Novgorod Kremlin in Veliky Novgorod

The Novgorod Kremlin (also Detinets) is the most interesting place in the city. It is located in the center of the city on the river Volkhov. The first records of it date back to the 11 century. Inside the Kremlin is the most ancient Russian church, the Cathedral of St. Sophia and the bell tower, as well as the Monument to the Thousand Years of Russia.

By all means should you have a walk on the walls of the Novgorod Kremlin. All walls and towers of the Kremlin survived in perfect condition. Their length is 1.3 km, so one hour will be quite enough to look round the Kremlin and admire the views of the river Volkhov. All towers have their names, for example, Dvortsovaya, Spasskaya, Knyazhaya and so on. The most curious of them are the Kokuy Tower and the Metropolitan Tower with the attached Clock Tower.

In 1862, in the presence of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, at the center of the Novgorod Kremlin there was installed the Monument to the Thousand Years of Russia». It was installed there a thousand years after the year of 862, when the prince Ryurik who founded the Rurik Dynasty, which ruled Kievan Rus until the 17th century.

There are two very interesting museums in the Novgorod Kremlin, the museum in the former Public Office Building, and the Episcopal Palace (Chamber of Facets). The Public Office Building is the main building of the Novgorod State United Museum. It houses exhibitions devoted to the history of Novgorod land and the Russian icon-painting of 11-19 centuries. In the Episcopal Palace, you can see collections of church utensils. It is also one of the most ancient stone buildings in Russia.