‘An urban miracle’: The Russian government spent billions renovating Nizhny Novgorod for its 800th anniversary. But no one asked the locals what they needed.

From August 19 to 21, the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod celebrated its much anticipated 800-year jubilee. President Vladimir Putin paid a special visit for the occasion, attending a gala with performances by famous Russian rappers and rock stars and getting a grand tour of the ongoing renovations in the city's historic center. In the lead up to the celebrations, the Russian government allocated more than 32 billion rubles ($434 million) to the city renewal project. But local residents aren't necessarily pleased with the refurbishments. Meduza looks into how the anniversary preparations changed Nizhny Novgorod's streets and local politics. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/08/24/an-urban-miracle