The monument “Millennium of Russia” was erected in 1862 to celebrate the millennium of the Russian state. Alexander II and the Cabinet presented the sculpture to the city for its contribution to the development of the political system and culture of the country. The city authorities decided to put it in the Novgorod Kremlin, where it would be surrounded by local places of interest: the Cathedral of St. Sophia and the former Government office building.
The authors of the project were sculptors Mikhail Mikeshin, Ivan Schroeder, and architect Viktor Hartmann. The monument, which was 15 meters high, was a huge globus cruciger on a bell-shaped pedestal. In the upper part, there was an image of an angel blessing a kneeling woman — the images symbolized the Orthodox Church and Russia.
On the second level, the authors of the project placed six sculptural groups. They symbolize the development of the Russian history: from Rurik with a pointed shield to the emperor Peter the Great. The lower level consisted of four sections and included 109 important historical figures: educators and officials, military figures and folk heroes, writers and artists.
Emperor Alexander II came to Novgorod with his family and closest retinue for the grand opening of the monument. In honor of this event, the city was renovated, and the streets were paved with new cobblestones. The celebration lasted for three days, and about 12 thousand people attended it — the population of the city doubled during these days.
The ceremony included a liturgy in all the temples of the Novgorod Kremlin and the Znamenskaya Church, a Cross Procession to St. Sophia Cathedral, and an official parade. The third day of the celebration coincided with the birthday of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the younger brother of Emperor Alexander II. After the prayer service in the cathedral, the Tsar accepted bread and salt as a symbol of hospitality, which was presented to him on a wooden platter by a group of peasant deputies, and then he visited a gymnasium and an orphanage. In the evening, on the last day of the festivities, a ball was organized for the guests.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Bronnitsky Porcelain Factory “Vozrozhdenie” made a miniature version of the monument “Millennium of Russia”. It became part of the collection of Novgorod souvenirs.
The authors of the project were sculptors Mikhail Mikeshin, Ivan Schroeder, and architect Viktor Hartmann. The monument, which was 15 meters high, was a huge globus cruciger on a bell-shaped pedestal. In the upper part, there was an image of an angel blessing a kneeling woman — the images symbolized the Orthodox Church and Russia.
On the second level, the authors of the project placed six sculptural groups. They symbolize the development of the Russian history: from Rurik with a pointed shield to the emperor Peter the Great. The lower level consisted of four sections and included 109 important historical figures: educators and officials, military figures and folk heroes, writers and artists.
Emperor Alexander II came to Novgorod with his family and closest retinue for the grand opening of the monument. In honor of this event, the city was renovated, and the streets were paved with new cobblestones. The celebration lasted for three days, and about 12 thousand people attended it — the population of the city doubled during these days.
The ceremony included a liturgy in all the temples of the Novgorod Kremlin and the Znamenskaya Church, a Cross Procession to St. Sophia Cathedral, and an official parade. The third day of the celebration coincided with the birthday of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the younger brother of Emperor Alexander II. After the prayer service in the cathedral, the Tsar accepted bread and salt as a symbol of hospitality, which was presented to him on a wooden platter by a group of peasant deputies, and then he visited a gymnasium and an orphanage. In the evening, on the last day of the festivities, a ball was organized for the guests.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Bronnitsky Porcelain Factory “Vozrozhdenie” made a miniature version of the monument “Millennium of Russia”. It became part of the collection of Novgorod souvenirs.
