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Veliky Novgorod – great city

Veliky Novgorod – great city

Veliky Novgorod – great city


Once upon a time, Ilmen Slavs lived near the shores of Lake Ilmen. They built Veliky Novgorod, which was first mentioned in the chronicle in 859. Convenient waterways contributed to the development of trade links of Novgorod. By the end of the X century Novgorod had become a rich trading city. Fur and leather, wax and honey, flax, lard, walrus tiles were exported to Western Europe. The rich and active population of Novgorod limited the prince’s power. Rich boyars were the lords in Novgorod and ruled it themselves. Their arbitrariness sometimes caused rebellions in a city inhabited by craftsmen: masons, potters, shoemakers, gunsmiths, etc. Internal struggle weakened Novgorod.

People did not want to defend the freedom of their city, where the boyars dominated. Meanwhile, the Moscow Grand Dukes, who were striving to unite all the Russian lands under their authority, began to attack the city. Grand Prince Ivan III went to Novgorod with the army twice – in 1471 and 1478. The symbol of Liberty of Novgorod – a veche bell – was taken to Moscow and hung on the bell tower in the Kremlin. But even after that, Novgorod was still one of the richest Russian cities for a long time.
The paintings in the churches of Novgorod are the treasures of Russian art. Theophanes the Greek, famous artist of the XIV century, worked there. Birch bark letters, found in Novgorod, show a wide distribution of literacy among the Novgorodians.
Alekseevskaya Tower

Alekseevskaya Tower


In Novgorod, the streets began to be paved earlier than in Paris and London.
In the Middle Ages it was the center of a huge territory. In 1136, it became the first free republic, ruled by Veche, on the territory of feudal Russia.
In 1236-1240 and 1241-1252 Alexander Nevsky was reigning in Novgorod, in 1328-1337 – the city was ruled by Ivan Kalita.
Veliky Novgorod was a part of the Hanseatic League, a trade union of northern European cities. The famous route from the Varangians to the Greeks, which connected Byzantium with Scandinavia, went through Veliky Novgorod.
In the middle of the 13th – the middle of the 15th centuries Novgorod became the center of the struggle against Sweden and the Livonian Order. Prince Alexander together with the Novgorod squad defeated the Swedes in the mouth of the Neva on July 15, 1240. Later, the famous battle was named Nevskaya and the Prince became known as Alexander Nevsky. In 1242, Nevsky won the Battle on the Ice.
In the Time of Troubles, Novgorod experienced a severe economic and social crisis. It was captured by the Swedes, ruined and plundered. In 1617 it became the part of Russia again.
Arcade of the Gostiny Dvor

Arcade of the Gostiny Dvor


In 1727 the city became the center of the Novgorod province.
During the Great Patriotic War the city was occupied. The most valuable collections on history, archeology and art were stolen from museums. World-famous monuments of Novgorod architecture were turned into ruins, virtually all urban economy and industrial enterprises were destroyed.
In 1992 historical monuments of Novgorod were classified as world heritage by UNESCO.
On December 8, 2008, the city was awarded the honorary title City of Military Glory.

Veliky Novgorod – great city

Academic Theater named after F.M. Dostoevsky

Academic Theater named after F.M. Dostoevsky

Art Museum

Art Museum

Church of St. George

Church of St. George

Church of St. Sophia

Church of St. Sophia

Church of Sts. Peter and Paul - Catholic

Church of Sts. Peter and Paul – Catholic

Coat of arms of Novgorod

Coat of arms of Novgorod

Fountain Sadko

Fountain Sadko

Gate Tower of the Gostiny Dvor

Gate Tower of the Gostiny Dvor

Holy Spirit Monastery

Holy Spirit Monastery

Kokui Tower

Kokui Tower

Monastery of the Tithes

Monastery of the Tithes

Monument Millennium of Russia

Monument Millennium of Russia

Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral

Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral

Novgorod Detinets

Novgorod Detinets

Novgorod Land Arts Culture Museum

Novgorod Land Arts Culture Museum

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel

Pedestrian bridge

Pedestrian bridge

River Volkhov and Lake Ilmen

River Volkhov and Lake Ilmen

Rurikovo Gorodische

Rurikovo Gorodische

Stela City of Military Glory

Stela City of Military Glory

The Novgorod Kremlin

The Novgorod Kremlin

Victory Monument

Victory Monument

Vitoslavlitsy

Vitoslavlitsy

Yaroslavovo Dvorishche

Yaroslavovo Dvorishche

Yaroslav's Court

Yaroslav’s Court

Znamensky Cathedral

Znamensky Cathedral

Zverin-Pokrovsky Monastery

Zverin-Pokrovsky Monastery

Novgorod in paintings

View of Nizhny Novgorod. The beginning of the 1890s. Isaac Ille

View of Nizhny Novgorod. The beginning of the 1890s. Isaac Ille

Vereshchagin Petr Petrovich. The Market in Nizhny Novgorod, 1872

Vereshchagin Petr Petrovich. The Market in Nizhny Novgorod, 1872

Varangian ships in Veliky Novgorod. 1902

Varangian ships in Veliky Novgorod. 1902

Stunning Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Stunning Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Strugi. Velikiy Novgorod. 1912. Gorbatov

Strugi. Velikiy Novgorod. 1912. Gorbatov

Ryabushkin Andrei Petrovich. Novgorod church, 1903

Ryabushkin Andrei Petrovich. Novgorod church, 1903

Ryabushkin Andrei Petrovich. Mikhaylovskaya street in Novgorod, 1899

Ryabushkin Andrei Petrovich. Mikhaylovskaya street in Novgorod, 1899

R. Vovkushevsky. Ancient Novgorod

R. Vovkushevsky. Ancient Novgorod

R. Sosnin. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Strelka

R. Sosnin. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Strelka

Princely Court. 1898. Ryabushkin

Princely Court. 1898. Ryabushkin

Pretty Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Pretty Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Nizhny Novgorod in 1806 by Martynov

Nizhny Novgorod in 1806 by Martynov

Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

N. Roerich. Ancient Novgorod

N. Roerich. Ancient Novgorod

Minin's appeal to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod in 1611

Minin’s appeal to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod in 1611

Minin's appeal to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod in 1611

Minin’s appeal to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod in 1611

Magnificent Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Magnificent Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Lukyanov Victor. The Annunciation Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod

Lukyanov Victor. The Annunciation Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod

Lovely Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Lovely Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Konstantin Ivanovich Gorbatov

Konstantin Ivanovich Gorbatov

K.E. Makovsky. Minin on the square of Nizhny Novgorod, 1890's

K.E. Makovsky. Minin on the square of Nizhny Novgorod, 1890’s

Interesting Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Interesting Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Great Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Great Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Graceful Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Graceful Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Gorgeous Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Gorgeous Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Gorbatov Konstantin Ivanovich. Velikiy Novgorod, 1910

Gorbatov Konstantin Ivanovich. Velikiy Novgorod, 1910

Gorbatov Konstantin Ivanovich. Novgorod, 1919

Gorbatov Konstantin Ivanovich. Novgorod, 1919

Fleeing the Nazis from Novgorod. 1944-1946

Fleeing the Nazis from Novgorod. 1944-1946

Charming Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Charming Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Beautiful Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Beautiful Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Attractive Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Attractive Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Arseny Nikiforovich Semenov

Arseny Nikiforovich Semenov

Ancient St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod

Ancient St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod

Amazing Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

Amazing Nizhny Novgorod by Alexei Chernigin

A.M. Vasnetsov. Novgorod bargaining. 1909

A.M. Vasnetsov. Novgorod bargaining. 1909