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Historical places in Novgorod for tourists

During its long time and its history, Novgorod (Russia) was reconstructed, re-planned and reorganized many times. Wooden buildings were gradually replaced by the stone ones, the cathedral of St. Sophia the Wisdom of God being the first stone building in medieval Novgorod. Unfortunately, many monuments of architecture did not survive centuries of changes and wars. The city suffered considerable damage from the troops of Ivan the Terrible, from Swedish occupants and especially during the World War II. Eventually, out of two hundred churches only 38 survived, although their number is still quite impressive compared to other Russian cities. Some of the churches are functioning as temples, and others are open for visiting as sites of interest.

Churches and monasteries are the major attractions of Veliky Novgorod. Other cultural sites include Historical Museum, Museum of Visual Arts, and a marvelous open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture "Vitoslavlitsy". Temporary and permanent exhibitions of visual and applied arts and handicrafts are open. In 1992, architectural monuments of Veliky Novgorod were included in the World Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO.