The Volga-Oka Directorate of Rostechnadzor is a territorial body of the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, exercising oversight of industrial safety in Nizhny Novgorod Region and a number of neighboring regions.
Supervisory activity
The Directorate conducts investigations of incidents at hazardous production facilities, following which it issues operating organizations with mandatory orders to remedy violations. In 2021–2022, the Directorate's former deputy head Denis Shakirov organized a criminal scheme under which Directorate employees received 15.3 million rubles in bribes from representatives of training centers and enterprises in exchange for successful and expedited certification of workers in industrial safety.[4] In particular, following the incident on the Nizhny Novgorod Cable Car, which occurred on July 5, 2026, the Directorate completed its main investigation and sent the operating organization — Urbantekh Servis — an official order requiring the elimination of identified violations.[1] According to the document, resumption of the cable car's operation was indicated as possible no earlier than May 2027.[2]
Based on the results of its investigation, the agency established that the cause of the incident was incorrect actions by the cable car's personnel: without verifying the reliability of the errors reported by the system, staff continued moving passengers toward the stations, which, given the incorrect position of the cable, led to a collision of four cabins near one of the towers. As a result, the load-bearing haul rope sustained damage.[3]
Procedure for early lifting of an order
The Directorate provides for the possibility of early compliance with issued orders. If the operating organization eliminates the violations before the established deadline expires, it is entitled to apply to the agency requesting an unscheduled on-site inspection to confirm that the violations have been remedied.[1] The question of clearing the facility for operation is considered only after all restoration measures have been completed and an industrial safety review has been conducted. On the submission of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Sergei Zaytsev, four Directorate officials were held to disciplinary responsibility for violations in carrying out ongoing state supervision at hazardous production facilities, including improper handling of supervisory case files for fuel-producing companies and untimely monitoring of compliance with orders.[5][2]
Closure of Nizhny Novgorod Cable Car in 2026
Sources
- Kommersant (Privolzhye) — In 2021–2022, the Volga-Oka Directorate of Rostechnadzor's former deputy head Denis Shakirov organized a criminal scheme under which Directorate employees (archive)
- Nizhny Seychas RF — Nizhny Seychas — On the submission of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Sergei Zaytsev, four officials of the Volga-Oka Directorate of Rostechnadzor were held to discipl
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — The cable car in Nizhny Novgorod may not reopen until May 2027 Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
- Vremya N — The Nizhny Novgorod cable car may resume operation in May 2027 (archive)
- GiperNN — Months to eliminate the violations. When will the Nizhny Novgorod cable car open? (archive)