Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod is one of the oldest Russian cities. Its history started over a thousand years ago. Here one can see with ones own eyes, where did the state of Russia come from - its Orthodoxy, literacy, democracy, statehood. The city existed on the banks of Volkhov in the pre-recorded period and became the starting point of all Russian statehood. Avoiding the looting during the Mongol invasion, Novgorod managed to preserve several unique monuments of pre-Mongol architecture. The ancient temples of Novgorod and its environs were included into the UNESCO list.
Scientists have not yet decided on the founding date of Novgorod. The earliest of Novgorod's wooden bridges dates back to the year 930, and under the pavements of the 10th century, more ancient objects are often found, some of which archaeologists date back to the 8th century. Novgorod appears in the letters of the Byzantine emperors and in the Scandinavian sagas, and one may confidently say that by the 11th century the city located on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks" was a mighty political center. It is ironic that although Novgorod can be considered the birthplace of the first dynasty of Russian tsars, the Rurikovich, who ruled Russia for more than six hundred years, this city gave Russia the first republican state experience: the post of head of the city-state was elective.
The Novgorod Republic lasted until the end of the 15th century, and during this time it experienced many trials: the Novgorodians fought, on the one hand, with the Swedes and Germans, and on the other, with Suzdal and Moscovites who did not want to take a neighborhood with a free and strong city. Since ancient times, Novgorod conducted independent trade with Western merchants and in the XIV-XV centuries it was even a trading partner of the Hanseatic League. For several centuries, Veliky Novgorod has been a link between medieval Europe and Russia. Expensive fabrics, non-ferrous metals, rare wines, amber, Baltic herring, and salt were brought into Novgorod. And Novgorod goods were highly valued throughout Europe. Many Western European monarchs and noblemen wore luxurious fur coats and hats from Novgorod's precious furs - ermine, sable, marten; candles of Russian wax flickered in the huge altars of the Gothic cathedrals of the largest European cities. This, of course, left a mark in culture: for example, the hero of Russian epics and songs, Sadko, hails from Novgorod, and he wanted to return from the magnificent palaces of the sea king.
In the second half of the XV century, the Novgorod Republic fought three times with the Principality of Moscow, and these wars ended in complete defeat: the Novgorod lands went to Moscow, some of the boyars were sent to the capital, and the symbol of the independence of Novgorod - the veche bell - followed them. With the founding of St. Petersburg, Novgorod finally lost its commercial significance and gradually turned into a cozy provincial city on the sidelines of history.
The fate of many famous Russians is associated with Novgorod land. The world famous writer Fyodor Dostoevsky lived and worked in Staraya Russa for eight years - and today you can walk along the very picturesque streets of this cozy town, along which the heroes of the novel The Brothers Karamazov stepped. Gavrila Derzhavin lived and worked in the Novgorod province, and Anna Akhmatova, probably one of the most famous poets, sincerely loved Veliky Novgorod, asserting her indissoluble connection with it in her lyrics.
Veliky Novgorod was the special and the dearest city for the great musician Sergei Rachmaninov. A brilliant Russian pianist and composer was born in the Novgorod province and passionately loved the ancient city, which he called his small homeland and even missed the ringing of Novgorod bells in exile.
You can be sure that having visited Veliky Novgorod once, you will come back here to learn the mysterious Russian soul.
Scientists have not yet decided on the founding date of Novgorod. The earliest of Novgorod's wooden bridges dates back to the year 930, and under the pavements of the 10th century, more ancient objects are often found, some of which archaeologists date back to the 8th century. Novgorod appears in the letters of the Byzantine emperors and in the Scandinavian sagas, and one may confidently say that by the 11th century the city located on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks" was a mighty political center. It is ironic that although Novgorod can be considered the birthplace of the first dynasty of Russian tsars, the Rurikovich, who ruled Russia for more than six hundred years, this city gave Russia the first republican state experience: the post of head of the city-state was elective.
The Novgorod Republic lasted until the end of the 15th century, and during this time it experienced many trials: the Novgorodians fought, on the one hand, with the Swedes and Germans, and on the other, with Suzdal and Moscovites who did not want to take a neighborhood with a free and strong city. Since ancient times, Novgorod conducted independent trade with Western merchants and in the XIV-XV centuries it was even a trading partner of the Hanseatic League. For several centuries, Veliky Novgorod has been a link between medieval Europe and Russia. Expensive fabrics, non-ferrous metals, rare wines, amber, Baltic herring, and salt were brought into Novgorod. And Novgorod goods were highly valued throughout Europe. Many Western European monarchs and noblemen wore luxurious fur coats and hats from Novgorod's precious furs - ermine, sable, marten; candles of Russian wax flickered in the huge altars of the Gothic cathedrals of the largest European cities. This, of course, left a mark in culture: for example, the hero of Russian epics and songs, Sadko, hails from Novgorod, and he wanted to return from the magnificent palaces of the sea king.
In the second half of the XV century, the Novgorod Republic fought three times with the Principality of Moscow, and these wars ended in complete defeat: the Novgorod lands went to Moscow, some of the boyars were sent to the capital, and the symbol of the independence of Novgorod - the veche bell - followed them. With the founding of St. Petersburg, Novgorod finally lost its commercial significance and gradually turned into a cozy provincial city on the sidelines of history.
The fate of many famous Russians is associated with Novgorod land. The world famous writer Fyodor Dostoevsky lived and worked in Staraya Russa for eight years - and today you can walk along the very picturesque streets of this cozy town, along which the heroes of the novel The Brothers Karamazov stepped. Gavrila Derzhavin lived and worked in the Novgorod province, and Anna Akhmatova, probably one of the most famous poets, sincerely loved Veliky Novgorod, asserting her indissoluble connection with it in her lyrics.
Veliky Novgorod was the special and the dearest city for the great musician Sergei Rachmaninov. A brilliant Russian pianist and composer was born in the Novgorod province and passionately loved the ancient city, which he called his small homeland and even missed the ringing of Novgorod bells in exile.
You can be sure that having visited Veliky Novgorod once, you will come back here to learn the mysterious Russian soul.