The Stara Varoš Blog

Stara Varos Blog - Veliky Novgorod: where it all began

Veliky Novgorod, known as the «Cradle of Russian civilization» or the «Oldest City of Russia» is located some 570 northwest of Moscow and 190 south of St. Petersburg, almost right on the M10 federal highway.

During my visit in 2016, people of Novgorod seemed to be very proud of the fact that they live «where it all began» for Russia and of their Ilmen Slavs, Novgorod Slavs, or Slovenes ancestors, that eventually fell under the domain of the Kievan Rus' and the Varangian Rurik dynasty.

I was intrigued, so i did a research about the city. Tons of info are already provided through countless sources on the internet, but what i found very interesting comes from wiki: «..the Varangians (/vəˈrændʒiənz/; Old Norse: Væringjar; Greek: Βάραγγοι, Várangoi, Βαριάγοι, Variágoi) was the name given by Greeks, Rus' people, and others to Vikings, who between the 9th and 11th centuries ruled the medieval state of Kievan Rus', settled among many territories of modern Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, and formed the Byzantine Varangian Guard. According to the 12th-century Kievan Primary Chronicle, a group of Varangians known as the Rus' settled in Novgorod in 862 under the leadership of Rurik ..».

Later, i discovered the connection between Byzantium and Scandinavia, as Veliky Novgorod was a member of the Hanseatic League, a trade union of northern European cities that run the route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Furthermore, the city was destroyed by Ivan the Terrible in 1570, when the «Massacre of Novgorod» took place. The aftermath was the tens of thousands casualties and innumerable acts of extreme violent cruelty. It is said that in average Ivan killed up to 30 people per day during his reign, sometimes just to amuse himself by watching them being drowned. His attack contributed heavily to the decline of the once great city and the Novgorod Republic officially became a thing of the past.

Being within the fortified walls you realize that the city is older than the Russian state itself, as you are surrounded from some of the country’s oldest civil and religious architecture. [The definition and much of the data provided for the Kremlin and the Cathedral, come from Russia Beyond article 1 and article 2].

• The Kremlin

«Kremlin» (Кремль, kreml’) is the general name for town and city citadels in Russia. There were at one point probably about 400 kremlins across Russia and around 20 of them have been preserved to this day. «Detinets» is how a Kremlin, or a citadel, was called in ancient times in Russia.

The Novgorod Kremlin is the oldest in Russia, erected by Prince Yaroslav around the 10th century. It stands on a 10-meter hill on the bank of the river Volkhov. The fortress is 565 meters at its longest point, 220 meters at its widest point and the total length of the wall is 1,487 m. (in comparison, the Moscow Kremlin’s wall is 2,235 m. in total length). There are 9 preserved towers, however, 3 towers are gone. In the 11th-13th centuries, the Novgorod Detinets was an impregnable fortress taken only once.

The Novgorod Detinets houses the only Gothic civil building in Russia, a fascinating work of about 30 German architects and craftsmen. The Chamber was the main ceremonial hall of Velikiy Novgorod and there, in 1478, the order of Ivan the Great to subdue the lands of Novgorod to Moscow was proclaimed.

• Cathedral St. Sophia

The Cathedral of St. Sophia, completed in 1052, is the oldest church building in Russia and the oldest building of any kind still in use in the country. The paintings in the churches of Novgorod are treasures of Russian art. Theophanes the Greek, famous artist of the XIV century, worked there.

The original frescoes of St. Konstantin and Elena, as well as the 12th century priceless icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, helped Novgorod in its battle against Suzdal, have been carefully preserved. The cathedral also holds the relics of Russian saints and princes. This astonishing piece of medieval architecture is 38 meters tall and has 5 domes.

• Russian Millennium Monument

The bronze monument itself weighs 100 tons and it was erected in 1862 to celebrate the millennium of Rurik's arrival to Novgorod, an event traditionally taken as a starting point of the history of Russian statehood.

It displays the most important historical events, periods and figures: The arrival of the Varangians in Rus, the Christianization of Rus, the Beginning of the expulsion of the Tatars, Ivan the Great and the Foundation of an independent Russian Tsardom, the Enthronement of the Romanov dynasty, the Creation of the Russian Empire.

• Court of Yaroslav

Across the river, right off the pedestrian bridge, the white arches indicate where the princely compound was located. It was the main area for trade in Novgorod and composed by several small churches, among which we still can find the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Church of Paraskeva or the Church of St. George, the Church of St. Procopius and the Church of the Myrrh-bearing Women.

I believe it is impossible to miss a bronze sculpture of a young lady, titled «Tourist» (a creation of the Russian artist Vadim Borovykh), as it is placed in the most picturesque place of the city.

