Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/783

* NOVERRE. 667 NOVGOROD. Gluck's Iphigenia in Autis. His Lettres sur les arts imitateurs en general el stur la dunse en par- tieulier (l!!>l)7) leiiiain the authority on his art. NOVGOROD, nov'go -rod. A government of Russia, bounded by the governments of Olonetz, Vologda, Varoslav, Tver, Pskov, and Saint Peters- burg (iMai): Russia, D 3). Area, about 47,.300 square miles. The southern part belongs to the Valdai plateau and is mostly hilly. In the northeast are found a large number of lakes and immense impassable marshes — the beds of former lakes — covered with thin forests. The north- western part slopes toward Lake Ladoga and is thickly wooded. The district is watered by numerous rivers, which connect it with the Bal- tic, the Caspian, and the White Sea. The chief of them are the Volkhov (connecting the lakes Ilraen and Ladoga), the Shek.sna and the Mologa, tribu- taries of the Volga, the Syas, flowing into Lake Ladoga, and the Msta, belonging to Lake Ilmen, Among the larger lakes may be mentioned the Bycloe and the Vozhe in the northeast. Many of the rivers are navigable and connected with each other and the lakes by an extensive system of canals. The climate is severe, the yearly temperature at Novgorod averaging only .39° F. Farming is the leading industry, although its returns are so .small as to oblige a large proportion of the popu- lation to engage in some other occupation, such as lumbering, or to emigrate for a part of the year to Saint Petersburg, where artisans from Novgorod are very numerous. The house indus- try is only slightly devcloi)ed, the chief item of production being nails of an inferior kind. Wood, live animals, and hay are the chief exports, and there is a considerable traffic on the rivers and canals. Population, in 1897, 1,392,933, chiefly Russians belonging to the Greek Church. There are also a number of Non-Conformists. For his- tory, see the article on Novgokod, the capital. NOVGOROD, or NovooRon-VEi.iKi. ve iP'ke ( Great Novgorod ) . One of the oldest and most celebrated cities of Russia, capital of tlic govern- ment of the same name, situated on both banks of the Volkhov, about two miles from Lake Ilmen and 120 miles south of Saint Petersburg (Map: Russia, D 3). It is divided by the Volk- hov into two parts, of which that on the left bank, with the Kremlin, is known as Saint Sophia, while that on the opposite bank is called the commercial side. There is very little in the insignificant and somnolent town to remind one of the ancient Great Novgorod, with its vast wealth, great foreign trade, and highly developed republican institutions. The Kremlin is sur- rounded by a stone wall dating from the four- teenth century and occupies a considerable area. Within the walls are situated the eleventh-cen- tury Cathedral of Saint Sophia, with a treasury of valuable relics, the twelfth-century Church of Saint Nicholas, and the Yaroslav Tower. The churches of Novgorod are of the usual Rus- sian style of architecture (see SIoscow), having numerous roimd cupolas and dark and profusely embellished interiors. In 18fi2 a fine, massive monument was erected at Novgorod to commem- orate the one thousandth anniversary of the foumlatiou of the Russian monarchy. There are two gjnnnasia, a theological seminary, a Rcal- schule, and two museums of antiquities. Eeonom- VOL. XIV.— 13. ically, Novgorod is insignificant. There is some manufacturing of paper. Hour, glass, trimmed lumber, etc., and agricultural products are ex- ported to Saint Petersburg. A railway line, 45 miles long, connects with Tchudovo on' the Mos- cow-Saint Petersburg line. Population, in 1897, 2,095. History. The origin of Novgorod is usualh' connected with the story of the first appearance of the Vaiangians in Russia, and the town is sup- po.sed to have been the residence of Rurik (862) (q.v. ) and his successor Oleg. With the rise of Kiev (q.v. ), Novgorod became to some extent its dependency, and these relations continued until the end of the tenth century. In the eleventh century Novgorod was completely independent, electing its own princes. In the zenith of its prosperity the dominions of Novgorod the Great comprised the northern part of the present Russia above latitude 57° N., excluding Finland and the Baltic region. In its political institu- tions Novgorod then presented a striking contrast to the other principalities of Russia. Without an hereditary line of princes, and geographically isolated from the rest of the country, it was guided in the selection of its rulers chieHy by its economic interests. The sui)reme authority was the vyetche, or popular assembly, which was participated in by all freemen. This assembly elected the prince and the posadnik (mayor), as well as the C(jmmander of the army. At the height of its prosperity the city contained prob- ably not fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, some au- thorities placing the number as high as 400,000. The Church of Novg(n-od was es.sentially a native church. The archbishop was elected by the vyetche, and there was the closest intimacy be- tween the State and the Church. Commerce was the chief occupation and was carried on by cor- porations so as to embrace a very large part of the population. The advantageous' location of the city reiulercd it well adapted for the ti'ade with the Scandinavian and Hanseatic cities. Nov- gorod joined the Hanseatic League about the middle of the fourteenth century. It contained many foreign merchants, or 'guests,' to whom were accorded special privileges. Hungarian and English coins circulated freely. In the middle of the thirteenth century Nov- gorod was under the rule of the national hero Alexander Nevski (q.v.). It held out the long- est of Russian States against the tide of Jlongol conquest, but was finally compelled to submit at the end of the thirteenth century. After the weakening of the Mongol power. Novgorod, al- though politically independent, was often com- pelled, for economic reasons, to take its princes from the House of Suzdal (Vladimir). With the rise of the principalities of Moscow and Lithu- ania. Novgorod became too weak to struggle against their encroachments, and was soon re- duced to the necessity of paying tribute in order to retain its independence and repiblican institu- tions. In 1478 it succumbed to the arms of the Muscovite ruler. Ivan III., and was dejjrived of its liberties. jNlany of the prominent families were transferred to Moscow and replaced by families from the capital. The inhabitants hav- ing excited the wrath of Czar Ivan the Terrible, that monarch in 1570 wreaked a fiendish ven- geance upon the city, putting thousands to the sword. This completed the downfall of Nov- gorod.