Veliky Novgorod



Veliky Novgorod

Name: Irina Mordasova & Konstantin Chalabov

Age: 31

Profession: Journalist

City: Novgorod

How long have you been doing photography? Since I was in school.

What style or genre most interests you? I love landscapes.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? Veliky Novgorod is a small city in northwest Russia, located between the two capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The city was founded in 859. Later, from this very spot, the Varangian prince Rurik was summoned, setting in motion the foundation of Russian statehood and Kievan Rus. Everyone knows about the famous Novgorod People's Veche. In the Middle Ages, Veliky Novgorod was one of the main cities of the Hanseatic League and played a far from insignificant role in European trade. After the unification of Russian lands about Moscow, the two capitals began to develop, and Novgorod began to wane in significance, taking on a more provincial character. The city now has about 220,000 residents.

What are some things that only locals would know about the city? 

1. When you meet someone and tell them you are from Novgorod, they always nod their head and say, "Oh, from Nizhny?" Veliky Novgorod is constantly confused with Nizhny Novgorod, which is located closer to Moscow and was previously known as Gorky. Both Novgorodtsy and Nizhegorodtsy have no patience with this error. Well, what are you going to do? With each passing year the number of people who have no understanding of even the rudiments of our history grows...

2. Near the city is Lake Ilmen (often incorrectly pronounced by foreigners, with the accent on the second syllable). It is similar to the famous Lake Baikal in that many rivers flow into it and just one flows out.

3. The city sits on the Volkhov River and is divided into two halves: Sofiyskaya and Torgovaya. Locals call them "that" and "this" («та» и «эта») "Where are you?" "I am on that side." This means the speaker is on the Torgovaya side (та), which is the smaller of the two halves of the city.

4. Among the cities innumerable historical monuments is "The Bra." This is the name that locals gave to the iron and cement art construction "The Sail," located in the kremlin park.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city? The city has more than 20 monuments that are on the UNESCO list. Among them are Russia's oldest church, Sofia Cathedral, which was build in 1045-50. The main focal point for monuments is the fourteenth century stone kremlin, inside which is located the "Thousand Years of Russia" monument, Yaroslav Palace and its dozen churches – where the ancient Hanseatic League trading took place. 

Near the city is a working monastery: Yuriev Monastery, which is also near the museum of wooden architecture, Vitoslavlitsa, housing things built without a single nail. And on the other side of the river Volkhov is Rurik's Settlement, with the ruins of an ancient church. According to legend, it was here that Rurik established his first settlement. 

Anything else?: I truly love my city. I would love it if more tourists saw it. Our city is very beautiful and truly radiates history.

 



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955