Webinar of Presidential Library tells about history of Veliky Novgorod

On November 27, 2024, at 10:30 the TV channel section of the Presidential Library will broadcast an online webinar titled Sovereign Lord Novgorod the Great. The event is dedicated to the 1165th anniversary of one of Russia's oldest cities, Veliky Novgorod, whose first chronicle reference dates back to 859.

The collection of the Presidential Library includes both scientific research and general works on the history and culture of Veliky Novgorod. These materials can be accessed in the library's electronic reading rooms, which are available in various regions of Russia and abroad. A selection of these materials can be found in the electronic collection Novgorod Region: Pages of History, which is accessible on the Presidential Library's portal.

During the webinar, attendees will learn about the appearance of the ancient Novgorod Republic, as described in the books Veche of Rus, or the Free City of Novgorod the Great, and Rus in Its Capitals: Novgorod.

The Veche, which was the highest authority in Novgorod, is mentioned in the books Novgorod Veche and Veche Court in Novgorod and Pskov.

The participants of the webinar will learn about the peculiarities of life in Novgorod - they will discover the complex relationships between the princes and the role of the church in the history of this city. Two books are dedicated to these topics: The Relations of Novgorod to the Grand Dukes and Essay on the Internal History of the Church in Veliky Novgorod.

Another book, The History of Economic Life of Veliky Novgorod, tells about the rich economy of ancient Novgorod and its merchants and trade relations. The work Oldest Contractual Documents of Novgorod with Germans: 1199 and 1263 provides information about trade relationships between Novgorod and other cities.

The main milestones of Novgorod's medieval history are explored in the work of historian Nikolai Kostomarov's Northern Russian National Rights during the Appanage-Veche Way of Life, presented in two volumes. Throughout its history, Novgorod had to repeatedly defend its independence against both Russian principalities and its Western neighbors. However, the greatest threat to Novgorod came from the Grand Dukes of Moscow. During the war between Moscow and Novgorod in 1477-1478, Novgorod lost its centuries-old independence, and thousands of Novgorodian families were relocated to other cities and villages in Russia.

Currently, Veliky Novgorod is one of the few cities that have preserved a living trace of rich medieval culture and art. The collection of the Presidential Library features the work of Dmitry Likhachev, highlighting the unique features of the life, literature, and art of Novgorodians from the 11th to 17th centuries.

The oldest preserved temple in central and northern Russia is the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod. It was built between 1045 and 1050, and has since become the urban planning and spiritual center of the city.

The St. Sophia Cathedral has been the subject of several studies, including an article written by A. Kapustina and reports from scientists at the Institute of History and Theory of Architecture. The work of Archimandrite Apollos (Alekseevsky) contains descriptions of ancient icons, religious artifacts, and brief information on sacred rites and events associated with the temple.

In addition, descriptions of valuable religious artifacts and relics stored within the church are presented in the book St. Sophia Cathedral of Novgorod.

Among the materials on Novgorod art in the Presidential Library's collection, we would like to draw your attention to the works of Archimandrite Makariy (Mirolyubov). These are two volumes of Archaeological Description of Church Antiquities in Novgorod and Its Surroundings. The first volume contains information about 64 churches and monasteries, while the second volume is dedicated to the description of church objects of historical and artistic value, such as icons, crosses and face sewing. Archimandrite Makar also authored a work on the St. George Monastery, including information about its structure, churches and shrines.

The history of Novgorod painting is detailed in the study by Igor Grabar on Russian painting of the pre-Petrine era. Nikodim Kondakov and Ivan Tolstoy also discuss the monumental paintings of Novgorod in their book Russian Antiquities in Monuments of Art.

During the webinar, participants will learn about the monumental paintings from ancient Novgorod and the best examples of Novgorod iconography.

The webinar Sovereign Lord Novgorod the Great will be held on November 27 at 10:30 (Moscow time) on the TV Channel section of the Presidential Library's portal online.

All information about past and future webinars,  as well as information about the electronic reading rooms, are available on the Presidential Library's portal under the Webinars section.