Novgorod

Novgorod (pop. 229,000), city in the northwestern Russian Federation, capital of Novgorod Oblast. Located on the Volkhov River, it long formed a trade link between the Baltic and the Orient and was the capital of the Russian state in 862. Although later superseded as the capital by Kiev, in 1136 it again became the capital of a north Russian state. During the Middle Ages Novgorod was a cultural and a commercial center carrying on trade with the Hanseatic League. Its importance declined after 1703, when the city of St. Petersburg was founded. Many of Novgorod's medieval buildings were damaged during the German occupation (1941–44) in World War II, but some remain.

See also: Russian Federation.