Nizhny Novgorod , Russia's third largest city is an exciting city to live in. Unlike Moscow and St. Petersburg, with their large numbers of Westerners, Nizhni Novgorod offers insights into life in Russia's heartland. Nizhny Novgorod is an ancient Russian city founded in 1221 on the confluence of the two great rivers: the Volga and the Oka. The present-day city is known for its industries, mainly electronics, shipyards, automobile and aircraft engineering. This city is a big river port and railway junction; it is a scientific and cultural center with a lot of museums, concert halls, theatres and tourist attractions. There are 15 institutions for higher education and a great number of vocational and secondary schools. The city seems to stay away from hot political battles of today concentrating on the development of trade, finance and research and it has won the reputation of being the most progressive region in Russia.