So, if it is about to sunset, one can get glorious views to the city’s Kremlin and the Cathedral’s domes. It was completely random that my visit ended at that point, to Kremlevskiy Beach, a cool place to relax and feel the city’s laid back vibes.

Any approach of the city, guided only by the UNESCO monuments list, seems to me unfair. There are some remarkable landmarks also linked to the city’s history. For example, from the field of architecture: The Novgorod Drama Theatre.

Its bizarre shape caught my eyes, as it’s a typical late-brutalist design example. To be honest, i don’t really know much of the architectural trends in the Soviet Union, but i believe that, in general, it was not so usual to see abstract lined structures, especially buildings whose construction was approved and financed by the communist regime.

This fact makes it even more special and it is worth mentioning that «Fyodor Dostoevsky Theater of Dramatic Art» is a creation of the pioneer, let alone eccentric, Vladimir Somov. [4 fotos of teatrvn.ru follow]

One can also approach the city by its monuments related to military operations. Novgorod had a significant role in WW2 and it was awarded the title of «City of the Military Glory».

Throughout the city are scattered many memorials, like the «Monument of the Victory» that stands out near the Kremlin. I highlight the «Defense Line memorial».

Next to the T-34 Tank, on the stele, it is encrypted: «In August 1941, at that border the Hitler’s troops were stopped. 795 days and nights soldiers of the Volkhov war line blunted the attack of the enemy».

If you are interested for more details about the city’s monuments, the article «Memory of the Great Patriotic War in Veliky Novgorod» from VisitNovgorod.com is a great read.

I close my post with the following aerial picture of the city, that comes from Russia Beyond, where you can find many detailed articles about Veliky Novgorod and Russia in general.

Romanian [Vampire-Free] birthday ride

Like every year, in March, we open the new motorcycle season with a short Balkan ride, while at the same time we keep the tradition that wants me to celebrate my birthday on the road. This time southeastern Romania was chosen as the destination.

Day 1: Thessaloniki, Hellas – Bucharest, Romania [~ 655 km]

First we headed towards the border station of Promachonas and then we continued on the E79 highway in the direction of Sofia. Stop for refueling only [and a quick shower].

Since we were planning to cross to Romania by ferry, we thought of trying the one from the small town of Nikopol, mainly because we had a bad experience from a long delay on the Oryahovo ferry route. Arriving there, no one was found, let alone a ferry to cross. A passer-by informed us that the timetable we found posted was not valid and that there would be a service scheduled in three hours.

Disappointed with how this situation evolved, we considered our options: 1. to wait in Nikopolis, risking further delays, 2. to drive an hour on the provincial road 55 to reach Svishtov, where there was a ferry [unknown, of course, if and when there would be itineraries] and 3. to return to the main road leading to Ruse and enter Romania from the bridge over the Danube.

All scenarios would result in us losing about 3 hours, so we chose to stay in Nikopolis and rest. This delay gave me the opportunity to observe the empty city. A grievous feeling was spread all over it and i realized, once again, how often we take things for granted and, of course, i appreciated everything i have.

Our wait was extended by 1h over the initial three, until we boarded the ferryboat.

We entered Romania from Turnu Măgurele, then moved on the provincial road 52/6 and soon we found ourselves in Bucharest, where we strolled through the Old Town.

Day 2: Bucharest – Sinaia – Brasov – Bran Castle – Bucharest [~ 400 km]

We left Bucharest early in the morning to explore the province of Transylvania and enjoy its dramatic mountainous landscape. First stop in the small town of Sinaia. Here, in 1695, Michael Kantakouzinos, after returning from Mount Sina, built the Orthodox Monastery from which the city later took its name. Its top attraction is the summer residence of King Karol I of Romania, the German Neo-Renaissance (and perhaps the most impressive in Transylvania) Castle Peleș (Castelul Peleș).

Walk in the main square of the medieval old town of Brasov (Brașov - German: Kronstadt, Transylvanian Saxon: Kruhnen). Unfortunately, maintenance works performed on the site of the Gothic style «Black church» (Biserica Neagră) did not allow us to take a tour in its interior, so we registered it as «pending» for our next visit to Romania.

Bran Castle (Castelul Bran) is located very close to the city of Brasov.

Often referred to as «Dracula's Castle», there is no direct connection between the fictional castle of Bram Stoker's novel and Bran Castle, while it is very likely that Vlad III never approached it (some sources mention he may have been imprisoned there, while others that he besieged it).

We returned to Bucharest and visited the «Palace of Parliament», formerly known as the «Palace of the People» (Palatul Parlamentului). Although built during the presidency of the communist leader of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu, the statistics are still impressive today: it is the largest building in Europe, the second largest building in the world after the US Pentagon, while, in terms of volume, it exceeds by 2% the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.