Museum of the Great Bridge

About museum

The museum is housed in a 19th-century railway guardhouse, which is a site of regional cultural heritage. The exhibition is dedicated to the history of the oldest permanent city bridge in Russia and its role in the life of the medieval Novgorod Republic.
The exact date of construction of the Great Novgorod Bridge is unknown; however, mentions of a bridge that connected the Sofia and Trade sides already appear in the Novgorod First Chronicle. Since the 12th century the Great Bridge has been rebuilt many times. This is confirmed, among other things, by the impressive results of underwater archaeological research conducted by Novgorod archaeologists since 2005. Under extremely difficult conditions they investigate the bed of the Volkhov River in search of the bridge's earliest supports.
A substantial collection of artifacts related to crafts, trade, and socio-political activities has been assembled. Among the finds are several thousand items of ecclesiastical utensils and household goods, jewelry, coins and other rarities from the 12th–17th centuries, as well as remnants of wooden bridge structures dating to the 12th century. These treasures form the basis of the Museum of the Great Bridge's exhibition.