Strigino is an international airport of federal significance serving Nizhny Novgorod and the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Its official name is Nizhny Novgorod Airport named after V. P. Chkalov (IATA: GOJ, ICAO: UWGG). The airport is located in the western part of Avtozavodsky District of Nizhny Novgorod, 18 km southwest of the city center, on the site of the former village of Strigino, which was incorporated into the city in 1934 along with Gnilitsy, Nagulino, and other suburban settlements.[1]

Status and Infrastructure

The airport holds a Class B-1 aerodrome rating and operates as a joint-use airfield: alongside civil aviation, it serves as the base for the 675th Special Purpose Aviation Regiment of the National Guard aviation, which operates Il-76 aircraft. The aerodrome has two parallel runways measuring 2,805×45 m and 3,000×45 m, as well as 43 aircraft parking stands.[2][1]

Management

The airport is operated by JSC "Nizhny Novgorod International Airport," which is part of the Airports of Regions holding company — a subsidiary of the Renova Group. The airport's registered address is: ul. Bezvodnaya, Nizhny Novgorod, 603056.[3][1][4][4] In 2014, passenger traffic totaled approximately 1.13 million passengers.[1][4] In late December 2015, the first phase of a new passenger terminal was opened, with a total area of 27,800 sq. m and a capacity of more than 1.5 million passengers per year; the total investment in its construction exceeded 4 billion rubles. In September 2011, the airport connected to the World Tracer global baggage tracking system, which allows passengers who cannot locate their luggage to initiate a search for it.[2][4] The airport also serves as the primary backup airfield for the Moscow aviation hub. It is a major international transit hub for northern Russia and ranks among the ten largest airports in the country by passenger traffic volume.[2][4]

History of the Area

Before being incorporated into the city limits, Strigino was a village in the suburban zone of Gorky. In 1934, it became part of Avtozavodsky District along with several other localities. The Strigino airfield has been in operation since 1939; the first scheduled flight in Russia was carried out on the Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod route on July 15, 1923, making the Nizhny Novgorod airport one of the oldest in the country.[2][1] In surviving fragments of Soviet-era descriptions of the City of Gorky, Strigino is mentioned among the former villages absorbed by the expanding development on the Zarechka side of the city. A historical photograph preserved in the Nizhny Novgorod archive attests that a restaurant was located in Strigino in 1935, indicating that the area was already developed before the active expansion of the airfield infrastructure.[5] During the Great Patriotic War, a German He-111 bomber was spotted over the Strigino settlement in November 1941, flying toward Voroshilovsky District: the aircraft passed over the settlement from the direction of the Oka and was not detected in time by the air observation, warning, and communications (VNOS) posts. Historical photographs of Strigino airport dating from the 1965–1975 period have been preserved in the Nizhny Novgorod photo archive and proved highly popular among the city's residents — one such photograph received over 12,600 views.[6]

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (ru) — Strigino (airport)
  2. nnov-airport.ru — Strigino airfield has been in operation since 1939. The first scheduled air service in Russia was operated on the Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod route on July 15, 1923, which makes n (archive)
  3. aeroport-strigino.ru — Registered address of the airport: ul. Bezvodnaya, Nizhny Novgorod, 603056. (archive)
  4. interairports.ru — International Airports Association: Strigino International Airport (archive)
  5. pro-nn.org — A restaurant was located on the grounds of Strigino in 1935, as evidenced by a historical photograph preserved in the Nizhny Novgorod archive. The photograph shows (archive)
  6. pro-nn.org — historical photographs of Nizhny — Historical photographs of Strigino Airport dating from the period 1965–1975 have been preserved in the Nizhny Novgorod photo archive and have attracted… (archive)
  7. pro-nn.org — historical photographs of Nizhny — The Nizhny Novgorod photo website's archive contains a historical photograph of Strigino Airport dated 1997, which has received over 10,000… (archive)
  8. pro-nn.org — historical photographs of Nizhny — Historical photographs document the appearance of Strigino Airport during the period of approximately 1965 to 1975, attesting to an already established… (archive)
  9. pro-nn.org — historical photographs of Nizhny — A photograph from 1971 documents the appearance of Strigino Airport during the Soviet period. (archive)
Materials from articles used (3)

Avtozavodsky District, City of Gorky, Air Raid of November 4