Novgorod the Great — a Treasury of the Millennial Russian Culture and the Most Ancient Center of Orthodox Russia

Novgorod is known as one of the original centers of Christianity spread across the Russian lands. In 990, the first Bishop of Novgorod, Ioakim Korsunyanin, came there from Kiev. In 1045 to 1050, the first stone St. Sophia cathedral was built, indicating the Christianization of Northern Russia to be accomplished. One of the most important Christianization outcomes was an increase in the literacy of the city populace, foremost their knowledge of the Word of God. Pray was an indispensable part of the Novgorodians’ everyday life. Birch bark documents with religious notes are quite a frequent finding of archeological excavations. One of the incredible things unearthed by archeologists in Novgorod is a birch bark book with words of the Dominical evening pray. In the mid-11th century, after the schism of the Christian church, Novgorod, which had close economic ties with Catholic Europe, found itself in front of the choice between two political and spiritual guides — Rome and Constantinople.

The Novgorodian eparchy is the oldest eparchy in Russia. Furthermore, the Novgorodian eparches are known for their successful struggle for Orthodox as the major religion of Russia during the period of the Christian church division. For their merits, the eparches were consecrated to the order of Archbishops. The Novgorodian Archbishops had a special headgear, called white klobuk, which was carried to Novgorod from Constantinople in the 14th century. Today, it is a distinguishing sign of the Russian Patriarchs.

In 1463, on the order of Archbishop of Novgorod Iona, the first Russian church of St. Sergius of Radonezh was erected in the Kremlin. Behind this church is a genuine history of relations between Novgorod and Moscow – the cities which have always felt an integral whole through the Orthodox unity, common past and future.

In the 16th century, in the infancy of the national ideology of Moscow Russia, the legend about Apostle Andrew walking in the lands of Novgorod in the 1st century became widely known. Under Peter the Great this legend was used as the basis for the symbol of the Russian Navy – St. Andrew’s or Andreevsky flag.