Arzhanova Elena Valerievna

Arzhanova Elena Valeryevna (born June 26, 1973) is a Nizhny Novgorod lawyer and politician, a deputy of the City Council of Nizhny Novgorod of the sixth and seventh convocations, representing single-member constituency No. 26. She chairs the council of the Nizhny Novgorod regional public organization "Center for Legal Assistance". In the seventh convocation she serves as deputy chairperson of two standing committees of the City Duma: on ecology and on local self-government ^[1]. She is a member of the ^[1][2] United Russia party.

Education and career before election

Arzhanova holds two higher education degrees: from Lobachevsky University in Law and from the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University in Organizational Management ^[1][2].

Her primary place of employment is the Nizhny Novgorod regional public organization "Center for Legal Assistance," where Arzhanova chairs the council ^[1][2]. In February 2015, the organization was collecting applications from depositors of the Derzhava and Sberfinans financial pyramid schemes in order to provide them with legal assistance ^[6]. At the time of her election to the sixth-convocation Duma, Arzhanova was also director of Fresh Klassika LLC ^[2][6].

Election to the City Duma

Elections for deputies of the sixth-convocation City Duma were held on September 13, 2015. In constituency No. 26, victory went to Arzhanova, who ran as chairperson of the council of the Center for Legal Assistance; she had not served in the previous, fifth-convocation Duma. The City Electoral Commission certified the election results on September 23, 2015 ^[4]. She received 47.63% of the votes cast in the constituency ^[6].

The sixth-convocation Duma was for the first time composed of 47 deputies rather than the previous 42; United Russia won 33 seats, the Communist Party and A Just Russia each won five, the LDPR and Patriots of Russia each won one, and two further seats went to independent candidates. In Nizhegorodsky District, all four single-member constituencies were won by United Russia candidates ^[4]. The inaugural session of the newly constituted Duma was held on October 7, 2015 ^[6].

Sixth convocation (2015–2020)

At the inaugural session, Arzhanova joined the standing committees on property and land relations and on local self-government ^[6]. In November 2015 she initiated consideration of the matter of contentious construction at the intersection of Semashko Street ^[6]. In late March 2016 she joined the commission drafting the Charter of the City of Nizhny Novgorod, and in April of the same year was elected deputy chairperson of the committee on local self-government ^[6]. By the end of the convocation she was also serving on the standing committee on ecology ^[2].

Arzhanova spent 4.97 million rubles on her 2015 election campaign ^[6].

Seventh convocation (from 2020)

Elections for deputies of the seventh convocation were held on September 13, 2020: 35 candidates were elected in single-member constituencies, of whom 21 were deputies of the previous convocation. The seats were distributed as follows: United Russia — 26, Communist Party — 4, A Just Russia — 2, LDPR — 2, Party of Growth — 1. Female representation in the city parliament grew to twelve deputies ^[5].

Arzhanova retained constituency No. 26 ^[1]. In the seventh convocation she holds the position of deputy chairperson of two standing committees of the City Duma simultaneously — on ecology and on local self-government ^[1]. She carries out her deputy duties on a non-permanent basis.

Electoral constituency No. 26

The constituency covers the central and upper (hill-side) part of the city; administratively it forms part of Nizhegorodsky District ^[3].

A large cluster of medical facilities falls within the constituency's boundaries: City Clinical Hospitals No. 3 (Nizhny Novgorod Geriatric Center) and No. 5, Maternity Hospital No. 1, Clinical Psychiatric Hospital No. 1, the Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Hygiene and Occupational Pathology, the Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Pediatric Gastroenterology, and the Volga Federal Medical Research Center ^[3].

