Novocheboksarsk offers several themes for a stay: the protected Yelnikovskaya Roshcha, with eco-trails where you can walk year-round, and the Cheboksary Hydroelectric Power Plant Museum, with interactive models. Nature, urban history and how hydropower works offer different points of focus when planning a trip.
Yelnikovskaya Roshcha in Every Season
Yelnikovskaya Roshcha was established in Novocheboksarsk in 1974 and is a specially protected natural area. A former forest, it lies in the city centre, along the scenic banks of the Volga and near the Cheboksary Hydroelectric Power Plant. This part of the city therefore brings together a protected natural area and a riverside setting.
Activities vary by season: you can walk the eco-trails year-round. In summer, you can cycle in the Roshcha; in winter, skiing and ice skating are among the activities mentioned. If you are planning a stay for a particular season, you can compare these seasonal options with year-round walking and then choose what to focus on.
Yelnikovskaya Roshcha also has children's attractions and a zoo. Alongside its trails, the park therefore offers other kinds of leisure activities.
Urban History and Cultural Themes
The exhibition «Mnogokvartirnaya derevnya: Shordan – 13 shagov k gorodu» explores rural life in the area of present-day Novocheboksarsk and the history of the 13 villages grouped together under the name SHORDAN. Its theme connects the history of these villages with today's urban area, complementing the nature and hydropower themes with a look at local history.
The Cathedral of Saint Prince Vladimir is located in Novocheboksarsk. Another historical feature of the cityscape is a green avenue planted in 1975 in memory of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The cathedral and the memorial avenue represent different aspects of the city from the exhibition about rural life in the past: they offer perspectives on religious history and the remembrance of veterans, respectively.
Hydropower: Museum and Power Plant Visit
The Cheboksary Hydroelectric Power Plant Museum is located in the power plant building in Novocheboksarsk. Numerous interactive models and exhibits illustrate how a hydroelectric power plant works. The museum explains the technology through models and exhibits, while a visit to the power plant itself includes the central control room and the turbine hall.
To visit the museum, an application must be submitted one week in advance and approved by the security service. Visits to the hydroelectric power plant itself also require an advance application and the security service's approval; these visits include the control room and turbine hall. The requirements are phrased differently: the one-week notice applies to museum visits, while an advance application is required for visits to the power plant. Check the current application requirements before planning such a visit.
Discover more destinations: Yaushi, Bolshiye Bikshikhi, Cheboksary, Kanash, Kugesi, Vurmankasy, Chuvashskiye Timyashi, Osinkino.
For the overview of the wider region: Chuvash Republic.
