Veliky Novgorod. Situated in Northwest of Russia on the banks of Volhov River, this city is one of the oldest in this country. It was was first mentioned in chronicles in 859 AD. Novgorod is a city- museum it has a unique collection of the ancient Russian icons, birchbark scrolls. It is a city of Orthodox churches, surrounded by the old monasteries. Over 40 churches have survived in good state, a part of the earthern ramparts has been preserved, there is a museum of Wooden Architecture. The unique monuments of Novgorod architecture are included into the list of the world heritage of UNESCO. Among them are the Novgorod Kremlin, St.Sophia cathedral - the oldest on the territory of Rus, the churches of the Savior at Nereditsa and the Savior at Kovalyovo.

Art scholars justly compare Novgorod with Florence as to the wealth of the preserved monumental paintings on the walls of the temples. In the church of Our Savior of Transfiguration on Ilyina, the only one in the world there have survived the frescoes of Theophanes the Greek. In Granovitaya Palata (the Faceted Champer) where the council of lords met in the sessions in the XV c. there is an exhibition of jewelry art.

City offers wide range of tourist attractions and historical sights, has a developed infrastructure for travelers offering different level of accommodation and service