The tunnel boring machine «Alyona» is a tunneling complex launched in late July 2026 to drive the right running tunnel of the Metro from Gorkovskaya station (Ulitsa Gorkogo) toward the future Ploshchad Svobody station. It is named after the girl Alyona who, according to a 16th-century legend, took up a yoke and fought off enemies while walking to fetch water — the heroine of the legend of the Koromyslova Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
Route and task
«Alyona» is working in parallel with the tunnel boring machine «Evdokia», which is driving the left tunnel of the same section. Both machines started from the same launch shaft on Ulitsa Gorkogo, but the route of «Alyona» skirts the historic quarter from the opposite side relative to «Evdokia». Completion of both tunnels was planned by the end of 2026.
Progress of construction
At the time the design sketches for Sennaya Square were presented, the «Evdokia» machine had passed the first 200 meters from Ulitsa Gorkogo; «Alyona» was launched after it — in late July 2026. According to Deputy Governor Sergei Morozov, in 2026 it was planned to fully complete the boring and begin construction of the stations, whose opening was scheduled for December 2027.
Sources
Materials used from articles (2)
Tunnel Boring Machine "Evdokia""""», Presentation of Design Sketches for Sennaya and Ploshchad Svobody Metro Stations