Chkalov Stairs, Nizhny Novgorod

Are the Chkalov Stairs free, and when are they open?

Yes, they’re free and open around the clock. This is a public staircase, part of the city’s street network — there’s no gate, no ticket office and no closing time. You can walk it at sunrise or at midnight.

Nothing on the stairs needs paying for, so payment only matters for what’s around them: cafés on the embankment, taxis and summer river cruises. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards don’t work in Russia (since March 2022), so carry roubles in cash or use a Russian card.

How many steps are there?

560 if you count both sides of the figure eight. A single walk from the bottom to the top on one side is 442 steps, according to English Wikipedia. That’s why you’ll see different numbers quoted — some count the whole structure, some just the route they walked.

The layout is simple once you see it: a wide central flight at the top and the bottom, and in the middle two side flights that curve apart and meet again. Where they cross there are two viewing landings — the natural place to stop for breath and photos.

Height and length figures vary between sources (travel guides mention “about 150 metres” of length), and there’s no measured figure in encyclopedias, so YesGo doesn’t quote one.

Are the Chkalov Stairs worth it?

Yes, as part of a walk through the centre — not as a trip on their own. The stairs sit right next to the Kremlin, so you’ll pass them anyway. Fifteen minutes on the top landing gives you the widest open view of the Volga in the city, and the walk down drops you on the riverside promenade.

They’re less worth it in heavy rain or ice, or if climbing is hard for you — the view from the top is free without taking a single step, so you can simply enjoy it from the Chkalov monument and continue along the Upper Volga Embankment.

Why a figure eight? A short history

The idea came before the war: in 1939 the head of the city council, Alexander Shulpin, wanted a staircase to the Volga grander than the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa. The war halted it, and the project was revived in 1943, after Stalingrad, by Leningrad architects Alexander Yakovlev, Lev Rudnev and Vladimir Munts.

It was built in the late 1940s, partly by German prisoners of war, and cost over 7 million roubles of the time — one of the most expensive city projects in the USSR. A river station, a fountain and several statues were dropped to save money. The stairs opened in 1949 under the name Volga Stairs, and a plaque with that name is still there.

The popular story is that the figure eight echoes the Stalingrad encirclement: the curved side flights are the ring, the straight central one is the breakthrough to the river. No document from the architects confirms it, but it’s the explanation you’ll hear from every guide. The Chkalov name comes from the 1940 statue of aviator Valery Chkalov at the top. The stairs were restored for the city’s 800th anniversary and reopened, repainted terracotta and lit at night, in summer 2021.

What to see on and around the stairs

• The Chkalov monument on the top landing — the view takes in the Volga, the Strelka and the town of Bor on the far bank.
• The two middle landings — the best spot to photograph the staircase from above.
• The boat Geroy at the bottom, a Volga Military Flotilla vessel that served at Stalingrad, with an open-air amphitheatre of benches around it.
• St George Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, right behind the monument — a good start for a walk along the walls.
• The Lower Volga Embankment — the riverside promenade leads west to Rozhdestvenskaya Street and on to the Strelka.
• The view from below — from the embankment you see the whole figure eight with the monument and tower above it.

Walking on to the Strelka

On foot it’s roughly 40–50 minutes. Walk down to the boat Geroy and follow the Lower Volga Embankment west towards the Oka. You come out at Rozhdestvenskaya Street, then cross the Kanavinsky Bridge over the Oka to the Strelka. The time is our estimate from the map.

There’s no regular ferry from the stairs to the Strelka. In summer, sightseeing boats leave from the River Station on the same embankment and pass both, but routes and timetables change every season — ask at the pier.

Chkalov Stairs vs Upper Volga Embankment vs the cable car

Pair the stairs with the Upper Volga Embankment — it starts at the same Chkalov monument. Save the cable car for when you have a spare hour and want to see the city from the far bank.

Nizhny Novgorod views compared

Every place with a view in Nizhny Novgorod rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

37

Rukavishnikov Mansion

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

1 h 30 min · 550 ₽, concessions 350 ₽ · 8 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Rukavishnikov Mansion

64

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

2 h · Grounds free, wall from 300 ₽ · 9 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

44

Monument to Minin and Pozharsky

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

15 min · Free · 14 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Monument to Minin and Pozharsky

43

Upper Volga Embankment

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

45 min · Free · 16 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Upper Volga Embankment

How to do it right

• Walk top to bottom: from the Kremlin down to the river, then let the embankment carry you on to Rozhdestvenskaya Street.
• Best photo of the whole figure eight — from below, by the boat Geroy; best view of the Volga — from the top landing by the Chkalov monument.
• Stop on the middle landings: fewer people than at the monument, and the stairs spread out below you.
• Climbing up? Stick to one side and rest on the landings — it takes 10–15 minutes.
• Combine it with the Kremlin: the St George Tower is right at the top of the stairs.
• Don’t cross town just for the stairs in rain or ice — they shine as part of a walk through the centre.

Questions