Rurikovo Gorodische, Veliky Novgorod: address, photo and reviews

Veliky Novgorod is a city where there is no shortage of sights. It has long been one of the most visited places on the map of our country and continues to delight archaeologists with new finds that shed light on the history of Ancient Rus. Many of them were made in the territory of the Rurik town of Gorodische, from which the Great Novgorod originated.

History of the archaeological site

Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod), a photo of which is presented below, scientists began to study since the beginning of the last century. The first excavations were carried out by the archaeologist N. Polyansky. In the summer of 1910, his expedition was replaced by a group of researchers headed by the artist-philosopher N. Roerich, and from 1975 to this day (with interruptions) work there is the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of EN Nosov.

As a result of research in the vicinity of Gorodische such ancient cultural layers as:

• The remains of the Neolithic site (2-3 millennium BC),
• Settlement of the Iron Age (the first millennium BC).

The most significant archaeological finds made at the site of ancient settlement

In studies of cultural layers of the 9-11th centuries, scientists discovered many items of clothing and military equipment. Birch bark letters of various contents, several princely seals of lead, three treasures of dirhams, a large number of Arab, Byzantine and Western European coins, glass, carnelian and crystal beads, as well as slices of almonds and walnut shells were also found. All these artifacts testify to the active trade ties of the Novgorodians with the neighboring and distant states of medieval Europe and Asia.

During the excavations, parts of the weights, weights, Frisian crests, wooden toy swords, weights from weaving looms, glass traditional ancient Russian bracelets, counting tags, spindles, covers and birchbark donuts, amphora shards and much more were also discovered.

Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod) again made itself speak in 2003, when they found a birch bark letter, which is a fragment of a letter from several brothers to their parents, in which the Novgorod prince was mentioned.

The Varyag trace

According to the number of Scandinavian finds, Rurikovo Gorodische, along with the historic settlement Gnezdov, located on the banks of the Dnieper, is the richest of those excavated in Eastern Europe. These two objects directly follow the most famous centers of Scandinavia Birka and Hedeby. Of particular interest are ritual objects and ornaments. Among them shell-like, equilateral and ring-shaped brooches, 2 bronze pendants on which there are runic inscriptions, iron hryvnia with symbols of hammers Tor, silver Valkyrie figurine, etc.

Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod): the history of the foundation

The most famous mention of this object can be found in the "Tale of Bygone Years". According to one of the interpretations of this historical document, in 862 the inhabitants of the lands on which Novgorod the Great Novgorod was subsequently founded, called the Varangian Rurik to rule on his land. In place of the hillfort was built a prince's residence in the form of a fortress settlement, in which he lived and his squad. She was in the source of the Volkhov, right on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks".

Further history of Ryurikov Gorodishche

In the 9-10 centuries the princely residence on the bank of the Volkhov became the first settlement in the region of modern Veliky Novgorod, ie, the Old Town. It occupied a relatively small area (6 - 7 hectares) on a hill, which was located on an island in the midst of a floodplain floodplain. The width of the site of the ancient settlement reached 8 meters, and the height - 5 meters.

The central part of the Rurik settlement was fortified with a rampart with wooden structures and was protected by a moat. The settlement had an extremely advantageous location, as it was surrounded by water borders, and from the height of its hill it was easy to trace the passage of vessels from the Volkhov River to Lake Ilmen.

Opposite the fortress was a pagan sanctuary - Peryn. Judging by the archaeological findings, a significant part of the population of the site of ancient settlement was engaged in crafts, including bronze casting, bone carving,

Ancient settlement after the tenth century

In 990, the hillfort, retaining the role of the princely residence, ceded the function of the socio-economic center of the region to a settlement that arose around the episcopal court.

After the uprising of the Novgorodians in 1136, the residence of the prince continued to reside on its territory. However, it was under the control of the posadnik, in charge of which was Veliky Novgorod.

Rurikovo Gorodische (address Novgorodsky district, village Gorodishche) in due time became a place where the childhood of the future prince Alexander Nevsky has passed. There, in different periods of history, Dmitry Donskoy, Vasily the Dark, Ivan the Third and Ivan the Terrible stayed or stayed.

The Church of the Annunciation

Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod) is also interesting because of the ruins of a church from the beginning of the 12th century. In 1103 it was founded by the son of Vladimir Monomakh and the ruler of Novgorod Mstislav Vladimirovich. The Temple of the Annunciation became the second after St. Sophia stone building of the city and there was moved the prince's residence. He, along with St. Nicholas and St. George's Cathedral (St. George's Monastery), was built by Peter - the first Russian architect mentioned in the annals.

In 1342-1343, a new one was erected on the site of the dilapidated church, which stood for 600 years, until enemy artillery bombarded it during the Second World War. The ruins of the Church of the Annunciation give a visual representation of the damage that was inflicted on the cultural heritage of our country during the invasion of fascist hordes.

"The Princely Stone"

Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod) became one of the main centers of the solemn celebration of the 1 150th anniversary of the Russian statehood. On September 22, 2012, the opening of the Princes' Stone was held on the territory of the historical monument. It is a huge boulder weighing about 40 tons. It is engraved with a quote from the well-known Radzivilovo Chronicle, which testifies to the important role of the ancient settlement in the history of Russia.

Veliky Novgorod, Rurikovo ancient settlement: how to reach by car

This iconic landmark can be reached by private or public transport. If you follow in Rurikovo Gorodische (Veliky Novgorod), how to drive by car, you will be prompted by pointers. More recently, before him laid out the road with yellow sandstone. This means that if you turn from the Moscow-Velikiy Novgorod highway to Sholokhov, go to Spas-Neredits and then go to the barrier, then it takes only 2-3 minutes to walk to the ruins.

Prior to Ryurikov Gorodische, you can also take bus number 186 (departure time at 7:25, 8:25, 14:00, 19:05), next to the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa. Going out at the last stop, you need to return to the highway and walk along the bulkhead to the Volkhov River. Then you need to turn left and follow the paved path along the river to the very point of interest.

In the summer months on Volkhov walks on the ship "Veche" are held, the program of which includes visiting Rurik settlement. The schedule of excursions: at 11:00 on Saturdays and at 14:15 - on Sundays.

Reviews

According to the testimony of those who already traveled along the route Veliky Novgorod-Ryurikovo Gorodishche (distance in km from the center is 2), after laying a new road there it is possible to get there without any problems on the car of any brand. The exceptions are the periods of bottling the Volkhov River, when visiting this landmark is not recommended.

Positive feedback is usually devoted to the magnificent species that open from the hill of the site of ancient settlement to the water surface, as well as to the Kremlin and the Yuryev Monastery. In addition, a sightseeing trip can be combined with rest on the beach and a picnic with barbecue in the recreation area, located next to the landmark. As for the comments of tourists, many travelers claim that the whole impression of visiting the former residence of Rurik spoils the cemetery located next door. In addition, some visitors note that, although this place certainly has great excursion potential, while it can be attributed to the number of objects of interest to tourists with great difficulty.

Now you know what comparatively little-known sights you can see when you go to Veliky Novgorod. Rurikovo An ancient settlement that can be reached both by Volkhov and by road, is a landmark place where Russian statehood originated, that's why it's worthwhile to visit everyone who cares about the history of his country.