The Nizhny Novgorod land has left a notable mark on Russian and world history above all through its people — those who were born, grew up, worked, or played a role in the fate of the region. This section brings together biographies of politicians, scientists, engineers, military figures, athletes, cultural figures, clergy, and entrepreneurs whose lives are connected in one way or another with Nizhny Novgorod and the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The time span ranges from medieval princes and saints to contemporary figures.
Among the most prominent figures in the section are Valery Chkalov, test pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union, a native of the Volga town of Vasilyevo; Rostislav Alekseev, designer of hydrofoil vessels and ekranoplans, whose name is inseparable from Nizhny Novgorod shipbuilding; and Tatyana Averina, Olympic champion in speed skating, born in Gorky. Also featured are Andrey Gaponov-Grekhov, founder of the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Nobel laureate Vitaly Ginzburg, connected to the Nizhny Novgorod scientific tradition through Academician Andronov.
The history of the region can be read through the biographies of people from different eras. The founding of Nizhny Novgorod is inseparable from the figure of Yuri Vsevolodovich — a prince who was canonized as a saint. The peasant uprising of the seventeenth century is embodied in the fate of Alyona Arzamasskaya — a nun who became the commander of a rebel detachment. The merchant Vasily Baranshchikov was one of the first Russians to describe his involuntary wanderings through distant lands. The industrial history of the region opens with Ivan Batashov — founder of the Vyksa ironworks and of the town of Vyksa.
Military themes occupy a special place in the section. Side by side stand the fates of people who went in very different directions: Arseniy Vorozheykin — a pilot twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union — and Andrey Vlasov — an army commander who defected to the enemy. Also featured are lesser-known figures: ground-attack pilot Aleksey Poyushchev, killed in 1944, and divisional commissar Ivan Zuyev. The sporting biographies are represented not only by Averina but also by Aleksandr Anufriev — an Olympic champion in running — and Galina Bystrova, an Olympic medalist in the modern pentathlon.
The section also covers people whose fame extends beyond the region: supermodel Natalya Vodyanova, a native of Nizhny Novgorod who became an international figure; the classic Belarusian writer Maksim Bogdanovich, who grew up in Nizhny Novgorod; and explorer Valentin Yefremov, the first person to reach the North Pole by hot-air balloon. Among governors and officials are Valery Shantsev, who led the Region for more than twelve years, and the colorful Nikolay Baranov, who went down in history as the "electric governor" of the nineteenth century.
The section continues in subsections focused on particular communities: Avtozavodtsy — people associated with the Gorky Automobile Plant; Metallurgy Workers — figures from the Region's metallurgical industry; and Nicks — online pseudonyms and nicknames of Nizhny Novgorod residents. Related topics — the history of enterprises, research institutes, sports clubs, and cultural institutions — provide the context in which these individuals operated.