After the cold vibes of the first two days, Nizhny Novgorod, situated on the banks of Volga and Oka rivers, warmed up to me, literally! The mercury shot up well past 30 degrees, reminding me of India. The highlight of this trip was a visit to the glass ornament factory called Ariel. At Ariel, the ornaments are still handcrafted. The factory is the official supplier for the Russian government and crafts ornaments for every special occasion such as the World Cup, or a visit by the dignitaries to the state. We were given a guided tour of the factory by City Press Centre, Nizhny Novgorod — an alternate press centre. It was fun to try painting the glass bubbles along with fellow scribes. 

If the City Press Centre in Moscow is located near Red Square, this one’s address is — 6, Kremlin. It means that it is one of the buildings in Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. Kremlin, in this city, is unique, as it is actually a fortress and has 

Soviet era armed forces weapons and artillery on display. You can handle wooden guns and take pictures wearing a uniform. 

As we travelled through the city, we kept coming across the beautiful views of Volga and Oka rivers and the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium standing pretty on the bank. The Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky added to its beauty. At the sun went down, it was a sight to behold. Someone like me, who is always ready to capture the moment, kept all my cameras on standby and soaked in the moment... 

I was experiencing the other side of Nizhny Novgorod.

(The writer shares his travel and tour experiences, and also catches the fun and revelry during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.)