Civil drones were presented at the exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod.

      On August 28, 2026, at 10:49, a new exhibition titled "The Sky Goes to Work" opened in Nizhny Novgorod, dedicated to civilian unmanned systems. It has become part of the multi-format exhibition "Great All-Russian" (6+) at the Warehouse, celebrating the 130th anniversary of the XVI All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition.

      The updated section is located in the "Modernity" hall. Visitors are shown how unmanned technologies are used for cargo delivery, search and rescue operations, territory monitoring, industrial safety, and weather management.

      The exhibition was attended by Governor Gleb Nikitin and the special representative of the President of Russia for digital and technological development, Dmitry Peskov. According to Gleb Nikitin, Nizhny Novgorod region ranks third in the country for the implementation of unmanned aerial systems. The region hosts a scientific and production center for UAVs, and an experimental legal regime has been in place for two years.

      "During this time, more than four thousand flights have been made: we have tested air couriers for the delivery of biomaterials and medications, household goods, agricultural drones, monitoring systems, and aerial photography," the governor reported.

      The route through the exhibition begins with the original painting by Viktor Vasnetsov "Magic Carpet" from the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum. Nearby is the work "Vasnetsov 4.0," where the space of the painting is marked with cells based on the principles of drone computer vision. Visitors can then trace the development of technologies from the first airplanes to modern autonomous devices capable of moving through air, water, and land.

      Among the exhibits are the autonomous power unit "TOPAZ GAMMA-M," the droneport "Orbit," the UAV OG 25 "Swallow" for influencing weather conditions, and an artist drone that created a mural of 300 square meters in Novosibirsk in 2023.

      Also presented are the carrier drone "Fortis," capable of staying in the air for up to eight hours and maintaining communication at a distance of up to 100 km, the unmanned boat "Shell," and a model of the bio-drone "Cyber-Pigeon." A separate part of the exhibition is dedicated to Nizhny Novgorod developments. Among them is the UAV "Courier 30" from the company "Clevercopter." It became the first Russian unmanned aerial system in the class of 4 to 30 kg included in the register of Russian products. In Nizhny Novgorod, the device completed 40 cargo flights with a total flight distance of over 400 km. In 2025, "Courier 30" delivered 100 test tubes with blood samples across the Volga, covering 5.8 km in ten minutes. The tests were conducted within the framework of the experimental legal regime in effect in the region since 2024.

      As noted by the General Director of ASI, Svetlana Chupsheva, autonomous technologies are already going beyond individual unmanned devices and are being applied in energy, logistics, manufacturing, and territorial development.

      "Behind each development is a specific task - to deliver cargo faster, to detect accidents in time, to assist rescuers, to provide energy to remote areas," she said.

      The exhibition concludes with a section on the results of the project-educational intensive "Archipelago 2026," which took place in Nizhny Novgorod in August. It features projects for autonomous settlements and water areas, unmanned vessels, autonomous energy, and medicine, as well as materials from engineering competitions.

      The updated exhibition "Great All-Russian" can be visited until November 4. Tickets are available via the "Pushkin Card."

      Photo: Sergey Dostalyev, press service of ASIU NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.