nizhny novgorod (russian:ни́жний но́вгород, often shortened to "nizhny") is the fourth largest city in russia. the first three are moscow, st. petersburg, and novosibirsk. nizhny novgorod had a population of 1,311,252 in 2002, and one of 1,438,133 in 1989. it is the economic and cultural center of the vast volga-vyatka economic region, and also the administrative center of nizhny novgorod oblast and volga federal district.