"Robinson" is a restaurant complex on the Rowing Canal Embankment in Nizhny Novgorod, opened in 2004 and demolished in August 2026. For two decades it was one of the popular leisure spots for Nizhny Novgorod residents thanks to its extensive grounds with a garden; for the last five to six years before demolition it was not operating.[1]

History and Claims by Oversight Authorities

The complex opened in 2004. Almost immediately after the opening, oversight authorities raised claims against the owners: Rosprirodnadzor sought to have the City Hall order allocating land on the embankment declared invalid, pointing to the absence of a positive conclusion from a state environmental review.[1] Despite the disagreements, the complex continued to operate and was popular among the city's residents. At some point the establishment ceased operations, and for the last five to six years before demolition the building stood empty. According to a Nizhny Novgorod publication, the restaurant stopped operating about ten years before the demolition, that is, around 2015–2016.[2] The two-story restaurant building had an area of almost 2,000 square meters.[2][1]

Change of Owner and Demolition

According to the Unified Federal Register of Bankruptcy Information, the restaurant complex was acquired by the Nizhny Novgorod-based LLC "K2" for 62.5 million rubles about a year before its demolition. At the time of the bankruptcy, the complex was owned by the company Redmit, which was declared bankrupt: in late March 2025 the building was put up for auction for the first time at a starting price of 173.7 million rubles, but no buyers were found, and the repeat auction was held at a reduced price of 156.3 million rubles with a minimum bid increment of 5% of the starting price.[2][1] The new owner began implementing the project for the "H2O" hotel complex on the Rowing Canal, planned in three construction phases.

In spring 2024, public hearings were held in Nizhny Novgorod on the development of the area bounded by the Kazansky Descent, Rodionov Street, and Lysogorskaya Street, which includes a section of the Rowing Canal embankment and part of the Pechyorskiye Peski peninsula — the former "Robinzon" site lies within these boundaries.[3] The planned "H2O" hotel complex provides for about 400 rooms with a total area of roughly 41,500 sq. m; it will include a five-star hotel under the international Lotte brand, a spa complex managed by The Garden SPA Wellness, swimming pools, a sports club, and several restaurants; investment will exceed 10 billion rubles, with completion planned for early 2028.[3] By the time "Robinzon" was demolished, the first phase — a small two-story hotel in a futuristic architectural style — had already been built.[1]

In August 2026, the two-story restaurant building was demolished. The construction debris has been hauled away from the fenced-off site; only level sand remains where the building once stood.[1]

Sources

  1. Govorit Nizhny — The "Robinzon" restaurant has been demolished in Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
  2. MK — Nizhny Novgorod — The two-story restaurant building had an area of almost 2,000 square meters. (archive)
  3. NewsNN — The planned "H2O" hotel complex provides for about 400 rooms with a total area of roughly 41,500 sq. m… (archive)