Novgorodskiĭ gosudarstvennyĭ obʺedinennyĭ muzeĭ-zapovednik, State museum and heritage site in Veliky Novgorod, Russia
The Novgorod State Museum is a multi-building complex housing extensive collections of Russian artifacts, medieval art, and archaeological discoveries spanning various periods. The collection is distributed across several historic structures and provides a detailed overview of the region's material culture and artistic development.
The museum was founded in 1865 by priest and archaeologist Nikolay Bogoslovsky and incorporates architectural monuments spanning several centuries within its grounds. These historic structures form the framework for the extensive collection and illustrate the long history of the city.
The collection displays Russian icons spanning several centuries alongside traditional woodcarvings, reflecting the connection between religious faith and local craftsmanship in this region. Visitors can observe how these works are arranged throughout the Faceted Archbishop Chamber and trace artistic development across different periods.
The museum spreads across several buildings on a large site, so plan time to explore the different areas. Signs help with navigation, and information is provided in several languages.
The museum preserves numerous birch bark manuscripts, ancient documents written on tree bark that offer rare insights into everyday life in medieval Novgorod. These fragile texts show how residents once composed letters, accounts, and notes.
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