Where to go and what to see in Veliky Novgorod

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lifehacker's guide to a city with a very ancient history, which has much more to offer tourists than excursions to famous temples.

Table of contents

• Where to stay
• What sights to visit in Veliky Novgorod
• What sights to visit in the vicinity of Veliky Novgorod
• Where else to go in Veliky Novgorod
• What to bring from Veliky Novgorod

Where to stay

There are several hostels in Veliky Novgorod. A bed for a price of 480 rubles is offered by Sleep & Go and Yaroslav hostels. You can also take a family room for 1,500 rubles.

The average price for an apartment with a stylish interior on Airbnb - directly opposite the Kremlin or 200 meters from it - is about 2,500-3,000 rubles. In the historic center, you can find simpler options - for 1,500-2,000 rubles.

The standard price for a single or double room in Novgorod hotels is 2,000-2,500 rubles. Such prices are offered by the hotels "Russia", "Intourist", "Sadko", "Volkhov", built in Soviet times, but with modern interiors. For those who like to travel with special comfort and are not too short of money, there are designer hotels Truvor and Rachmaninov, the four-star Park Inn and the new apart-hotel Sofia overlooking the Novgorod Kremlin. Rooms in these hotels cost an average of 4,000-5,000 rubles.

What sights to visit in Veliky Novgorod

Novgorod Kremlin

The main and most famous historical landmark of the city. The Kremlin is sometimes called Detinets, but residents of Novgorod rarely use this word.

The Kremlin was built by the Novgorod Kremlin - Detinets in the 11th century and was originally made of wood. It housed the residence of the Novgorod bishop, while the prince lived on the other side of the Volkhov River. The fortress acquired its present appearance in the 15th century. After the entry of Novgorod into the Moscow state, Ivan III thoroughly rebuilt Detinets.

Inside, you can visit the Children's Museum Center - a two-story building in the southern part of the Kremlin (Sudeiskiy Gorodok, no. 3), where the Museum-Reserve organizes exhibitions, lectures and educational thematic games for children.

The Kremlin is also interesting as a center of vantage points. You can buy tickets to the Sophia Belfry, from which it is convenient to admire the Yaroslav's Court on the Torgovaya side, to the "battle passage" of the Kremlin and the highest tower of Kokuy, from where a panoramic view of the city opens. By the way, the view from the Kokuy tower is depicted on the 1997 five-ruble bill.

Several sights located on the territory of the Kremlin deserve special attention.

Sophia Cathedral

This is the oldest Orthodox stone cathedral in Russia - built in 1045-1055. It houses the Sophia Cathedral (Novgorod) - "Wikipedia" the icon "The Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos", especially revered by the Orthodox, which is considered miraculous, the relics of several saints, including Anna, the wife of Yaroslav the Wise. In front of the altar, pay attention to the cross with a dove. According to legend, the dove turned to stone from the horrors that the guardsmen of Ivan IV the Terrible did.

The Faceted (or Lord's) Chamber

One of the oldest surviving civil buildings in Russia. The building in the Gothic style was erected by the Vladychnaya Palace of Facets in the 15th century with the participation of German craftsmen. Inside it are vaulted halls and underground galleries. In them, the Novgorod ruler (archbishop) received guests, organized social events and conducted trials.

Admission for adults costs 250 rubles, but in the summer of 2020 the Faceted Chamber is closed for renovations, so you can only admire it from the outside or using a virtual tour.

Official places

A large building in classical style, built for the state authorities of the Russian Empire at the end of the 18th century. Now it houses several large expositions of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve. With their help, you can learn about the history of Novgorod, archaeological research, the traditions of Russian icon painting and medieval carved craft.

Monument to the Millennium of Russia

The main Russian monument dedicated to the history of Russia from the moment of calling Rurik in 862 until the reign of Emperor Alexander II. In 1862 it was opened by the Millennium of Russia - "Wikipedia" in the presence of the emperor.

The authors are sculptors Mikhail Mikeshin and Ivan Schroeder, architect - Victor Hartman. The monument is made in the form of a ball-orb and a bell, around which 128 historical figures are located in three tiers, which played the greatest role in the history of the Russian State. Among them are educators, statesmen and military leaders, writers, poets, artists and composers. You can walk around the monument for a long and leisurely stroll, examining and recognizing historical figures.

Yaroslav's courtyard

The territory opposite the Kremlin, on the other bank of the Volkhov, was used in the old days by the Yaroslav's Court for trade, including international. Therefore, it is now called the Trade (the opposite area is Sofia). The Gothic and German Courtyards were located here, and the Chamber of Weights and Measures was located in the Church of St. John on Opoki.

Many churches have survived in the courtyard, money for the construction of which was donated by wealthy merchants, and on the site of the Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral, probably, there was the residence of Yaroslav the Wise. Later, during the period of the Novgorod Republic, a veche, an organ of city self-government, was formed on the Yaroslav's Court. The arcade on the bank of the Volkhov is the remains of the Gostiny Dvor, which stood here before the Great Patriotic War.

Now Yaroslav's Dvorishche is one of the best places in Veliky Novgorod for quiet walks away from noisy bars and bustling amusement parks.

