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Qessential Medical Market Research LLC

Portsmouth, NH

Company Description

Qualitative, quantitative and consulting experts for the health care industry.

Qessential Medical Market Research uses a sophisticated approach to finding the exact insights our clients need to drive their medical technology, pharmaceutical and life science businesses. We call this methodology Market Wisdom.

Medical Market Wisdom

Market Wisdom allows us to pinpoint and recruit the best health care thought leaders who have the knowledge you need. It also helps us analyze this complex information quickly and focus on the most actionable information. This allows our clients to make smarter business decisions.

Adaptive recruitment

The Qessential Adaptive Recruitment team finds the right market research respondents for your study using our flexible recruiting process and one of the most comprehensive health care provider expert networks in existence. Clients select our network of experts over other sample sources because of our high-quality, fully customized approach. This allows us to work hand-in-hand with clients to find the exact health care providers, administrators and allied health professionals across dozens of specialties and sub-specialties needed for every phase of research.

Observant research

Our full-service Qessential Observant Research team takes on important research projects and produces top-notch results that make business decisions easier. With the team’s focused approach, we’re ready to find the essential answers you need most. The team regularly performs:

• Value proposition and concept testing,
• Messaging effectiveness studies,
• Price point and price sensitivity testing,
• Brand equity assessment and promoter studies,
• Market sizing and
• Voice of customer (VOC) studies.

Diverse medical experience

Our clients are leading companies in the medical device and MedTech, pharmaceutical and life science, financial analysis and venture capital and consulting and medical marketing industries. We specialize in a variety of clinical sectors and specialist groups including:

• Cardiology and interventional cardiology,
• Critical care,
• Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery,
• Gastroenterology,
• Genetics and rare disorders,
• Hematology and oncology,
• Infectious disease,
• Neurology and neurosurgery,
• Orthopedics,
• Pain management,
• Primary care,
• Pulmonology,
• Radiology and IR,
• Urology and
• Women’s health.

When should you contact Qessential about your potential project? When you need a crucial health care marketing insight, and you can’t afford to get it wrong. E-mail [email protected] to find answers to your essential questions.

Year Established:    1988

Number of employees:    15, research services and specializations.

• Online Surveys
• | Qualitative Research
• | Quantitative Research
• | Recruiting-Qualitative
• | Recruiting-Quantitative

Industries, Markets and Audiences Served

• Health Care (Healthcare)
• | Medical/Surgical Products
• | Pharmaceutical Products
• | Physicians

• 603-775-9200
• 603-775-9300 (fax)

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Novgorod "the great" ... well named! - Novgorod Kremlin (Detinets)

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• Novgorod Kremlin (Detinets)

The Kremlin lived up to our expectations. The museums in particular are excellent. Make sure to use... read more

This is a very important historic site worth reading about before seeing. There had been competing... read more

Novgorod "the great" ... well named!

With a very knowledgable local Guide from the museum, we entered The Kremlin not from the city side but from the river side. This contrast between the modern-day beach-facilities on the river and the very well restored ancient buildings in The Kremlin are very stark. Although primarily churches, the military significance of The Kremlin is well highlighted. The feature-piece is the Milleneum monument. This is the history of the centuries past, all in one place. Outside the walls of The Kremlin is a flea-market with good bargains in local craftsmanship. Only a short walk from most hotel accommodation and affordable cafes and restaurants. Flat walking all the way!

A visit to the Kremlin in Veliki Novgorod will let you touch the soul of the Russian history. This old and former capital in the North west of Russia will unveil the history of the Tsars and their families before the time of Peter the Great. You will enjoy the sites and this nice city and therefore recommend it to visit.

a good chance to see some old russian, pre-soviet architecture on this island fort. also a good escape from some soviet era appartment blocks.

