KRK "Nagorny" is a cultural and recreation complex in the Sovetsky District of Nizhny Novgorod, located at the intersection of Beketov Street. Built in 1965, it was reconstructed in 1974 and 2007. The arena's capacity is 5,500 spectators. The complex was previously known as the "Nizhny Novgorod Sports Palace" and the "Nagorny Sports Palace." The name "Nagorny" reflects the facility's location in the Upper Part of Nizhny Novgorod. The complex serves as the main multifunctional sports venue of the Sovetsky District and hosts competitions for several Nizhny Novgorod professional teams.[1]

History and reconstruction

The Sports Palace was built in 1965 and originally operated as a trade-union ice palace. During the Soviet period it served as the Torpedo Hockey Club — until the reconstruction of the hockey stadium in the Avtozavodsky District, which later took Viktor Konovalenko.[1]

In 2007 a major reconstruction was carried out, prompted by the return of Nizhny Novgorod's "Torpedo" to the Superleague: from the 2007–2008 season, competition rules required Superleague clubs to have arenas with a capacity of at least 5,500 spectator seats. The palace's total site area is 16,000 square meters, of which the ice arena occupies 1,800 square meters.[2] The reconstruction was carried out by OOO "Striot-plus," the NizhegorodgrazhdanNIIproekt", OOO "Volgo-Vyatskaya Construction Company," and other organizations. The work proceeded in two stages: from April to September 2007, requirements for hosting Superleague matches were met and engineering systems were installed; in the second stage, a four-story annex was built onto the end of the building, intended to house a universal sports and games hall, a conference hall, a sports museum, a library, a sporting-goods store, a medical center, a cafe, and a restaurant. On September 9, 2007, the sports palace reopened after the completion of the first stage of reconstruction. Long-term plans also called for building an additional annex on the Gagarin Avenue side.[1]

Sporting activity

After the 2007 reconstruction, "Nagorny" became the home arena for several Nizhny Novgorod teams at once. It hosts home matches for the "Torpedo" hockey club (KHL; again since 2007), the "Pari Nizhny Novgorod" basketball club (VTB United League; since 2010), the "SKIF" women's hockey club (ZHHL; since 2006), and the "Torpedo-Gorky" hockey club. Part of the home schedule of the "Chayka" hockey club is also played here (since the 2009/2010 season). The complex is home to an ongoing figure-skating school and short-track and hockey sections. In February 2014 the arena hosted the MHL Challenge Cup. Besides sporting events, "Nagorny" functions as one of Nizhny Novgorod's largest concert venues, hosting major concerts and stage shows.[2][1]

In August 2026, "Nagorny" hosted a preseason match between HC "Torpedo" and Moscow's "Dynamo," originally scheduled for August 14 at the Volga Arena: the game was moved to "Nagorny" because paperwork for the new ice palace had not yet been completed.[1]

The complex's full official name is the Nizhny Novgorod Region State Autonomous Institution "Nagorny Sports Palace"; its legal address is 29 Gagarin Avenue.[3]

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (ru) — Nagorny (cultural and recreation complex) (archive)
  2. redkassa.ru — KRK "Nagorny" (Nizhny Novgorod), directions and events at KRK "Nagorny" — The palace's total site area is 16,000 square meters, of which the ice arena occupies 1… (archive)
  3. nn.afishagoroda.ru — "Nagorny" KRK sports palace, Nizhny Novgorod, 2026-2027 event listings and tickets, "Afisha Goroda" NN website — The complex's full official name is the Nizhny Novgorod Region State Autonomous…