Veliky Novgorod

Over here people used to wear leather boots instead of bast shoes, the streets were cobbled from ancient times, the commoners were in correspondence with each other, and all the rulers were welcomed and banished whenever the Novgorodians wanted. Over here you can find yourself standing at the very place from where- as the legend says – an idol of murderous Perun the pagan Deity was thrown into the water of the Volkhov river to get drown, you can swim in the lake on the banks of which Sadko the merchant sang his entrancing songs, participate in martial performances of Novgorod vityazes (“knights”) of these days. Over here in this very place you can witness in full the cross-time native atmosphere of Russian Land.

The oldest city in Russia, the cradle of Russian democracy, the medieval centre of trade and crafts, the leading partner of the Hanseatic League of 12th – 17th cc., the link between medieval Europe and Russia and the borderline between two civilizations. All these are descriptions of Veliky Novgorod.

For the first time the word “Novgorodians” was spotted in the documents of 859. There are still a lot of scientists’ disputes on the fixed date of Novgorod foundation (“nov” for “new”, “gorod” for “town”) and location of an “old” town. These days the leading version states “old” town as so-called Gorodishche (Hill Fort) that was on the right bank of the Volkhov river 2 km away from the city of today. It might probably be the ex-residence of Rurik the Prince who was invited to reign in Novgorod in 9th c. and then started the dynasty of the Rurikoviches (“Rurikovich” for “son of Rurik”). In 10th c. the town was moved down the river to a new place and called Novgorod.