History

Novgorod has a very rich and full of intrigues history. One of its pages tells the story about the invitation of Novgorodians a foreign Prince to keep law and order in the city. It was at the time when the statehood of Rus was established. The name of the Prince was Rurik, who established the dynasty of Ruriks that ruled over all Russian lands throughout more than 750 years.

The adoption of Christianity at the end of the tenth century turned Novgorod into a powerful political, cultural and spiritual center. The efforts of Novgorod Bishops to spread and promote the Orthodoxy were given high credit in the mid-12th century, when they were elevated to the ranks of Archbishops which made the Bishops Chair of Novgorod most powerful in the Russian Orthodoxy.

The right of Novgorod to select its own princes, that was granted in the middle of the twelfth century, attracted princes to the Novgorod throne, and thus provided favorable conditions to maintain the unity of Russian lands tending to be feudally divided. The annexation of Novgorod republic to Moscow Principality at the end of the 15th century resulted in the united Russian State with Moscow as a capital.

Throughout many centuries, Novgorod was a political center of vast territories stretching up from Baltic lands and Finland in the West to northern Urals in the East. It was also one of the greatest international trade centers on the Baltic-Volga commercial route that tied northern Europe with Asia as early as in the mid - 8th century.

Novgorod is the cradle of Russian republican and democratic traditions. In the course of over 600 years until 1478, all vital decisions on its life and foreign policy were taken by the "veche", meaning the ancient parliament comprising the representatives of the town aristocratic families.

Novgorod was one of Russia's major centers of literacy and book production. As far back as in the 30-s of the 11th century, by the will of the great Prince Yaroslav The Wise, Novgorod saw the first school to train three hundred children at a time.It was also one of the greatest art centers of Europe. Its architectural traditions, school of icon-painting, jeweler's and decorative applied art became famous all over the world.

The town's military power, its remoteness from dangerous southern borders, successful campaigns against clergical reforms and heresies enabled it to preserve a unique complex of architectural monuments with frescoes of the 11th - 17th centuries, the oldest Russian manuscripts, chronicles, acts and icons.

The only time in its history when Novgorod suffered military damages was in the course of the World War II: for over two years the city, being at the front line, was bombed and shelled by both combating armies. Turned into ruins, this city on the Volkhov River was brought to life again by the restorers who managed to revive old architecture and water.