The village of Volotovo and its surroundings played a major role in the 14th century: it was where the roads to Moscow, to the Khutyn Monastery of St. Varlaam and to the princely courtyard at Rurik’s Gorodische began.
In 1352, through the efforts of Archbishop Moses of Novgorod, a stone church with one dome in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos was erected there, on the shore of the right arm of the Volkhov River — Maly Volkhovets.
The unique frescoes that adorn the church walls were created in 1363, under Archbishop Alexy of Novgorod. Historians believe that they were painted by one of the disciples of Theophanes the Greek.
The church survived the invasions of Swedish troops in 1611–1617, the thunderstorm of 1825 and was completely destroyed in the Great Patriotic War; the frescoes collapsed and largely turned into dust. In the mid-20th century, the ruins were preserved, and in the early 2000s, the restoration of the site began.
In 2020, during restoration works, an unusual find was made — a brick with an image of a rowed vessel and three human figures scratched on it. The brick was in a wall made of historically preserved material. The image is quite detailed. The bow of the ship looks like a zoomorphic head; one of the shipwrights, standing on the bow, raises a sword; the second, in the center, in a helmet, conical in shape, has oars in his hands; the third, at the stern of the ship, holds a steering oar and probably performs the duties of a helmsman.
According to the specialist in medieval history, Albina Alexandrovna Medyntseva, such drawings were not typical of other images that were found on Old Russian bricks. However, depictions of ships were widely popular in the Mediterranean region, from the Atlantic coast of France to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
The image is accompanied by a three-letter signature HCU. Historians have deciphered it as Hcuavvriq — a name of Greek origin, its abbreviated or distorted version. This inscription and the comparison of the find with other archaeological sites allowed researchers to put forward a number of interpretations. The drawing probably depicts a specific historical event, illustrates a campaign of the Novgorod Ushkuyniks (medieval river pirates) or somehow reflects folk memory of a visit from the Scandinavians.
A historian, deacon, archaeologist and publicist, Alexander Evgenievich Musin believes that the image was created by a representative of Greek culture from the Balkans which were part of the Byzantine Empire.
In 1352, through the efforts of Archbishop Moses of Novgorod, a stone church with one dome in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos was erected there, on the shore of the right arm of the Volkhov River — Maly Volkhovets.
The unique frescoes that adorn the church walls were created in 1363, under Archbishop Alexy of Novgorod. Historians believe that they were painted by one of the disciples of Theophanes the Greek.
The church survived the invasions of Swedish troops in 1611–1617, the thunderstorm of 1825 and was completely destroyed in the Great Patriotic War; the frescoes collapsed and largely turned into dust. In the mid-20th century, the ruins were preserved, and in the early 2000s, the restoration of the site began.
In 2020, during restoration works, an unusual find was made — a brick with an image of a rowed vessel and three human figures scratched on it. The brick was in a wall made of historically preserved material. The image is quite detailed. The bow of the ship looks like a zoomorphic head; one of the shipwrights, standing on the bow, raises a sword; the second, in the center, in a helmet, conical in shape, has oars in his hands; the third, at the stern of the ship, holds a steering oar and probably performs the duties of a helmsman.
According to the specialist in medieval history, Albina Alexandrovna Medyntseva, such drawings were not typical of other images that were found on Old Russian bricks. However, depictions of ships were widely popular in the Mediterranean region, from the Atlantic coast of France to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
The image is accompanied by a three-letter signature HCU. Historians have deciphered it as Hcuavvriq — a name of Greek origin, its abbreviated or distorted version. This inscription and the comparison of the find with other archaeological sites allowed researchers to put forward a number of interpretations. The drawing probably depicts a specific historical event, illustrates a campaign of the Novgorod Ushkuyniks (medieval river pirates) or somehow reflects folk memory of a visit from the Scandinavians.
A historian, deacon, archaeologist and publicist, Alexander Evgenievich Musin believes that the image was created by a representative of Greek culture from the Balkans which were part of the Byzantine Empire.
