunnel is through the entrance at the foot of the destroyed ski jump.
Contact Information
- Kovalikha.ru - a website about the dispute with the Kovalikha-Frunze builders, webcam
- Kovalikha, Nizhny Novgorod — a blog by residents of Kovalikhinskaya Street who are fighting against high-density development at the intersection of Kovalikha and Semashko Streets (archive)