 Thus, Zavolzhye—the region in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast—normally refers to its forested and sparsely populated northeastern half.This makes the name of the town of Zavolzhye somewhat confusing for some people in the region, since the city is located on the "right" side of the river—it is only "beyond the river" with respect to much older Gorodets.It was founded in 1950 as a settlement serving the construction of the Gorky Hydroelectric Station (now Nizhny Novgorod Hydroelectric Station).