←Lord Novgorod the Great

Lord Novgorod the Great

Photo of route “Lord Novgorod the Great”
12 points26 km4 hours

One of the oldest cities of Rus. The cradle of Russian democracy, a medieval center of trade and crafts, and a major partner of the Hanseatic League in the 12th–17th centuries. Veliky Novgorod was the link between medieval Europe and Rus. Today Veliky Novgorod is an open-air museum. This route was designed specially for the BelkaCar car-sharing service.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

  • 📜 Learn the city's history
  • 🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras

Route points (12)

  1. Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, Yuryevskoye Highway — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, Yuryevskoye Highway

    🏛️ Museum

  2. St. George's Cathedral, Yuriev Monastery — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    St. George's Cathedral, Yuriev Monastery

    🕍 Place of worship

  3. Sofia Embankment — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Sofia Embankment

    🚶‍♂️ Waterfront

  4. Kremlin Park — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Kremlin Park

    🌿 Public garden or park

  5. Detinets (Novgorod Kremlin) — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Detinets (Novgorod Kremlin)

    📜 Historic site · 🏯 Fortress remains

  6. Millennium of Russia Monument — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Millennium of Russia Monument

    🗿 Monument

  7. St. Sophia Cathedral — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    St. Sophia Cathedral

    🕍 Place of worship

  8. Archbishop's Chamber (Chamber of Facets) — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Archbishop's Chamber (Chamber of Facets)

    🏛️ Museum

  9. Yaroslav's Court — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Yaroslav's Court

    📜 Historic site

  10. St. Anthony's Monastery — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    St. Anthony's Monastery

    🕍 Place of worship

  11. Cathedral of the Sign — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Cathedral of the Sign

    🕍 Place of worship

  12. Church of the Savior on Nereditsa — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

    Church of the Savior on Nereditsa

    🕍 Place of worship

St. Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod

Point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

St. Sophia Cathedral — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”
St. Sophia Cathedral — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”
St. Sophia Cathedral — point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

Point 7

St. Sophia Cathedral

🕍 Place of worship

Historical Background

St. Sophia Cathedral was built in 1045–1050 under Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich and became a symbol of the power and independence of the Novgorod Republic. It is considered the oldest surviving stone church in Russia and has hardly changed since it was built.

Today

Inside the cathedral you can see unique frescoes, ancient wall paintings and the famous icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. The bronze Korsun Gates, considered a masterpiece of 11th-century casting, are especially striking.

Myths and Legends

They say the ringing of St. Sophia's bells has a mystical power: it protected the city in times of danger and raised the spirits of its defenders.