After Christianity was addapted (in the Xth century), Novgorod became the centre of politic and culture. Thanks to the right to select its own princesin the XIIth century, princes were atracted to Novgorod, but town was annexed to Moscow Principality in the XVth century.

In the IIXth century there was commercial route Baltic-Volga, one of the best international trade center.

Novgorod was made well-known by it's architectural traditions, school of icon-painting, jeweler's and decorative applied art.

In Novgorod was born Russian republican and democratic traditions, one of the biggest center of literacy and book production, there was one of the greatest art centers in all Europe, in the 3th decade of the XIth century, by the will of Prince Yaroslav The Wise, Novgorod established the first school where could be taught 300 children at a time, because of good strategy town was able to save unique complex of architectural monuments, frescoes of the XIth - XVIIth centuries, oldest Russian manuscripts, chronicles, acts and icons. Only one time Novgorod suffered military damages - during the Second World War - was bombed and shelled by both combating armies and only restoration managed to revive old architecture.