• Verkhne-Volzhskaya and Kazanskaya Embankment embankments; Pechersky Descent
• Osharskaya Square, Freedom Square, and Sennaya Square; the Koshelevka, Krasnaya, and Privolzhskaya slobodas
• Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street, Minin Street, Ulyanova Street, Proviantskaya Street, Semashko Street, Varvarskaya Street, Piskunova Street, Osharskaya Street
• Kovalikhinsky Street, Trudovaya Street, Nesterova Street, Frunze Street, Maxim Gorky Street, Belinsky Street, Rodionova Street, Usilova Street, Turgenev Street, Sechenov Street
• Academician Blokhina Street, Raduzhnaya Street, Fruktovaya Street, Yablonevaya Street, Onezhskaya Street, Kudminskaya Street, Izhorkaya Street, Donetskaya Street

Work in the constituency

Arzhanova's primary mode of work consists of citizens' reception hours and on-site meetings in residential courtyards. At reception hours, residents raised questions concerning the management of homeowners' associations, the improvement of adjoining residential plots, the participation of minors in real-estate transactions, and the construction timeline for a school in the Verkhniye Pechyory area; those who came received legal consultations, and the deputy took certain matters under personal oversight ^[12].

For several years running, the constituency has hosted the yard improvement competition "My Spring Yard". In one edition, 25 buildings in the constituency took part: first place was awarded by the jury to the yard of building 6 on Varvarskaya Street, second to building 21 on Frunze Street, and third to building 25 on Trudovaya Street; the prize-winners received cash awards, while eleven further buildings received gardening equipment ^[9]. A constituency celebration featuring historians speaking about the creation of the square on Kovalikhinsky Street brought together residents along with representatives of the Nizhegorodsky District property management company ^[15].

In April 2025 Arzhanova discussed with residents the improvement of Kovalikhinsky, Frunze, and Maxim Gorky streets. Following the meeting it was decided to initiate a formal claims process against the contractor that had repaired the retaining wall between buildings 64 and 72 on Kovalikhinsky Street, and to install signs prohibiting parking on the lawn in front of building 97a ^[8]. In August 2025, unauthorized garages on Bogdanovich Street were demolished: the deputy had submitted official inquiries to the relevant authorities, held meetings with the district administration, the property management company, and specialized services, and gathered documentation proving the illegality of the structures. Residents plan to develop the resulting area into either a children's play space or a parking area ^[7].

In March 2025 Arzhanova reported on her deputy activities before the heads of schools, kindergartens, and supplementary education institutions, chairs of building councils, and representatives of local self-governance bodies (TOSy); the meeting covered water supply, street lighting, housing and communal services, and the work of property management companies ^[10].

Beyond her constituency work, the deputy takes part in social initiatives. In August 2025, as part of the "Get a Child Ready for School" campaign, she provided school supply kits to more than eighty first-graders in Nizhegorodsky District ^[11]. She regularly donates pet food and grain to a shelter for homeless animals ^[14]. In 2021 the Zemlya Nizhegorodskaya foundation thanked Arzhanova for her support of the project "I Discover Nizhny Novgorod," which won the regional competition for socially oriented non-profit organizations in the "Best Project" category ^[13].

Sources

1. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Arzhanova Elena Valeryevna. Electoral constituency No. 26. Deputies of the City Duma, 7th convocation (archive)
2. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Arzhanova Elena Valeryevna. Deputies of the City Duma, 6th convocation (archive)
3. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Electoral constituency No. 26 (archive)
4. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — The composition of the Nizhny Novgorod Duma, 6th convocation, is 47% drawn from deputies of the 5th convocation (archive)
5. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elections to the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma, 7th convocation: voting results (archive)
6. Nizhny seychas — Profile: Arzhanova Elena Valeryevna (archive)
7. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova achieves demolition of garages on Bogdanovich Street (archive)
8. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova discusses street improvement issues on Kovalikhinsky, Frunze, and Maxim Gorky streets with residents (archive)
9. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova: "We have announced the results of the yard improvement competition 'My Spring Yard'"
10. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova reports on her deputy activities to constituents (archive)
11. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova supports the "Get a Child Ready for School" campaign (archive)
12. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Deputy Elena Arzhanova holds citizens' reception
13. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova receives acknowledgment from the Zemlya Nizhegorodskaya foundation
14. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova provides assistance to homeless animal shelter
15. gordumannov.ru — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod — Elena Arzhanova assists in organizing constituency celebration