Novgorod is one of the oldest centers of Russian civilization. It lay on the historical
trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, which followed the Volkhov upstream to Lake Ilmen and then followed the course of the Lovat before eventually reaching the
Dnieper River. Novgorod is indicated in the chronicles as the site where
Rurik settled and founded the
Rurik Dynasty in 862. Subsequently, Rurik's successor,
Oleg, moved the capital to
Kiev, but Novgorod continued to play an important role until the 15th century. In 1136, Novgorod evicted the prince and became the center of the
Novgorod Republic, which included the major part of what is currently northwestern Russia. It was an example of a medieval republic, in which decisions were taken by
veche—a meeting of the city population—and the prince was elected. (The only other Russian city with a similar organization was
Pskov.) Novgorod linked the river routes of Baltic, Byzantium, Central Asian regions, and all parts of European Russia and flourished as one of the most important trading centres of eastern and northern Europe. It was part of the
Hanseatic League which connected it to Central and Northern Europe. Novgorod was one of the few areas of Rus not affected by the
Mongol invasions. It was also an important cultural center, and the majority of monuments preserved in Russia from the 11th through the 14th century are those standing in Veliky Novgorod. Towards the end of the 15th century Novgorod was defeated by the army of
Ivan III, the prince of Moscow, and was included into the
Grand Duchy of Moscow. In 1560,
Ivan the Terrible, fearing treason, sent his army to sack the city. This event, known as the
Massacre of Novgorod, had catastrophic consequences for the city, which lost the majority of its population and never recovered. Additionally, in the beginning of the 17th century, during the
Time of Troubles, Novgorod was plundered by the Swedish army. , 1708
Tsar Peter the Great issued an edict which established seven governorates. The present area of Novgorod oblast was a part of Ingermanland Governorate, which was renamed
Saint Petersburg Governorate in 1710. In 1727, a separate
Novgorod Governorate was established. It was subdivided into five provinces, and the current area of Novgorod Oblast was split between two of them—
Novgorod and
Velikiye Luki Provinces. In 1772, Velikiye Luki Province was transferred to newly established
Pskov Governorate. In 1775, Novgorod Governorate was transformed to
Novgorod Viceroyalty, and in 1777, Pskov Governorate was transformed to
Pskov Viceroyalty. In 1796, both governorates were re-established. By the 1920s, most of the area of current Novgorod Oblast belonged to Novgorod Governorate. Before the 19th century, the areas around Novgorod were considerably better developed than the areas which are currently located in the center and the east of the oblast. In 1851,
Moscow – Saint Petersburg Railway, the first long-distance railway in Russia, opened. It bypassed Novgorod as it was built on a straight line between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The railway construction lead to the development of the adjacent areas and eventually to creation of new towns such as
Malaya Vishera,
Okulovka, and
Chudovo. Later on, the railroads between
Sonkovo and Saint Petersburg, as well as between
Bologoye and
Pskov, and a number of connecting lines, were constructed. On August 1, 1927 the governorates were abolished, and merged into newly established
Leningrad Oblast. Between autumn of 1941 and spring of 1944, during
World War II, western parts of the current area of Novgorod Oblast, including the city of Novgorod, were occupied by German troops. Novgorod Oblast was an area of long and fierce battles, such as, for example, the
Demyansk Pocket, or the
Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive in 1944, when the Soviet troops crossed the Volkhov River. After the liberation, on July 5, 1944, Novgorod Oblast with the center in the city of Novgorod was established. In 1999, the city of Novgorod was renamed Veliky Novgorod. ==Politics==