National Museums Veliky Novgorod

Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod region, Veliky Novgorod, Kremlin, 4
Phones: +7(8162) 77-37-70
Web site: novgorodmuseum.ru

The main administrative institution of the Novgorod province in the 18th - 19th centuries. The provincial architect V. S. Polivanov developed the project of Novgorod State United Museum. Here were the county treasury, criminal and civil courts, the treasury chamber, the Order of the Public Charity, the provincial drafting and other organizations.
The cellars were occupied by wine "shops" - warehouses.
The monument in its modern form is a typical building of the classicism era. Currently, the building houses the main expositions of the Novgorod State United Museum.

Among the unique antiquities you can also see the first Russian book – «The Novgorod Psalter» – and the famous birch bark letters that have preserved the ancient Novgorodians’ «voices». The world's largest exposition of Russian icons, covering the period of the 11th – 19th centuries, is situated on the museum’s second floor. Among the masterpieces are the oldest icon of Saints Peter and Paul from St. Sophia Cathedral, "The Miracle of Our Lady of the Sign" and the first signed icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker by Alex Petrov. For the first time visitors can see a part of the sphragistics and numismatics collections, the third largest in Russia. More than two hundred seals and thousands of coins tell about the establishment of the authority of the State.

1. The world's largest exposition of Russian icons.
2. Novgorod archeology. Among the unique exhibits - original fragments of wooden pavements, which appeared earlier than the pavements of London and Paris.
3. Legendary birch bark letters – the ancient Novgorodians’ letters of the XII - XIV centuries.
4. The third largest collection of numismatics in Russia - coins of the X - XVIII centuries.
5. A. I. Herzen walked for duty to this building during his exile. He used the symbol of Vechevoy Novgorod in the title of his newspaper «The Bell».