HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod Opens New Art and Design School Building in Historic Nizhny Novgorod Landmark
In the year marking the 30th anniversary of HSE University's campus in Nizhny Novgorod, a new academic building for the Art and Design School has opened in the historic House of K. G. Ivanov, an early 20th-century architectural landmark located on Nizhny Novgorod’s main pedestrian street. The opening ceremony, attended by representatives of the Nizhny Novgorod Region government, marked an important milestone in the development of design education in the region.
The new three-storey building, covering 1,300 square metres, will accommodate around 400 students at the HSE Art and Design School in Nizhny Novgorod. The choice of location was no coincidence: the creative space on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya naturally connects the university with the urban environment, continuing HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod’s 30-year tradition of being a 'university open to the city.' Built in 1913, the House of K. G. Ivanov is a striking example of Nizhny Novgorod Art Nouveau architecture with neoclassical elements. Following its reconstruction, the building has been given new life, combining its historical heritage with the needs of modern education.
During the reconstruction, specialists fully restored the roof while preserving the historic staircase, which will now serve as a permanent exhibition space, as well as the original Metlakh tiles dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries—an exceptionally rare feature in Nizhny Novgorod buildings. The building now houses computer and seminar rooms, workshops, coworking spaces, and recreation areas. A gallery with direct access to Bolshaya Pokrovskaya will soon open on the ground floor, providing a venue for exhibitions of student work. In the future, the space will also include a shop selling products designed by HSE students.
Director of HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod
The opening of this new academic building is a major event not only for HSE University but also for the city of Nizhny Novgorod. This year, we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. Over these three decades, HSE University and Nizhny Novgorod have become closely connected, and the city has become an integral part of university life. I hope this building will be a prominent and vibrant centre of the city’s creative life—a place where creative events are held, and new ideas emerge and are brought to life.
Natalia Sukhanova
Minister of Culture of Nizhny Novgorod Region
It is safe to say that the new academic building will become another hub for the growth of creative industries in the Nizhny Novgorod region. This sphere is receiving a great deal of attention, and together with our colleagues at HSE University, we are actively working to develop it by training and nurturing creative professionals. For example, we are currently working to establish a second School of Creative Industries in the region, with HSE University colleagues joining us as instructors. I sincerely congratulate my colleagues on this new milestone, which gives us even more opportunities and platforms for collaboration!
As part of the opening ceremony, catalogues from the exhibition ‘Mergers: An Exhibition of Coincidences and Confluences,’ a project involving teachers, students, and alumni of HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, were symbolically handed over to two key participants in the project: Grigory Khromov, Programme Director at the HSE Art and Design School in Nizhny Novgorod, and Elena Roitenberg, an instructor at the school and the catalogue’s designer. Held in spring 2026 at the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum, the exhibition celebrated the 30th anniversary of HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod and the museum’s 130th anniversary. The project’s central visual metaphor was the Strelka, the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers.
Programme Director at the HSE Art and Design School in Nizhny Novgorod
HSE University is an amazing place with a unique atmosphere. The Art and Design School is a leading centre for training creative-industry designers in the country, and we are actively collaborating with the city of Nizhny Novgorod on projects that contribute to its development. For us, it is important not only to build a community but also to help our city flourish. We work closely with businesses, cultural institutions, and museums, as demonstrated by our ‘Mergers’ project.