Gate tower of Gostiny Dvor

The 17th century civil structure served as the entrance to the Gostiny Dvor, and now it houses a museum of Christian art metal of the 11th – 19th centuries. Here you can see washstands, censers, icon lamps, icons, pectoral crosses and many other religious items. A picturesque view of the buildings of the Yaroslav's Court opens from the upper tier.

What sights to visit in the vicinity of Veliky Novgorod

Rurik settlement

To the southeast of the city there is a settlement, which has been called Rurikov since the 19th century. It is considered the Rurik settlement as the residence of the first Novgorod princes, including Rurik, who was called up in 862 to end internecine strife in Russia. Archaeologists have found the PLANIGRAPHY AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT STAGES OF THE LIFE OF THE RYURIK'S CITY ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH MATERIALS 2013–2016 GY in it the remains of an early medieval settlement and more ancient evidence that people lived here since the Iron Age.

Now the settlement is only a hill, from which beautiful views of the city and the Yuryev Monastery open up. On the hill itself are the remains of the Church of the Annunciation of the 12th century preserved by archaeologists, with inscriptions in Glagolitic found on its walls.

Yuriev Monastery and Museum of Wooden Architecture "Vitoslavlitsy"

In the village of Yuryevo there is one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in Russia, which in the Novgorod Republic was considered the Yuryev Monastery - "Wikipedia" as a spiritual center and served as the burial vault of noble townspeople. In 1119, the stone St. George Cathedral was laid here.

The monastery is active, and not all of its territory is open to the public. There is a beach next to the monastery, where swimming is officially allowed in summer. The beach overlooks the source of the Volkhov River and Lake Ilmen.

Not far from the monastery there is a large museum of wooden architecture "Vitoslavlitsy". Village houses and outbuildings of the 19th-20th centuries, as well as older churches and chapels are assembled on its territory. In the houses are organized expositions dedicated to rural life. Festivities are held on the territory of the museum for Christmas, Christmastide, Maslenitsa, Spasy and other Orthodox holidays. Now the museum is under restoration, some objects are closed to the public.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Nereditsa

The temple in the village of Spas-Nereditsa, famous for frescoes of the late 12th century, was destroyed by the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Nereditsa. XII century. in 1941 and was one of the first restored. Archaeologists are still looking for fragments of the fresco, which they carefully return to the walls of the temple.

Due to the danger of damaging the frescoes, the entrance to the temple is carried out one by one or as part of a family of up to five people. And only in good weather: a special microclimate is preserved inside, and snow or rain can disturb it.

Varlaamo-Khutynsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery and the grave of Gabriel Derzhavin

One of the first monasteries founded by Saint Varlaam of Khutynsky is located in the village of Khutyn, 9 km from Veliky Novgorod. The monastery appeared Khutynsky monastery - "Wikipedia" in 1192 and was one of the richest in the North-West. Here, in the Transfiguration Cathedral, the poet and statesman Gavriil Derzhavin is buried.

The monastery is interesting not only as a shrine, but also as a garden and park area, where roses of various shades bloom in summer.

Nikolo-Vyazhischsky monastery

The buildings of the monastery founded in the history of the monastery in 1411 in the village of Vyazhischi look rather unusual for the Novgorod region and are more like the churches of the Volga region. The large churches of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. John the Theologian are decorated with multi-colored tiles, there is a lot of green in the design. A female monastery, active.

Where else to go in Veliky Novgorod

Povetkin Center for Musical Antiquities

A small wooden building is located in the courtyards of the so-called Old Town on the Torgovaya Side, not far from Yaroslav's Court. This center for musical reconstruction is the only one in Russia.

Novgorod archaeologists regularly find the remains of musical instruments: horns, jew's harps, gusli, even bagpipes. And thanks to the reenactors, we now know how they all sounded. Unfortunately, it is not known for certain what kind of music they played in the Middle Ages. But on the basis of tunes collected by researchers in Russian villages in the 19th and 20th centuries, one can at least roughly imagine what music was like before the invention of musical notation. For organized groups, the center hosts lectures and concerts.

Dostoevsky Academic Drama Theater

The theater is interesting not so much for its performances (the repertoire is quite standard for a provincial theater), but for its extraordinary appearance. This futuristic building was built in 1987. Andrey Makarevich, the Novgorod Drama Theater named after F. M. Dostoevsky, was noted in its creation, who, during its design, received the profession of an architect. However, the role of the musician is often exaggerated: the real creator of the theater is the architect Vladimir Somov.

The area around the theater has been neglected for a long time, but in 2021 a new park will appear here, designed by Strelka KB and the 8 lines architectural studio.

Theater for children and youth "Maly"

"Small", located in the residential Western district, is more likely the opposite of a drama theater. In an inconspicuous building, strong chamber performances are staged, for example, "A Novel in Letters to Maria Tsvetaeva and Rainer Maria Rilke." And every two years in the spring, the Tsar-Fairy Tale international festival is held, a well-known event in the theatrical world.

Now the theater troupe is preparing for the opening of the new season, the poster has not yet been published.

