←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

Archbishop's Chamber (Chamber of Facets) in Veliky Novgorod

Point on route “Lord Novgorod the Great”

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

Point 8

Archbishop's Chamber (Chamber of Facets)

🏛️ Museum

Historical Background

Built in 1433 on the orders of Archbishop Euthymius II, the Archbishop's Chamber is a unique Gothic monument of civic architecture. The Council of Lords met here, ceremonial receptions were held, and princes' decrees were issued — such as Ivan III's decree annexing Novgorod to the Moscow principality in 1478. Its architectural features, including tall lancet windows and decorated ribs, recall Western European traditions, which is explained by the German craftsmen who took part in its construction.

Today

Today the building is a museum displaying a collection of decorative and applied art, including jewelry, ancient icons, church plate, items from monastery sacristies and birch-bark letters. Visitors can see restored 15th–17th-century frescoes preserved in the interiors and a collection of Byzantine and Western European artifacts.

Myths and Legends

Tradition has it that the treasures of the Novgorod archbishops may have been kept in the Chamber's underground halls. Some researchers believe that secret passages in the Kremlin led from the Archbishop's Chamber to the Volkhov River.