Saint Nicholas Cathedral (russian: Николо-Дворищенский собор, ''Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral'', ''Saint Nicholas Cathedral on Yaroslav's Court''), founded by
Mstislav the Great in 1113 and consecrated in 1136, is the oldest surviving building in the central part of
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ...
after the
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom (''Hagia Sophia'', also rendered ''Saint Sophia'') include:
See also
{{commons category, Holy Wisdom churches
* Sophia of Rome#Churches, for churches named after Saint Sophia of Rome
* Sofia Church (disambiguati ...
.
The Saint Nicholas Cathedral is on the
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
list as a part of object 604
Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings
Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings is a composite World Heritage Site which includes a number of medieval monuments in and around Veliky Novgorod, Russia. The site was inscribed in 1992.
History
Novgorod between the 9th and the 15th c ...
. The cathedral was designated by the Russian government as an architectural monument of federal significance (#5310046007).
History
The cathedral is located outside of the
kremlin walls, on the right bank of the
Volkhov River
The Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is a river in Novgorodsky and Chudovsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast and Kirishsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia. It connects Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga and forms pa ...
at the
Yaroslav's Court
Yaroslav's Court (russian: Ярославово Дворище, ''Yaroslavovo Dvorishche'') was the princely compound in the city of Novgorod the Great. Today it is roughly the area around the Trade Mart, the St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Church of ...
. It was founded by
Mstislav, the prince of Novgorod, in 1113, however, the construction took over twenty years, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1136, when Novgorod was already a
republic.
Presumably, the cathedral was supposed to serve the residence of the prince located at the Yaroslav's Court and was connected to the residence. Mstislav was the Prince of Novgorod between 1097 and 1117, and during his tenure he founded a big number of churches. The completion date for the cathedral is not known precisely, however the cathedral was completed and consecrated by 1136. Chronicles mention that in this year Prince
Sviatoslav Olgovich Sviatoslav Olgovich (russian: Святослав Ольгович; died February 14, 1164) was the Prince of Novgorod (1136–1138); Novgorod-Seversky (1139); Belgorod Kievsky (1141–1154); and Chernigov (1154–1164). He was the son of Oleg Sv ...
was betrothed in the cathedral.
Since the 13th century, the cathedral belonged to the city of Novgorod rather than to the prince, and
veche
Veche ( rus, вече, véče, ˈvʲet͡ɕe; pl, wiec; uk, ві́че, víče, ; be, ве́ча, viéča, ; cu, вѣще, věšte) was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries.
In Novgorod and in Pskov, where the veche acquired gr ...
was held near the cathedral. It was mentioned as cathedral in the 17th century. The cathedral was renovated several times in the 18th and the 19th centuries, as well as in 1913. Since 1933 it was open both as a church and as a museum. During the German occupation of Novgorod in World War II, it served as a barrack and was badly damaged. In 1945 the cathedral was returned to Russian Orthodox Church, however, since 1962 it was functioning only as a museum. In 1994–1999 the cathedral was extensively restored.
Architecture
The cathedral is roughly squared in cross-section and has one
dome. The roof is supported by four
pillars
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
. It is known that in the middle of the 17th century the cathedral had five domes. Apparently, the roof was considerably altered during one of the restorations in the end of the 17th century. Additional volumes were built at the northern (in 1822) and the western (1809) sides of the cathedral.
Frescoes
Fragments of original frescoes from the 12th century have survived. The best preserved fragment depicts
Job
Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...
.
References
External links
* {{cite web , url= http://www.russiancity.ru/text/nov03.htm , script-title=ru:Николо-Дворищенский собор (Никольский собор на Ярославовом Дворище) в Великом Новгороде. Архитектура и история., language=Russian, publisher=Русский город, year=2003 , accessdate=5 March 2012
Buildings and structures completed in 1136
12th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings
Russian Orthodox churches in Veliky Novgorod
Russian Orthodox cathedrals in Russia
Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings
Medieval Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Russia
Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Novgorod Oblast