Znamensky Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod photo

The big Cathedral of the Virgin of the Sign (Znamensky) is on Ilyina Street, in the trading quarter of Novgorod the Great. Now it is a monumental fresco painting museum where you can see the well-preserved frescoes of 1702. The Church of the Transfiguration, which is famous for the frescoes of Theophanes the Greek, is near the cathedral.

The Znamensky Cathedral with a bell tower and a courtyard (podvorye) was laid down in 1682. You can enter the courtyard through the Holy Gate. As the cathedral was built by a Moscow artel it differs from the older churches of Novgorod. The influence of the Moscow architectural style is very noticeable.

In spite of fires and damages, which were caused to the Znamensky Cathedral during the World II, there remained important monumental frescoes on all walls of the cathedral. The frescoes were painted by the icon painters of the Moscow Armoury Chamber in 1702.

The frescoes covering the western wall of the cathedral are mainly the scenes of the Last Judgment, with one figure strongly resembling Peter I. On the southern and northern walls of the cathedral you can see both the scenes from the Creed and the Gospels, and the figures of the saints, which were venerated in Novgorod.