←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

Church of the Savior on Nereditsa in Veliky Novgorod

Point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

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

Point 12

Church of the Savior on Nereditsa

🕍 Place of worship

Historical Background

The Church of the Savior on Nereditsa was built in 1198 by Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich in memory of his sons who had died. It is a single-domed, cube-shaped church whose frescoes once covered every surface of the walls, pillars and vaults. These murals, painted by a team of Novgorod artists, were among the church's greatest artistic treasures. The church was destroyed during World War II, but much of the walls and small fragments of the paintings survived. Rebuilding began in 1944 and continued until 1958, including the restoration and conservation of the surviving fragments.

Today

The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is open to visitors as a museum. Here you can see restored fragments of the frescoes, including scenes of the Last Judgment and images of saints. The hill on which the church stands offers views of the Volkhov, the countryside around Novgorod and Lake Ilmen.

Myths and Legends

Legend has it that the site for the church was not chosen by chance: the hill it stands on is considered holy. It is also said that the frescoes contain encrypted symbols foretelling the fates of princes.