Northeast of Moscow, 240 miles, is the city of Nizhni Novgorod (nyzh´ ny nôv´ g-rt). It is a city of about 100,000 inhabitants, or about the size of Albany, N. Y. Even though it is not so very large, it is known all over Europe and Asia. This is because of its great fair. Fairs are held in many cities of Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are really great markets open for a short time. Russia has more fairs than any other country in Europe. Some 3,000 Russian cities hold fairs every year. The largest and best known of these is held at Nizhni Novgorod. The city is in two parts, divided by the river Oka. On the left bank of the Oka is the "fair city". The ground is laid out in squares with streets crossing at right angles. Many two-story stone buildings have been built to house the goods that are brought here for sale. The fair opens July 15, and closes September 10. During this time a half million visitors come to the city to buy or to sell. All kinds of goods are brought here to be sold. It is said that each year the value of these goods is about $125,000,000. Ships come up the Volga with cotton, rugs, and carpets. Camel trains bring tea from China. Barges carry iron down the streams from the Ural Mountains. The market extends 10 miles up and down the Volga and the Oka rivers. One of the great markets in the fair is the market of bells. Bells are everywhere in Russia. Every city has many places of worship, for the Russians are a religious people. All the places connected with the church have bells. Hundreds of these bells are bought each year at the Nizhni fair in the bell market you see here. Observe the wagon, and the harness of the horse. How are the bells held up? Keystone ID: 6644 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.