{"id":599,"date":"2017-09-19T07:21:54","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T07:21:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/?p=599"},"modified":"2024-01-06T12:59:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T12:59:55","slug":"visit-veliky-novgorod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/visit-veliky-novgorod\/","title":{"rendered":"Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Around 180 kilometers south of St. Petersburg we can find Veliky Novgorod, the oldest city in Russia, whose historical center is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it\u2019s quite worth a visit. I\u2019ll explain you how to get there and what to see.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Veliky<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Veliky Novgorod<\/strong> is a beautiful city of about 230,000 inhabitants, located about 180 kilometers south of St. Petersburg, known as “The Birthplace of Russia” or “The Oldest City of Russia”, as it was in this city, in 862, where Prince Rurik proclaimed the modern Russian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until the year 1478, the city was called Gospodin Veliky Novgorod (‘Lord Novgorod the Great’), and till 1999 its official name was Novgorod, an abbreviated name by which this city is usually known (not to be confused with Nizhny Novgorod).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was one of the most important cities of Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages<\/strong> and was the only principality that was saved from Mongolian dominion after the Mongolian invasion of Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this city, located on the banks of the Voljov River<\/strong>, we can find the Cathedral of Saint Sophia<\/strong>, built between 1045 and 1052, and it is considered the oldest city in Russia<\/strong>. It is part of the historical center of the city, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992, and it is located inside the Kremlin of the city. This city is also the birthplace of famous composer Sergei Rachmaninoff<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novgorod is a very popular weekend destination<\/strong> for St. Petersburg residents and is also very popular with tourists visiting the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, who also are taking advantage of the route between the two to make a stop in this ancient city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. How to get there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The city is located at around 180 kilometers southeast of St. Petersburg and about 524 kilometers northwest of Moscow. You can get there by train, bus or car. The easiest and quickest way is by train: from Saint Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod it takes around 3 hours and from Moscow the journey is about 5 hours. From the Novgorod railway station you can reach the city center by walking in about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n