Nizhny Novgorod is one of the oldest Russian cities, located at the confluence of the Oka and Volga. It was founded in 1221 by Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich. The true origin of the name of this city has not yet been established, but among the many versions, there are several of the most plausible.
Instructions
Step 1
From a linguistic point of view, the name of the city is quite understandable, since "Novgorod" means a new city, and "Nizhny" - its location in relation to some other city. But which one is worth considering. Many believe that this city is called "Lower" because of its location. However, a person who knows geography well will refute this opinion, since Novgorod is located on the Volkhov River.
Step 2
P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky, A. S. Gatsisky and other local ethnographers, as well as the compilers of the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and the Moscow historian V. A. Kuchkin inclined to the version that this name was influenced by the location of Nizhny Novgorod in that part of the Volga region, which in the 12th century was called Niz or Nizovskaya Zemlya. However, this version causes some controversy. And if this were true, in historical reports somewhere a different name should have slipped through - Nizovsky Novgorod. There is also a discrepancy with the etymology of the word Nizhny Novgorod.
Step 3
Later, local historian P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky rejected this version and put forward a new one. In his opinion, the city was a neighbor of the Old Town, which was founded a little earlier up the Oka River. But even this version is imperfect. There is also a version that the prefix "Nizhny" is just a distinctive tool from the city of Novgorod. But she has no other evidence than guesswork.
Step 4
But the most acceptable today is the version that initially Nizhny Novgorod was founded by Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich in order to protect against enemy raids from the Bulgarians. For this, he chose the most suitable strategic place and at that time this city was the most extreme. Perhaps that is why the new lower city of the Russian lands began to be called Nizhny Novgorod.
