Novgorod the Great, the playground of endless festive events of this year, is one of the oldest Russian cities with amazing history and numerous historical buildings. The oldest one is the 11th century St. Sophia cathedral, the heart of the ancient Novgorod and the earliest church on the territory of Russia. The city is situated on north-west of the country, not far from St. Petersburg. Before the foundation of St. Petersburg Novgorod was the main centre of contacts with the Western Europe. Novgorod was a member of Hanse, the cooperation of European commercial cities, centres of the international trade of the Middle Ages and early new time. Now Novgorod is also a member of revived new Hanse, and this year it became a place for Hanse days, happened on June, 18 - 21. The event included international economical forum, concerts, festivals, exhibitions. They say that everything passed happily. Now Novgorod has a little time to prepare for a new happening, the celebration of the 1150 jubilee of Novgorod the Great, which will take place on September.

Although the Hanse days happened there one month before, the city still looks like on the Saturday morning. The rests of the grandiose action, like banners with logotypes of Hanse are still to be noticed in the streets. The houses, shops and office buildings are being restored, and the city reminds the flat, which is being cleaned up after the big crowd of guests. The walls of the Detinets, the Novgorod Kremlin were covered by the falseworks and workers.

The medieval churches, e.g. the Transfiguration church on the Ylyina Street (famous with the 14th century frescoes of Theophanous the Greek, one of the most talented medieval painters of the orthodox lands) is invisible under the green safety net, but opened for visitors every day, except Mondays. And so on. The party was a gasser, but it is not the end.

Even though all it looks like cleaning up the apartment after a big evening, the city is not liquidating the consequences, it is preparing to one more celebration, to 1150 jubilee of Novgorod the Great. It happens on September, 19 – 22, 2009. Some of the festive events will take place in October.

The feast will return, but in small, without scores of foreign delegations, 500 thousand tourists from Russia and Europe and historical ship parade. The laser and light show above the river of Volkhov, fireworks, different conferences, concerts, exhibitions and stage shows will take place. An after party of 1150 jubilee can give opportunities to realize ideas, which were not materialized during the Hanse days, but in quieter atmosphere.

To summarize, Novgorod the Great is waiting for the guests after the Hanse days, now, and especially in September. If you haven’t visited the grandiose festival events of 29th Hanse days, you are welcome to see another one, not so official, large and expensive, but also fascinating and maybe demonstrating the local color of medieval Russian city more distinctively, than the international Hanse days. I’d like to consider the festive events of the jubilee like after party of the Hanse days, like the continuation of the big feast, which could be not less amazing than the feast itself.

The information is acute till September, 2009.

Source:

    www.visitnovgorod.ru

    1150.novgorod.ru