Zarechka (the Trans-Oka Part), popul. Zarechka, the Lower Part (of Nizhny Novgorod) — one of the two historic and administrative parts into which Nizhny Novgorod is divided. It begins at the area lying opposite the Kremlin at the confluence of the Volga River and the Oka River — the Arrow. It is also the Left-Bank Part of Nizhny Novgorod relative to the Oka River. It occupies approximately 2/3 of the territory of modern Nizhny Novgorod.
The Nature of the Area
The Zarechka is the low-lying part of the city (as opposed to the hill-situated Upper Town); before the 19th century, its structures were frequently flooded during the spring thaw.
The name reflects the secondary nature of this part of the city's settlement relative to the Upper Town, where the Historic Center is located.
Administratively, it comprises the Avtozavodsky District, Leninsky District, Canavino, Moskovsky District, and Sormovo District Districts.
History
Historically, Zarechka was the area occupied by villages and settlements adjoining Nizhny Novgorod. This territory was incorporated into Nizhny Novgorod in 1929. In 1926, two localities within the area — Sormovo District and Canavino — were granted city status, but as independent cities they survived for only three years.
The growth centers of Zarechka's urban quarters were not commercial but industrial facilities, often Mailbox. This accounts for the rather haphazard layout of the built environment, where residential blocks are literally crammed at random between industrial zones and vacant lots.
Although the differences between the two parts of the city in this regard have somewhat diminished over time (with the development of new districts in the Upper Town), Zarechka remains the primary concentration of dormitory districts and industrial zones in the city.