Two unfinished 14-story residential buildings (listed as 14-story in official documents, though an on-site inspection revealed 15 above-ground floors in each) at Gagarin Avenue, were under construction from 2007 to 2015 on the site of former Military Town No. 2 in Nizhny Novgorod, Lyadov Square. Construction was carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation by SU-155 LLC. Work was never completed, the contractor entered bankruptcy proceedings, the buildings have not been commissioned, and as of 2026 they remain federal property. The land plots on which both unfinished structures stand are also owned by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.[1][2][3]

Construction history and current condition

Both buildings are located in a densely built-up residential area. Observations from 2026 show that windows in the high-rises have been smashed, rubbish is strewn across the floors and surrounding grounds, the buildings have no heating, and their structural condition continues to deteriorate. The structures pose a potential safety hazard: children and teenagers periodically break inside.[3] Judging by Yandex Maps street-view imagery, building No. 17I appeared externally complete as early as 2012, while No. 17V rose to its full height by 2016.[3]

Transfer negotiations and structural survey

The Nizhny Novgorod regional government has been pursuing a resolution to the matter for many years; regional leadership has repeatedly approached the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. From 2023 onward, the option of transferring the buildings to regional ownership for subsequent completion was under consideration; proposals included bringing in an investor on the condition that 15% of the apartments be handed over to military personnel. Negotiations were conducted at the level of the regional leadership and the Ministry of Defence in March 2024 and again in April 2025. In November 2025, the federal agency informed the regional authorities that it was considering ways to bring the unfinished buildings into economic use, but no final decision had been reached by August 2026.[2]

By agreement with the Ministry of Defence, the Nizhny Novgorod Region, at its own expense, commissioned Unfinished Ministry of Defence Apartment Buildings on Gagarin Avenue (17V and 17I). Based on its findings, building No. 17I was deemed suitable for completion. Building No. 17V was recommended for demolition: the prolonged absence of a roof had compromised the load-bearing capacity of its structural elements.[2][3]

Current status

The Ministry of Property and Land Relations of Nizhny Novgorod Region has emphasized that, despite the federal ownership of the properties, the region is taking an active stance on the issue. In 2026, the ministry expressed its expectation of "the earliest possible favorable resolution" of the situation.[2] Concurrently, the city is discussing a similar problem with another unfinished Ministry of Defence building: at Gagarin Avenue, 45B, a heightened-readiness regime has been introduced and a decision has been taken to seize the plot together with the building from its owner. In a 2026 overview of Nizhny Novgorod's stalled residential developments, the buildings at Gagarin Avenue, 17V and 17I were placed in a separate category — "the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation's unfinished housing stock" — alongside another property of the agency on Fedoseyenko Street.[4][2]

Sources

  1. Vremya N — One of the two "military" buildings on Gagarin Avenue may be completed — The land plots on which both unfinished structures stand are also owned by the Ministry of Defence… (archive)
  2. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — The fate of the Ministry of Defence's unfinished buildings in central Nizhny Novgorod revealed (archive)
  3. GIPERNN — Abandoned Ministry of Defence high-rise near Lyadov Square to be demolished (archive)
  4. GIPERNN — Forgotten residential developments of Nizhny Novgorod. Why were they frozen and what happens next? — In a 2026 overview of Nizhny Novgorod's stalled residential developments, the buildings at Gagarin Avenue, 17V and 17I… (archive)