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Coordinates: 58°31′18″N, 31°16′34″E

Cathedral of St. Sophia

The Cathedral of St. Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in the Kremlin of the city of Velikiy Novgorod was constructed from 1045 to 1052 and is the oldest church building in Russia.

The five-domed stone cathedral was built by Vladimir of Novgorod on behest of his father, Yaroslav the Wise, as a sign of gratitude to Novgorodians for their support of Yaroslav's struggle for Kiev. It replaced an even older wooden, 13-domed church built in 989. The sixth (and the largest) dome crowns a tower which leads to a rood-loft.

The cupolas are thought to have acquired their present helmet-like shape in the 1150s, when the cathedral was restored after a fire. The interior was painted in the 11th and 12th centuries, but those frescoes are hardly visible now in consequence of frequent fires. In the 1860s, parts of the interior had to be repainted. A white stone belltower in five bays was added sometime in the 15th century. The nearby clocktower was completed by 1673.

From the 12th to the 15th century, the cathedral was a ceremonial and spiritual centre of the Novgorod Republic, which sprawled from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains. Novgorodians were exceedingly proud of their church, boasting that their independence would continue as long as the St. Sophia stands.

During the Nazi occupation of Novgorod, the Kremlin was heavily damaged from the battles and during from the Nazi abuse. However, the cathedral itself survived. The large cross on the main dome was removed by Spanish infantry. For over 60 years it resided in the Madrid's Military Engineering Academy Museum, until November 16, 2004 when it was handed over back to the Russian Orthodox Church by the Spanish minister of defense José Bono.

Up-close view of a portion of the main gate sculpture.

Novgorod's St. Sophia was the first Slavic church in which local divergences from Byzantine pattern were made so evident. With its austere walls, narrow windows, the church is redolent of Romanesque architecture of Western Europe, rather than of Greek churches built at that time.

The Novgorod cathedral also differs strikingly from its namesake and contemporary in Kiev. As one art historian put it, the Kiev cathedral is a bride, whereas the Novgorod cathedral is a warrior. Its decoration is minimal, the use of brick is limited, and the masses are arranged vertically rather than horizontally. These features proved to be influential with Novgorod masters of the next generation, as the Yuriev Monastery Cathedral (1119) and the Antoniev Monastery Cathedral (1117) clearly show.

There are several mysteries concerning the main cathedral gates. Traditionally, they were said to be brought to Novgorod by Saint Vladimir from Korsun in Crimea as part of the so-called Korsun Treasure. While some icons from the Korsun Treasure may still be seen in the cathedral, the original gate has been replaced on several occasions. The gate donated to the cathedral in 1335 by Archbishop Basil was transferred at the behest of Ivan III to his residence in Alexandrov near Moscow, where they still may be seen. The current bronze doors, although still called Korsunskie, are said to have been snatched by Novgorodian pirates from the Swedish town of Sigtuna in 1187. In fact, they were wrought and sculptured by Magdeburg masters, most likely in the 1150s, and were acquired by the Novgorodians towards the end of the 15th century. They are opened only twice per year for special occasions.

The cathedral is 38 meters tall.