Assigned a Region!

We just received word that we have been assigned to Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. This is great news. Its a region that is much desired because the children are typically healthier and younger. We are very excited. We still have several months to go because we have to be "referred," but those "on the ground in Russia" have said they hope that we will travel in 3-4 months. Below are some facts and pictures of the region, its very European and one of the most scenic areas of Russia:

Nizhny Novgorod

Quick Facts
Year established: 1221
Population: ~1.34 mln (2002)
Location: ~400 km (280 miles) South East of Moscow
Latitude: 56'20''N
Longtitude: 44'10''E
Time Zone: Canadian Pacific + 11 hours
Area code: 8321
Nizhny Novgorod belongs to the Central Region of Russia.

Weather
Summer temperature ranges from 20 to 30C
Winter temperature ranges from -10 to -25C
Snow is around between from mid-November to February


Cultural Heritage
Nizhny Novgorod preserved a great deal of historic treasures and was included by UNESCO into the list of the 100 cities in the world reflecting the heritage of the world culture.

With its 14 universities and approximately 100 research institutions, Nizhny Novgorod is one of the key scientific centers of Europe.


Soviet History
In 1932, the city was was renamed to Gorky after Aleksey Maximovich Pyeshkov -- the founder of the Soviet literature and a friend of Lenin who was born in Nizhny Novgorod. Pyeshkov used a pseudonym Maxim Gorky in literature. Gorky is a Russian word for bitter. Anybody who went to school during soviet times had read his works. After the collapse of the Soviet party, the city was renamed back to Nizhny Novgorod in 1991, and the sculpture of Maxim Gorky at the central square was demolished.

The city was closed to foreigners throughout the Soviet times due to its military significance. The famous MIG fighter jets are made here as well as submarines. Arzamas-16 (aka as Sarov, Kremlev) is a small town close to Nizhny Novgorod, which serves as the Russia's Federal Nuclear Research Center. This is where the first Russian atomic bomb was designed.

Volga & Oka Rivers
In previous centuries, Nizhny Novgorod was a commercial hub of Russia, located at the strategic confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers.

The was an old saying: "Moscow is Russia's heart, St. Petersburg - head, and Nizhny Novgorod - pocket." Today, Nizhny Novgorod is one of the chief industrial cities of the Russian Federation.


Life in Nizhny
Nizhny Novgorod is a very urban city. The vast majority of people live in 5-9 story apartment buildings and get around by public transportation, which includes a huge network of buses, trolleys, trams and metro. Most people have a private phone line and those who have computers typically have dial-up access to the Internet.