Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings

Novgorod claims the title of Russia's first capital, founded in the 9th century on the trade route linking northern Europe with Central Asia. Its kremlin, churches and monasteries chart the birth of Russian architecture, and the Church of the Transfiguration preserves 14th-century frescoes by Theophanes the Greek, teacher of the icon painter Andrei Rublev. UNESCO inscribed the historic monuments of Novgorod and its surroundings in 1992, recognising the town's World Heritage rank.