Russian Empire The street began to form in the Middle Ages. Then its direction was set on the road to Moscow. After the visit of
Empress Catherine II, a new regular city plan was developed, providing for a quarterly system. In 1823 - 1824 the bell tower at the church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin () was built. At the end of the 16th to the beginning of the 19th centuries stone buildings were added to the street. Since then it has become the main street of the city and has become known as the "noble family", because of the location on it of the estate of the generals, princely families, the governor, the vice-governor and other high officials. In 1896 Nicholas Theater was built, the opening of which was timed to coincide with the beginning of the
All-Russia Exhibition. On 18 July 1896, it was visited by Emperor
Nicholas II.
Soviet period After the revolution, the street was renamed and began to bear the name of the revolutionary
Yakov Sverdlov and was popularly called "Sverdlovsk". Approximately in 1935, the Church of the Intercession was demolished. Until the 1980s, the street was a road, and in the early 80's it was made pedestrian.
Current Russia After the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, the street was renamed back to Bolshaya Pokrovskaya. In 2004 the 21st century the street was completely reconstructed. File: Nicholas theater.jpg|The Dramatic theater. 1880, photo by
Andrei Karelin and
Ivan Shishkin File:Check out Nicholas II from Nizhny Novgorod State Bank.jpg|Check out
Nicholas II from State Bank, 1896, photo by Maxim Dmitriev File:Tram on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street.jpg|Tram on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, 1902 File:Gorky City. Sverdlov Street and Minin Square.jpg|Soviet Union. Sverdlov Street, 1985 == Attractions ==