Regions of Russia: Book exhibition “Sources of Novgorod historic topography”

The book exhibition “Sources of Novgorod historic topography”, which is opening at the reading room of Novgorod Regional Scientific Library, highlights two jubilees celebrated in 2011, related to the name of Ivan Ivanovich Krasov. These are - 190th anniversary of birth of the famous local historian and 160 years since publication of his work “On location of ancient Novgorod” - the first study on the historic topography of Novgorod.

The exhibition is running at the library’s reading room from September 1 through October 15.

Ivan Krasov, graduate of St. Petersburg University, from 1844 to 1851 was the senior teacher of Latin and History at Novgorod boys’ school that bore the name of Alexander I. In 1851 he defended the master’s thesis “On location of ancient Novgorod”, which was issued the same year in Novgorod Province press.

This monograph became the first specialized history and topography work focused on Veliky Novgorod, which was based on the principles of complex source study. The book describes the layout of ancient Novgorod, gives a detailed description of Novgorod Kremlin (Detinets) and five outskirts of the city, offers the alphabetic index of streets, churches and monasteries.

I. I. Krasov studied a wide scope of written sources dated to 16th-17th cc. and made his historic and topographic conclusions. Principles of complex source study which underlie the studies of I.I. Krasov, were developed to the full only in 20th century.

The exhibition puts on show publications on topography of ancient Novgorod by prominent historians and archeologists V. L. Yanin, B. D. Grekov, S. N. Orlov, V. A. Burov, M. I. Zhikh and publications on the life and career of the pedagogue and local historian I. I. Krasov.