1150th anniversary of Novgorod - some historical notes

In 2009, Novgorod celebrates 1150 years since it was first mentioned in 859 in the most ancient national annals — the Russian Primary Chronicle. From the very outset till the present days, Novgorod has been embedded as “the father of Russian cities” in the national memory.

Likewise, modern Russian historians view the city as the birthplace of the Russian state which grew out of the tribal union of Ilmensky Slaves, dating back to the mid-9th century. At that time, the North-West of Russia, whose rivers connect the Baltic, the Black and the Caspian Seas, became an area of active transit trade between Europe, the Arabian East and the Byzantine Empire. The central point of the northern part of these trade routes including the notable route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” was located at the head of the Volkhov. As stated in the chronicles, it is the head of the Volkhov, the present-day Novgorod’s location, is where Prince Rurik — the forefather of the grand princes’ and tsars’ dynasty governing Russia up until the end of the 16th century — was invited by the coalition of Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes in 862.
From the very infancy, the Russian state created by Rurik and its descendents in the 9th to the 10th centuries had two centers: Novgorod and Kiev. The centers had different political orientations. Novgorod was more inclined to the Baltic region, while Kiev sided with the Byzantine world. The archaeological research conducted in these most ancient Russian centers proved the cities to have different lifestyles and modes of home building. Furthermore, the Novgorodian birch bark letters provided ample evidence of the substantial differences between the dialects of the Novgorodians and the Kievans.
As opposed to Kiev and other principalities of Southern Russia, from the very beginning, the prince’s power in Novgorod was governed by the contract (ryad) and for the most part restricted to judicial and military functions. Subsequently, this peculiarity of the Novgorod life developed into the custom to invite and dismiss princes at the discretion of the Novgorodians. It also gave rise to such forms of the local self-government as the Veche, election of posadniks, tysyatskies and even Archbishops. From the second half of the 12th century, the government of the city and its vast lands was gradually acquiring republican forms, and Novgorod was becoming one of the most economically developed and influential regions in Europe.
The location of Novgorod on the main trade routes between the South and the North, the West and the East determined the welfare of its citizens. And, the city’s extensive dealings with other countries laid the foundation for the richest culture evolved under a great variety of Eurasian influence. This means not only moral and material but also political culture, the culture based on the high-level education and openness of the city.
Novgorod is known as one of the original centers of the Christianization of the Russian lands, with the oldest eparchy in the country. During the period of the Christian church schism, the eparches of Novgorod distinguished themselves as successful advocates of the Orthodox and were thus consecrated to the Order of Archbishops. The Novgorodian Archbishops had a special headgear, called white klobuk, which was carried to Novgorod from Constantinople in the 14th century. Today, it is a distinguishing sign of the Russian Patriarchs. Novgorod the Great is also widely known to have played a highly important role in defending the north-western frontiers of Russia in the 13th to the 14th centuries. Its successful fighting against the Crusades and withstanding the Swedish expansion and Lithuanian raids enabled the country to retain not only its independence but also the Orthodox as the official state ideology and the basis of the national consciousness.
Furthermore, the city is the oldest center of the Russian education. In 1030, the first school in Russia was opened here by Yaroslav the Wise. This initiative prompted the wide spread of literacy among the Novgorodians, which is certified by many birch bark letters. In the 11th to the 12th centuries, after several decades of the Christianization, the population of Novgorod was nearly 100 % literate. The texts of more than 973 birch bark letters found in Novgorod suggest that the Novgorodians maintained lively business correspondence with each other, drew up debentures, testaments and exchanged love letters.
Novgorod is also associated with the roots of the Russian science, that is, the mathematical treatise on the calculation of the Christian calendar written by the monk Kirik in 1136.
In the mid-13th century, Novgorod escaped the Mongol devastation, thus preserving not only its population but also the whole culture and a pure Russian language. All these attributes were in great demand during the reunification of the Russian principalities under the dominion of Moscow. In the 14th to the 15th centuries, Novgorod became a member of the Hansa — the largest trade union in Europe composed of trading guilds from North European countries. Along with trading post in London, Brugge and Antwerp, the Hansa had two foreign representative offices in the medieval Novgorod: a German post and a Gothic post.
In the late 16th century, Novgorod entered the age of the utmost almost century-long economic and social crisis. During the Time of Troubles, from 1611 to 1617, Novgorod was totally desolated by the invasion of Swedish troops. Upon signing the Peace Treaty of Stolbovo, regarded as humiliating for Russia, Novgorod became a city-fortress — a guard of the North-Western Russian frontiers, with practically all economic resources used for enhancing the defensive capacity of the city. Nevertheless, Novgorod continued to be one of the country’s spiritual centers. This is where the Patriarch Nikon set his reforms in motion, and Pheophan Prokopovich carried out the enlightening activities.
Compared to the age of the Novgorod Republic, Novgorod in the period from the 18th to the 20th century can’t boast many bright moments and personalities. At the same time, its history then is associated with such distinguished people as A.A. Arakcheev, A.I. Gertsen, S.V. Rakhmaninov, N.A. Nekrasov, G.I. Uspensky, M.Yu. Lermontov and others.
In the course of the World War II, Novgorod and the Oblast suffered grievous losses getting deprived of not only the economic potential and architectural monuments but also the indigenous people. The city was revived in the 1940s to the 1960s to become the embodiment of the ancient Russian history again. But, it still requires another series of restoration works which will allow to reveal the total of its cultural and historical richness and incorporate its invaluable monuments into the modern life of Novgorod and Russia.
In 1992, under the decree of UNESCO World Heritage Committee Session XVI the unique historic and cultural monuments of Novgorod and its surroundings were inscribed to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In 1999, the ancient name Velikiy Novgorod (Novgorod the Great) was given back to the city.
Today, Velikiy Novgorod and Novgorod Oblast are an economically developed region in the North-West of Russia. It is found attractive by investors and partners not only from the adjacent Russian regions but also from other countries. The natural potential of Novgorod Oblast sustaining its economic and cultural development is derived from the deep-rooted historical traditions, the historical and cultural heritage and the rates of the economic growth.
In 2009, Velikiy Novgorod marks the 1150th anniversary. This is believed to become a large-scale spiritual and political event of national and international significance.