An informative trip from St. Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod. On the way we will visit a very interesting but little known museum of forestry history and visit the house-museum of N.A. Nekrasov. In Veliky Novgorod we will see Rurik's ancient settlement and plunge into history of area in the Novgorod museum-reserve. The journey will seem fascinating to both adults and children.
Let's go to Veliky Novgorod. We will visit the Museum of the History of Forestry, which is based on the Lisinsk Forestry College. By the way, in the XIX century the Russian Emperor Alexander II liked to visit Lisinsk hunting grounds. We visit the estate of N.A. Nekrasov, where he spent time away from the city in summer and autumn.
The museum is located in a building that was built under Nicholas I in 1835. The expositions are unfolded in 7 halls, here you will be told about the architectural complex of the middle of the XIX century, created by the Russian architect N. Benois, which includes: Training building (1855), Imperial hunting palace (1860), the Church of origin of honest ancient cross of God (1862). The collections of two halls out of seven are devoted to the history of the Imperial and Grand Ducal hunting in Lisino from 1846 to 1916. Moreover, the museum exhibits artistic canvases and microdiaramas made by the talented animalist A. Blinkov. The museum works according to the schedule of the Lisinsky Forest College. On excursion it is possible to register in advance on [official site](http://spbftu.ru/muzejnyj-kompleks/muzej-lesovodstva-im-g-f-morozova/).
This estate was acquired by Mykola Oleksievych Nekrasov in 1871 and for 5 years he went here for the summer away from the hustle and bustle of the city - hunting and recreation. Here Nekrasov created a lot. "Fire", "Morning", "Despondency", "Woe of Old Naum", "Terrible Year", "Prophet" - all these works were written by him in Chudovo. It is worth visiting the museum with an excursion and admiring the interior decoration of the manor. Also near the house-museum there is an exhibition "Nekrasov and the Novgorod region", and a classroom of the XIX century was reconstructed. Working hours: from 10:00 to 17:00, day off - Monday.
Let's stop for a snack. Cozy place and prices do not bite!
The settlement is located near the Novgorod Kremlin, near the source of the Volkhov River. According to the "The Tale of Bygone Years", there was a princely residence here. However, the archaeological excavations date back to the time of the city settlement on this place VIII-IX centuries. In 2015, during the excavations of the ancient settlement fortifications, the expedition of the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences found a cultural layer of VIII-IX centuries with traces of fire. This discovery proved the existence of a settlement on this site even before the Vikings were called.
At the end of the day we will walk along the embankment, which bears the name of Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky and stretches along the whole Trade side along the eastern bank of the Volkhov River.
I invite you to dinner in a cafe of Russian cuisine. There is even a game area.
Today we will visit the Architectural and Ethnographic Museum, which allows us to get acquainted with the traditional folk culture, which is located near the Svyato-Yuryev Monastery. After that we will take a walk in the historical center of Veliky Novgorod.
Quick breakfast with coffee and cakes - it's hard to imagine a better start to the day!
The Architectural and Natural Reserve of Wooden Architecture is located on the shore of Lake Myachino near the Yuriev Monastery. The museum displays a village smithy, a stable with the exposition "Vehicles of Novgorod province", a barn with a riga with seasonal expositions "The Hummer of early spring", "Drying and threshing of grain crops", "Cleaning - collective processing of flax (mint)", a barn, a bath with the exposition "Bath. Washing". In winter you can ride from the ice slides and sleds. In summer Vitoslavlice hosts festivals and folklore groups from all over the region. On the playgrounds children and adults can learn "stilts", "giant steps" or play "ruffles" and "dough". Be sure to visit Izbu Tsarova and the Iron Museum, which has a unique collection of irons from two hundred and fifty exhibits of XVIII-XX centuries. The museum works without weekends. From May to August - from 10.00 to 20.00. September and April - from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. From October to March - from 10.00 to 16.00.
They promise to make you feel at home here. Indeed, cozy interior and courteous waiters will make your stay as pleasant as possible. A great bonus will be delicious food and democratic prices.
There's a gas station ahead! Make a comfortable stop, buy water and goods on the road.
The Citadel of Veliky Novgorod. The Citadel of Veliky Novgorod is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The first annalistic mention of it dates back to 1044. The ensemble of the Novgorod Kremlin is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. In the Kremlin there are: the oldest Russian temple St. Sophia Cathedral (1045-1050), the Lord's (Faceted) Chamber (1433) and other monuments of XV-XIX centuries.
The monument to the Millennium of Russia stands in the center of the Kremlin. It was erected in 1862 and is the only monument to the state. The monument reflects the history of the state from IX to XIX centuries in faces. State officials, military men and heroes, enlighteners, writers and artists are represented here, 129 figures in total.
The temple was erected in 1374 and its value lies in the frescoes that belong to the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek. The painting was made in the late 1370-ies and has no analogues in the world.
Want to take a walk in the park before dinner? The Park of 30th Anniversary of October is located on the Trade Side, it was opened in 1947 in the southern part of the former Antonievskaya Sloboda, which was completely destroyed during the occupation of the German fascist troops. There are also attractions for children in the park.
Not far from the park there is a great restaurant with a stunning panoramic view of the Volkhov River. Here you can find dishes of several kinds of cuisine: Russian, European, Pan-Asian.
Today I invite you to visit the non-trivial museum in Veliky Novgorod - Center of Musical Antiquities of V.I. Povetkin. On the way to St. Petersburg we will visit the famous artist Nikolai Roerich.
The Café le Chocolat has two rooms: red and green. The green room is for families. The restaurant offers European cuisine, fine handmade desserts and an author's cocktail list.
The Center of Musical Antiquities works on restoration of musical instruments of X-XV centuries, their forms, appearance and sound. The museum was founded by the artist-restorer and honorary citizen of Veliky Novgorod - Vladimir Ivanovich Povetkin. The museum was based on his collection and a unique program developed by him to identify and reconstruct the legendary pulses, beeps, snipers and vargans.
You can make a small halt at the lake and take a little walk.
The Izvars are the estate of NK Roerich's parents, which they owned for about 30 years - from 1872 to 1900. Here the Russian artist spent his childhood and youth. The internal connection of Nikolai Konstantinovich with Izvara was not interrupted until the end of his life. This is evidenced by the sheets of the artist's diary, articles and letters.
To finish our short journey I invite you to a great restaurant of Caucasian cuisine in Gatchina. Grilled dishes, crispy lavash - delicious!