Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod: Encyclopedia II - Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod - History

Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod - History

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.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki