Russian Travel Guide

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Города. Москва

The View From Up On High. The Churches of Veliky Novgorod

It is better to die than to allow one’s gods to be insulted,” the people of Novgorod stated, resisting attempts to convert them from their pagan beliefs to Christianity. In the face of this opposition, Prince Vladimir’s envoys resorted to brute force. With fire and the sword. It was in this way that Novgorod was brought round to the Christian faith in the 10th century. But a new strength was born out of that fire. Christianity united the different tribes and groups. Two centuries later, the majority of the churches in this medieval city were part of a vast monastery. Every community in Novgorod had its own church – the inhabitants of each neighborhood in the city, even streets, merchants working in the different trades, aristocratic families. The church signified heavenly patronage and affirmed the existence of the community within the sacral space of the city. The history and architectu...

Yuri Molodkovets — the Hermitage's chief photographer

Yury Molodkovets is the head photographer at The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, a treasury of world art. There his primary job is to capture the museum’s paintings and sculptures on film, which will later be printed in various catalogues, posters, albums and postcards. In doing this Molodkovets’ goal is not to add his own interpretation and expression, but rather to catch and transfer the beauty and interpretation the pieces’ original authors hoped to portray. Even though the photographer is subject to such strict conditions, his constant interaction with such world-caliber works have undoubtedly had a strong impact on Molodkovets’ inner world. This is one of the reasons that he considers the Hermitage to be his most important and influential teacher. Molodkovets is a recognised expert at being able to see the art and beauty in the simple things which surround u...