Built in 1841, the Nizhny Novgorod Manège is modeled after its Moscow counterpart and originally belonged to the 4th Nizhny Novgorod Carabinier Regiment. Between 1901 and 1904, the famous New Year’s parties for the most disadvantaged children were held here on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, a famous Russian and Soviet writer. In 1926 the building began to be used as a tram depot.

This is where the tram line used to run, going around the Philharmonic Society building, through the Kremlin and along the main streets of the city. In 1969, the tram depot was closed down and the rails were dismantled, leaving only the garages and warehouses in the former Manège.

Today there is a restored church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker near the Manège, while the ancient building is now used as a modern exhibition hall of the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum, regularly hosting fascinating exhibitions.