The Millennium of Russia Memorial
The Millennium of Russia Memorial, standing at the centre of
the Detinets, was unveiled on September 8, 1862. It is the work
of Mikhail Mikeshin, an eminent Russian sculptor active in the
second half of the 19th century.
The kneeling figure in the upper tier of the monument
personifies Russia. Below, around the sphere, are six groups
symbolizing the different periods of Russian history until the
first quarter of the 18th century. Represented, among others, are
Prince Rurik who, according to legend, was invited in 862 to rule
Novgorodian lands; Princes Vladimir, Dmitry Donskoi, Tsars Ivan
III and Peter I. The high-relief frieze in the lower tier of the
memorial depicts military heroes, statesmen, educators, poets,
writers and artists, altogether 109 figures. Here one can see the
chronicler Nestor, Princes Yaroslav the Wise and Alexander
Nevsky, the Ukrainian hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, the founder of
the Russian theatre Volkov, the satirical writer Fonvizin, the
composer Glinka, the poets Derzhavin, Zhukovsky, Pushkin,
Lermontov, the historian Karamzin, and the artist Karl Briullov.
The height of the monument is 15.7 m, the weight of cast bronze
is 65.5 tons.
During the World War II , the Nazis dismantled the monument and
prepared it for transportation to Germany. Luckily, they never
succeeded to accomplish this plan. After Novgorod's liberation,
the monument was restored and in November 1944 once again
unveiled to the public.