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From our in-house historian

Pervoe upominanie v letopisi � 859 god, odnako togda Novgorod byl uzhe bolshim gorodom. Skandinavskie sagi zovut ego Holmgard. V 862 zhiteli Novgoroda pryglasili sebe knjazja, kotoryj komandoval by ih vojskom. Eto byli Rjurik (vozmozhno, iz Danii ili s ostrova Rugen) i dva ego brata. Ih dinastia pravila na Rusi do 1598 goda.

V XI veke v Novgorode, voshedshem v sostav objedinennoj Rusi, pravili starshie synovja kievskih knjazej. S 1136 goda po 1478 god � respublika. V XIII-XV vekah � samyj bogatyj gorod Rusi. Kupcy Novgoroda torgovali so vsej Evropoj. Prakticheski kazhdyj zhitel umel chitat i pisat (redkost dlja Evropy togo vremeni). Novgorodskie iskateli prikluchenij v XII-XV vekah obsledovali Ural, Zapadnuju Sibir, Shpitzbergen. Novgorodskoe vojsko vo glave s knjazem Alexandrom Nevskim razbilo shwedov v 1240 na Neve, Tevtonskih rycarej v 1242 na Chudskom ozere, livonskih rytsarej - v 1268 pod Rakvere (nyneshnjaja Estonia).

Razgrom Novgoroda, kotoryj ne tronuli tatary, proizvel tsar Ivan Groznyj v XVI veke (pochti odnovremenno s Varfolomeevskoj nochju v Parizhe). Bylo ubito neskolko tysjach chelovek, v osnovnom zazhitochnye ludi, kupcy i mastera. Ivan zakazal po nim panihidu v hramah, napisav: �Pomjani, Gospodi, rabov tvoih chislom 2430, a imena ih Ty, Gospodi, sam znaesh!�

V 1611-1617 godah Novgorod byl zahvachen Shvecijej, no potom vozvrashen Rossii.

V gody II World War hramy I ulicy goroda silno postradali. Germanskie soldaty razgrabili mnogo muzeev I uvezli sotni ikon.  

S 1951 goda v Novgorode pri raskopkah nahodjat desjatki berestjanyh gramot � pisem XI-XIV vekov, kotorye pisali obychnye ludi I dazhe deti.

Comment supplied by the famous Vovchik of Ryazan

Novgorod-the-Great
(not to be confused with Nizhny Novgorod)

Novgorod associations: trade, democracy, ruthless Moscow tzars, should be taken away from Russia

Where is Novgorog? 180 or so kilometers (120 miles) south-west from St. Petersburg. ... hours by bus from ... or ...... by train..... Since most people arrive to Novgorod from St. Petersburg, please remember that St. Petersburg is a touristy place, with strain and bus stations turning wild during high season.

The Kremlin is the main tourist attraction. Unlike its Moscow counterpart the Novgorod Kremlin is open to the public

Accommodation

• Train station guest rooms. Second floor of the train station. Saturated with cigarette smoke but cheap. Foreigners are not officially allowed but if you have at least one Russian passport with you they will let you in no problem. If you don't they will not leave you out on a rainy night, don't worry.

• Village homestay offered through a go-between. I WOULD LOVE TO ADD REAL PEOPLE WHOM CAN BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY. HINTS, INFO IN NOVGOROD OR ANYWHERE ELSE APPRECIATED!!!!

• 50km from Novgorod, on the Moscow to St. Petersburg highway, stay at the Hotel Lubava. For budget travellers and even more for the connoisseurs of Soviet-era minimalist charm and giant live plants in the lobby.

Safely. ........

Novgorod-the-Great in the Internet, in English

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[Sketch of Novgorod, showing the places mentioned, in English and Russian]

Report prepared ............ Updated ..................