Russian Travel Guide

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Тюменская область

The Novgorod veche

Just what is the Novgorodian Assembly? It is a legislative body that can be compared to the modern-day State Duma. In Novgorod the highest authority of power was the people’s assembly, which was called the «Veche». There citizens discussed the most important issues concerning domestic and foreign policies – questions such as the crowning and expulsion of princes, instances of war and peace and unions with other states. Nowadays there is a bright theatrical show of the same name taking place in Veliky Novgorod. The modern Novgorodian «Veche» helps guests to immerse themselves in the past. There tourists can see how the old «Novgorodka» coin was minted, taste classic Novgorodian cuisine and try on outfits boyars once wore.

A View from On High. The Church Architecture of Ancient Rus

A church is like a model of a perfectly harmonious, resplendent world. And those who built them tried to inspire all visitors to sense the presence of God in it. Russia’s earliest stone churches were created by Byzantine architects in the 10th and 11th centuries. They were followed by many more, designed by Russian architects who interpreted the Byzantine canons in their own way. The exterior appearance of churches is strongly influenced by political and economic changes in society. Novgorod offers a good example of this. As soon as Novgorod completed its transition from a principality to a democratically ruled republic, its majestic cathedrals gave way to small single-dome churches built by merchant communities and neighbourhood residents. Studying the story of church architecture is akin to reading the pages of a book on Russian history. During precarious historic events, suc...