The town of Arzamas sits on the right bank of the Tyosha River, 112 km from Nizhniy Novgorod and 410 km outside Moscow. The word Arzamas means ‘sweet’ or ‘homeland’ in Erzya, one of the Mordvinic languages (of the Finno-Ugric language family).
Town of Orthodox Traditions
There are 36 churches and 4 monasteries in Arzamas. Resurrection Cathedral, built to commemorate Russia’s victory in Napoleonic wars, is the town’s most majestic religious building offering great views of Arzamas and its environs.
Town of Tourists
Architecturally unique Arzamas is famous for its listed buildings and historic landmarks. Arzamas’s golden age lasted from 1775 until 1850 and saw construction of Resurrection and Transfiguration Cathedrals, Arzamas Novo-Devitchii Convent, magistrate, shopping arcade and many other buildings in the old town.
Town of Highbred Geese
A goose is one of Arzamas’s symbols because goose farming has been an important industry for the town for centuries and a local breed was named after it. Arzamas geese are very enduring and gain weight quickly. Citizens would fatten them ahead of big fairs and drive them to Moscow, 400 kilometers on foot. Citizens would first make them walk over tar, then in beach sand, thus forming strong “boots” that protected geese’s feet. Geese walked slowly and ate all the grass they could find but still lost weight, so Arzamas traders in Moscow had to glut them so that they looked perfect for the fair.
Every summer now, Arzamas hosts a culinary art festival called Arzamas Goose. Visitors participate in various competitions and eat roasted geese.
Town of Athletes
Competitions in 36 sports are regularly held in Arzamas. Local soccer team Druzhba plays in the Znamya Stadium which can accommodate up to 6,000 spectators.
Fans of extreme sports will appreciate Ехtreme Park in the Arboretum of the Gaidar Park.
In the vicinity
Arzamas is well-connected to Nizhniy Novgorod and Diveyevo, home to the widely known Serafimo-Diveyevskiy Holy Trinity Convent. Alexander Pushkin’s Boldino estate, where he wrote his best works, is also a stone’s throw away.
