On August 14, 2026, on the eve of 805th Anniversary Celebration of Nizhny Novgorod (2026), Nizhny Novgorod and the Chinese city of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province officially established sister-city ties. The agreement was signed by Shalabayev Yuri and Wuxi People's Government Mayor Jiang Feng.[1][3]
Background
Prior to the signing of the agreement, Wuxi had held the status of a partner city of Nizhny Novgorod for 12 years. During that time, stable cooperation developed between the two cities: since 2021, students from Nizhny Novgorod art schools have participated in the International Youth Art Competition of Jiangsu Province and have won prizes. Business missions were also conducted: in September 2025, business representatives from Wuxi visited Nizhny Novgorod to meet with local entrepreneurs.[1][3] At the time of signing, Nizhny Novgorod already had two Chinese sister cities — Jinan and Hefei; Wuxi, Harbin, Heihe, and Zhuhai held the status of partner cities.[3]
Signing Ceremony
The ceremony took place as part of the International Forum "Sister Cities", held at the Mayak Academy. The forum was attended by delegations from Novi Sad, Heihe, Harbin, Sukhum, East Sarajevo, Bender, Gomel, Lugansk, and other sister and partner cities of Nizhny Novgorod.[2][4] On the same day, Yuri Shalabayev signed a memorandum on the development of cooperation with another Chinese partner city — Heihe: the document was signed by the Mayor and Secretary of the Heihe City Committee of the Communist Party of China in the Heihe City District of Heilongjiang Province, Qin Bo.[2]
Content of the Agreement
The agreement with Wuxi provides for the development of cooperation in the scientific, technological, educational, cultural, humanitarian, and economic spheres, support for joint projects, and strengthening of contacts between the residents of the two cities.[3][5] Yuri Shalabayev instructed the relevant departments to prepare a roadmap for further cooperation.[1] Wuxi People's Government Secretary-General Chen Shoubin noted that previous joint projects had confirmed the mutual interest of both sides in continuing cooperation. Visiting Nizhny Novgorod for the first time, Chen Shoubin remarked on the similarities between the two cities: both are situated along rivers and hills, have developed industries, and possess a rich cultural heritage. Chen Shoubin also emphasized his respect for Maxim Gorky, whose works are beloved and studied in China.[6][1]
Sources
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Chinese Wuxi becomes a sister city of Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
- Vremya N — Shalabayev signs memorandum on development of cooperation with Chinese partner city Heihe (archive)
- Newsroom24 — Nizhny Novgorod signs sister-city agreement with Chinese Wuxi (archive)
- Newsroom24 — Yuri Shalabayev signs cooperation memorandum with Chinese city of Heihe (archive)
- Otkryty Nizhny — Nizhny Novgorod and Chinese Wuxi officially become sister cities (archive)
- Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Nizhny Novgorod becomes a sister city of the Chinese city of Wuxi — Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Wuxi People's Government Secretary-General Chen Shoubin, visiting Nizhny Novgorod for the first time…