Borovichi: City History and Crafts

• The Borovichi Museum of City History and the History of the Borovichi District was founded in 1918 as the “Museum of Proletarian Science, Art and Industry named after Comrade Reppo.”
• Built in 1905, the N. A. Belelyubsky Arch Bridge was Russia's first single-span bridge with a light, delicate arch.
• The stone Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit Monastery was built in 1676 and is the city's oldest surviving stone building.

The museum is located in the historic center. Its ethnographic hall displays folk trades and crafts, illustrating rural life. In this way, the exhibition themes complement the history of the city and region with a look at everyday life and work.

The arch bridge also tells a story of engineering: it was built to a design by the Russian engineer and professor N. A. Belelyubsky. Its single-span construction and light, delicate arch make it a clearly defined architectural subject for anyone interested in historic buildings.

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit Monastery was built on the site of two earlier wooden churches. The monastery also marks a dated turning point in its history: it was returned to the Orthodox Church on September 14, 2000. Its construction history and later historical development can therefore be viewed as distinct chapters.

At the “TKUTTUT” weaving center, you can take workshops or more in-depth courses in weaving, spinning, and other crafts. Confirm current availability before your visit. You can buy or order unique handwoven pieces there; you should also confirm this offering with the center in advance.

Another art motif can be found on the facade of Secondary School No. 2: the mural “Bumazhnye zhuravliki” depicts paper cranes and was created by Moscow artist Alexander Morsin. Alongside historic buildings, Borovichi thus brings together crafts and a specific work of mural art as cultural themes.

Nature and culture add to the range of themes in Novgorod Oblast. Valdai National Park covers 159,100 hectares and extends across the Valdaysky, Demyansky, and Okulovsky districts. Mount Ryzhokha is the park's highest point; a 25-meter-high observation tower stands on it, offering views of the taiga, Lake Velyo, and other bodies of water.

The trail in the Bor area passes through typical taiga forests on hilly terrain and through diverse wetlands in the hollows between the hills. The landscape along this trail in Novgorod Oblast offers a contrast to Borovichi's architectural and urban history.

Valday is also part of Novgorod Oblast's cultural offerings: at the Bell Museum Center, staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques and give visitors the opportunity to try them out. The collection includes bells from around the world, with examples ranging from the 3rd century BC and the Middle Ages to modern souvenir bells. The tourism materials describe the center as the only museum in Russia bringing together bells from around the world.

An exhibition opened in 1998 at the Museum of the County Town explores the everyday life of city residents, the development of local trades, and the lives of individual Valday families and well-known summer visitors. In 2017, the “Kuznetsam i kolokolnym masteram Valdaya” monument was also erected in Valday. Together, these examples show the diversity of cultural history themes across Novgorod Oblast.

Discover more destinations: Volna, Tashino, Simanikha, Petrovshchina, Selishche, Polnovo, Veryassko, Valday.

What does the ethnographic hall display?

It displays folk trades and crafts and illustrates rural life.

What is special about the N. A. Belelyubsky Arch Bridge?

Built in 1905 to a design by engineer and professor N. A. Belelyubsky, it was Russia's first single-span bridge with a light, delicate arch.

What is offered at the weaving center?

You can take courses there in weaving, spinning, and other crafts, as well as buy or order unique handwoven pieces. Confirm current availability or offerings with the center in advance.

Go to the broader travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.