Dzerzhinsk is the second-largest city of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. It had the population of 249.3 thousand people with settlements subordinated to city administration (2012).

It was founded in Meshchora, 25 km to the west of Nizhny Novgorod. It is a river port on the left bank of Oka. It is a railway station. Its territory is 422 sq.km.

History of Dzerzhinsk

At the confluence of Chernaya River into Oka there was Chernorechye District with the center in the Chernoe Settlement. This settlement and the neighboring village of Rastyapino (before 1904 it was Chernoye town) were united into Rastyapino working settlement.

The working settlement developed due to construction of chemical companies. From 1929 it was named Dzerzhinsk in honor of the Soviet party and statesman F.E. Dzerzhinsky (1877-1926). It became a town in 1930.

In 1989 intracity areas were abolished.