Cinema Museum of Valery Rubtsov

Valery Rubtsov is a Novgorod collector of 20th century film technology. He turned his collection into a private museum. It displays dozens of cameras, projectors, editing equipment and related items. A separate exposition is devoted to amateur video equipment.

The museum hosts lectures on the art of cinema and the history of cinema, acoustic concerts by Novgorod groups and film screenings, including retrospectives of Soviet and world cinema.

Novgorod Center for Contemporary Art

The Center for Contemporary Art is located in the cultural center "Dialogue". It is not difficult to find the entrance: there are many art objects, graffiti, benches with images of Malevich and Kandinsky around it. A new exhibition wave opens in the center every month. In addition to the work of Novgorod artists, photographers and artisans, it hosts traveling exhibitions from other cities and countries.

Old city

Historically, the Old Town is the Slavensky end on the Torgovaya side, one of the settlements that made up ancient Novgorod. Now it is a territory with two or three-storey buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as a private sector - a quiet and atmospheric place to walk and look at unusual houses and old courtyards.

For many years, on the outskirts of the Old Town, the Kolobok cafe (Bolshaya Moskovskaya st., 28) has been operating - a small and canteen-like establishment serving tasty hodgepodge and fish soup, and you can take with you inexpensive and tasty pies.

Cafes and bars

Next to "Kolobok", in a renovated historic building, there is a restaurant of merchant cuisine "Berg's House". A more democratic bistro operates under him. A 10-minute walk, on 9/17 Fedorovsky Ruchey Street, near the Alexander Nevsky Bridge, there is a cozy Samovar craft beer shop - hundreds of types of bottled beer and cider, 14 taps, home-made furniture and vinyl records. The assortment of the bar is constantly changing, and its patrons are the Novgorod creative intelligentsia, fashionable youth and an aging punk crowd.

If you walk along Bolshaya Moskovskaya to house 31/7, you can visit the Vremya Ch wine cafe. The author of the project has selected a relatively inexpensive and interesting wine cellar and offers visitors European cuisine typical of wine-growing regions.

The Sofia side, in turn, is replete with themed bars. Rock-club "Papa Bar" (Chudovskaya st., 4) offers live concerts from Thursday to Sunday and crazy night parties on weekends. There is also an Irish pub Greensleeves (Musa Jalil-Dukhovskoy st., 23A), a British pub Mycroft (Predtechenskaya st., 13/6), a 5-minute walk from the Kremlin, and Telegraph cafe (Lyudogoschaya st., 2) overlooking the main square of the city. And on the territory of the once famous all over the country distillery "Alkon" there is a bar ZAVOD. It is interesting for the huge selection of home-made berry and herbal liqueurs with vodka and gin and dishes from the Russian oven.

What to bring from Veliky Novgorod

Delicious souvenirs

There is traditionally a lot of fish in Novgorod cuisine, so whitefish are painted even on the city's coat of arms, right under the bears. A well-known Novgorod snack is smelt, a small dried fish from Lake Ilmen. Also Novgorodians eat pike perch and pike. They can be found in the fish shop on the Central Market (Prusskaya st., 15).

There is an alcoholic souvenir shop in the building where the ZAVOD bar is located. For lovers we recommend Novgorod gin, Sadko vodka, Old Russian balsam or Spotykach sweet liqueur with prunes and blueberries. It also sells several types of willow tea, honey and pine cone jam.

You can also buy delicious souvenirs at the Krasnaya Izba tourism office at 5 Sennaya Square or on the website. Among other things, in the "Krasnaya izba" they sell porridge made of flax, a traditional Novgorod culture, for 100 rubles. And for 350 rubles you can buy a face mask based on sapropel mud from one of the glacial lakes of the Novgorod region.

Various trinkets

As for the beautiful trinkets that will remind you of your journey, you can find a large number of them in the souvenir rows on Sennaya Square near the Kremlin Park. We especially recommend taking a closer look at birch bark products - baskets, breadbaskets or children's toys - because it is largely thanks to her that we know so much about the history of Novgorod.

Novgorod is the city of the veche republic, and the bell is the symbol of the veche. In Veliky Novgorod, small brass bells are still being produced, which can be bought in any souvenir shop.

In the Kremlin Park, between Sennaya Square and the Kremlin, there is an art gallery where you can buy paintings by local artists. And on Yaroslav's Dvorishche, in the "Gallery on Torgu" (Ilyina St., 2), cute magnets and postcards with watercolor drawings are sold.

Products with cross stitching

The sacral stitching is a traditional technique of embroidery on linen products: clothes and scarves, table napkins and tablecloths, art panels. In 1929, an enterprise was opened in the village of Kresttsy, after which the Kresttsy line became one of the symbols of Russian folk textiles and ended up in gift sets that Soviet leaders presented to leaders of other countries.

The factory still sews custom-made clothes and home textiles. In the "Red izba" and the souvenir shop "Zhyva Zemlya Novgorodskaya" (Prusskaya st., 1) you can buy small scarves, napkins or souvenir embroidery. And in the shop at the factory itself in Kresttsy (Novokholovskaya str., 6) you can buy clothes, for example, dresses and shirts.