A confession of love to Nizhny Novgorod: a photo report from the opening of the exhibition "Fusion"

      On March 28, 2026, at 16:26 Culture and Leisure, an exhibition titled "Fusion. An Exhibition about Coincidences and Convergences" (0+) opened in the capital of the Volga region. The project is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum and the 30th anniversary of the HSE campus in Nizhny Novgorod.

      The central idea of the exhibition is the Strelka — the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers, which the project authors view as a key metaphor for the city. The exhibition space is directly connected to this image: the halls offer a view of the Strelka, and the urban landscape becomes part of the exhibition.

      The project offers a new perspective on the history of Nizhny Novgorod, showing how chains of random events and coincidences have influenced the development of culture, science, and industry. The exhibition unites the past, present, and possible future of the city.

      More than 100 exhibits from the collections of leading museums in the country are presented at the exhibition, including the Russian Museum, the Shchusev Museum of Architecture, the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, the Dal Museum of the History of Russian Literature, the Mayakovsky Museum, as well as Nizhny Novgorod museum institutions and the "Russian Wings" Tourism Center from Chkalovsk.

      The chronology of the presented objects spans almost four centuries. Among them is a French engraving with a map of the Volga from 1659, as well as contemporary art objects created specifically for the opening.

      The curator of the exhibition, Daria Kolpashnikova, noted that the project is conceived as a love letter to the city and an attempt to explore its identity through different eras and artistic practices. The Strelka is chosen not only as a natural symbol but also as an image of the intersection of ideas and circumstances.

      Teachers, students, and graduates of HSE — Nizhny Novgorod participated in the creation of the exhibition. As part of a creative laboratory led by sound artist Gleb Glonti, participants worked on the audio landscapes of the Strelka, conducted research, and prepared texts for the catalog.

      In addition, the HSE School of Design developed the visual concept of the project. The preparation was accompanied by open competitions for the corporate identity and posters, in which more than 100 young designers and representatives of specialized schools participated.

      The exhibition will run until June 7.

      Photo: Alexander Volozhanin

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