A special menu will be developed for the anniversary of the All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod.

      April 27, 2026 18:47 Culture and Leisure NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Maria Orlova Restaurants will develop a special menu for the 130th anniversary of the All-Russian Exhibition. This became known during the presentation of the event plan for the 130th anniversary of the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896, reports NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" correspondent. The program will include dozens of exhibitions, reconstructions, scientific conferences, and multimedia projects.

      "Today we will talk about a great event not only for Nizhny Novgorod but for the entire country. 130 years ago, Nizhny Novgorod resonated not only at the state level but also on a global scale. This is an important historical layer that was lost for some time," noted the region's Minister of Culture Natalia Sukhanova.

      The head of the department emphasized that preparations for the anniversary have been underway for more than two years. The project team has been collecting exhibits and documents literally from all over the country — from museum collections and private collections. Today, the project has about 25 key partners, including federal museums, universities, archives, and others. Some events have already started. In March, an exhibition titled "Museum 130 Years. Preserving History Since 1896" (6+) opened in the Dmitrievskaya Tower of the Kremlin, as well as the project "Convergences. An Exhibition about Coincidences and Conjunctions" (6+), timed to the anniversaries of the Nizhny Novgorod campus of HSE University and the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum. On April 28, an exhibition "Around Impressionism" (6+) will open at the Arsenal, featuring more than 30 works, including those by Monet, Manet, and Cézanne from the collection of the Pushkin Museum. This will be the first large-scale display of new art from a federal museum outside the two capitals in the 21st century.

      "This is a connection of the spirit of new art with the period when the All-Russian Exhibition took place. It is important to understand what was happening then in Europe and here," explained the minister.

      In May, a reconstruction titled "Nikolaevsky Theater. Chronicle of Its Birth in City Duma Sessions" (6+) will take place, dedicated to the opening of the theater on May 14, 1896, with the opera "Life for the Tsar." On the same day, a multimedia show about the construction of the building and the first performances, including the tours of Savva Mamontov's private opera, where the young Fyodor Shalyapin triumphed, will be held on the facade of the drama theater. On May 15, an exhibition "Legendary Tours 1896. Shalyapin and Savva Mamontov's Private Opera in Nizhny Novgorod" (6+) will open — a joint project of the Russian Museum, the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, the "Abramtsevo" museum-reserve, RGALI, and the Russian Museum of Photography. On May 29, the key project of the anniversary will begin — the exhibition "Great All-Russian" (6+). It will present authentic items from the 1896 exhibition and create a digital layer that allows for the recreation of the image of the historical fair. On the same day, students from the theater school will present a reading performance based on the correspondence of Maxim Gorky with the editor of "Odessa News" (6+). The program also includes a scientific conference "The Genius of Shukhov — A View Through the Prism of Heritage" (12+), reissues of books by T.P. Vinogradova and V.I. Vinogradov "Through the Eyes of an Eyewitness" and "The All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896" (12+).

      Additionally, lectures involving federal cultural institutions, excursions beyond the exhibition spaces, theatrical productions, and gastronomic projects are planned. As part of the anniversary, special themed menus will appear in the city's restaurants. The program will continue into the summer. In June, the "Strelka" festival (6+) will take place. It will open with Puccini's opera "La Bohème," which also premiered in 1896. In August, Nizhny Novgorod residents will see the exhibition "The Tram Went Through the Exhibition" (6+).

      "This is again an achievement of the All-Russian Industrial Exhibition when we saw the first tram in Nizhny Novgorod. It moved beautifully through the exhibition, and one could contemplate the panorama," noted the minister.

      The project is associated with the name of Maxim Gorky, who worked at the "Nizhny Novgorod Leaf" in 1896. Visitors will see phototypes from the album "Sherer, Nabgolts and Co." from the collections of the Gorky State Museum. The photographs capture the route of the exhibition tram and the panoramas of the pavilions. Initially, the exhibition will open at the Gorky and Shalyapin Museum in Tatarstan, and then in August — at the Nizhny Novgorod museum-apartment of the writer. Residents and guests of the capital will also be able to visit the photo exhibition "Russia 1896" (6+), the exhibition "The Adventure of Talents. The Avant-Garde Environment in Nizhny Novgorod" (6+), and others. According to Natalia Sukhanova, the list of events may still be supplemented. It was previously reported that a tactile model of the All-Russian Exhibition of 1896 will be created in Nizhny Novgorod. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.