旅人る - Tabibito
Velikiy Novgorod
UNESCO World Heritage site, the former capital of medieval Novgorod Republic. One of the must-see Russian towns if you stay in St. Petersburg totally worthy a day trip. As I've been there for a few times I'll omit the most banal places of interest such as Kremlin.
Newly gentrified Ilyina street.
Znamensky Monastery with a main office of Novgorod archaeology expedition.
Hot air balloon over the city.
The cat of archaeologists was distracted from washing himself for a second.
Novgorod was heavily bombed during the WWII, so there are few historical buildings. Most often, old churches, which are 700-800 years old, stick out of the houses of the middle of the 20th century. For this reason, I would compare Novgorod with Kyoto. Similar vibes.
Brutalist city theatre (1987).
They promise to start repairing it in 2023, but who knows if we will live to see 2023?
Former brewery which will soon become a loft.
Catholic church.
Church of Peter and Paul (1384)
Holy Spirit Monastery.
A Novgorod Manege (1851), a former military indoor riding academy, now a sports centre.
Nikolo-Vyazhishchi convent in about 20 minutes ride from the city.
Most of the significant monastic buildings are from the end of the 17th century. The most outstanding is the Church of St. John the Evangelist with a large refectory with rich exterior tiled decoration.
Very rich.
A gallery between two church buildings.
Need more tiles!
Patriotic tiles.
The builder or restorer freaked out from the tile abundance.
The most inaccessible landmark of Novgorod is the Church of St. Nicholas on Lipna (1292). It is located on an island in the delta of the Msta River, there is no road or hiking trail there, in summer you can only get by ship (if the water is high), and in winter - at your own peril and risk through windbreak and ice. Or on a hovercraft (if you are President Putin).
If for some reason you don’t have your own yacht for river trips (why would you have one in Novgorod), then on weekends there is a chance to join the sail on the Onfim boat. Moreover, even if there are no places, it is still worth approaching the departure, someone who has signed up might not appear.
River Volkhov views.
Lake Ilmen.
Msta river ducts.
The Church of St. Nicholas on Lipna was the first built in Novgorod after the Mongol invasion. Initially, it was the cathedral of a small monastery, but the former was abolished under Catherine II. The church was shelled during the WWII. In 1956, the church was returned to its original appearance. Nowadays on Lipna there is only a church and a caretaker's hut.
Putin and Medvedev repeatedly came to this temple. They ordered to give money for the restoration, which ended in 2019.
Window in the form of a cross on the choir stalls and a Holy Fly in it.
Hornet's nest above the church entrance.
There are a lot of insects on the island.
Future peacock butterfly
Getting in (as of July 2022): Getting by car is pretty straightforward, use M11 tollway and follow the signs. Direct "Lastochka" train from St. Petersburg or a night train from Moscow.
Where to stay: the Rachmaninov hotel on the Merchant side or the History hotel near the Kremlin.
Where to eat: the restaurant Geography on the first floor of the History hotel, the Skazka restaurant near the Kremlin, fine Georgian cuisine in the My Kitchen cafe on Bolshaya Moskovskaya street. Best coffee served in the Monocle cafe.
What to buy: specialty gingerbread in the Dom Berga cafe.
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