Novgorod (and better Mr. Great Novgorod) is one of the oldest russian cities. Centuries and wars almost destroy all sights of the age. But some places still like many years ago. Kremlin I think include many years of people living there. There are buiding from any century and still feeling old good times when Russian not oathing, but just said, "I will be ashamed"

If you travel from St.Petersburg to Moscow or vice versa, your visit to Velikii Novgorod could easily become a wonderful complement to your whole journey, as this ancient Russian town has something to offer you, which is completely different from the two capitals. And the biggeest 'diamond' in the town's architecure 'crown' is its Kremlin - the Detinets. It's not only a kind of beautiful park, but also a cultural center of the town: you can find there one of the oldest cathedrals in Russia (10-11 century) - St.Sophia, the monument to the Milennium of Russia, History museum with a wonderful collection of antique icons, a philarminic hall and even a children's art school. In the summer time (and may be during the New Year holidays) numerous interactive theatre and musical shows both for children and adults based on the Russian history and fairy-tales are on offer. Once the opera 'Sadko' by Rimskii-Korsakov (an old Russian 'epos' about a local merchant called Sadko) performed by the Mariinsky theatre (conducted by Gerguiev) was shown there in the open-air in the heavy rain. Despite the weather conditions it was a success. You can combine your visit to the Detinets with a nice boat-trip on the Volkhov River towards Lake Ilmen and see some more outstanding ancient churches and Yuriev (St.George) Monastery from the river. And don't get surprised by the variety of architectural design styles there: like the whole town of Novgorod, the Detintets was severely damaged during the World War II. Now it is completely restored and partially rebuilt. Do not miss a chance to see this marvelous and charming place of ancient Russia!

The only place to see in Novgorod that you can't miss. Just walk and slook at the ancient fortress, chirches, bell tower and monuments. It is pleasant place to move around during the day and in the evening (open untill 23.00)

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Traveling to Russia and beyond

Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia

Last Updated on January 6, 2024 by Irena Domingo

Around 180 kilometers south of St. Petersburg we can find Veliky Novgorod, the oldest city in Russia, whose historical center is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it’s quite worth a visit. I’ll explain you how to get there and what to see.

I'm going to talk about ...

Introduction

1. how to get there, visit the city in 1 day, staying in veliky novgorod, restaurants and food, route 1: the novgorod kremlin, route 2: the court of yaroslav and the old market, route 3: at the birth of the vjojov river.

Veliky Novgorod is a beautiful city of about 230,000 inhabitants, located about 180 kilometers south of St. Petersburg, known as “The Birthplace of Russia” or “The Oldest City of Russia”, as it was in this city, in 862, where Prince Rurik proclaimed the modern Russian state.

Until the year 1478, the city was called Gospodin Veliky Novgorod (‘Lord Novgorod the Great’), and till 1999 its official name was Novgorod, an abbreviated name by which this city is usually known (not to be confused with Nizhny Novgorod).

It was one of the most important cities of Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages and was the only principality that was saved from Mongolian dominion after the Mongolian invasion of Russia.

In this city, located on the banks of the Voljov River , we can find the Cathedral of Saint Sophia , built between 1045 and 1052, and it is considered the oldest city in Russia . It is part of the historical center of the city, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992, and it is located inside the Kremlin of the city. This city is also the birthplace of famous composer Sergei Rachmaninoff .

Novgorod is a very popular weekend destination for St. Petersburg residents and is also very popular with tourists visiting the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, who also are taking advantage of the route between the two to make a stop in this ancient city.

The city is located at around 180 kilometers southeast of St. Petersburg and about 524 kilometers northwest of Moscow. You can get there by train, bus or car. The easiest and quickest way is by train: from Saint Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod it takes around 3 hours and from Moscow the journey is about 5 hours. From the Novgorod railway station you can reach the city center by walking in about 10 minutes.

• From St. Petersburg : two fast trains depart daily (Lastochka), the first train leaves at 7 in the morning and arrives at around 10 at Veliky Novgorod, while the second leaves at about 19:30 and arrives around at 23:00 hours. Trains depart from St. Petersburg-Glavny Station (commonly known as Moskovsky Station) and arrive at the Novgorod railway station , which is on the RZD website as NOVGOROD-NA-VOLHOVE. For the return journey there is also an early morning train and another in the afternoon. These tickets can be purchased on the RZD website.
• From Moscow: the most comfortable way is to take the night train that departs from Leningradsky station at 22:05 hours, and arrives at 6:25 hours in Novgorod (the ticket can be bought in advance on RZD website). The other option is to take the Sapsan high-speed train to Chudovo (it takes around 3 and a half hours) and from there, take a bus to Novgorod (which can take 1 hour and a half).

Important: these schedules may vary, so it is best to consult them directly on RZD’s website . You can find more information on how to buy tickets in this article: Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man .

2. How to plan the visit

There are different possibilities to visit Veliky Novgorod, depending on your itinerary and the available time you have:

• You can go and return the same day from St. Petersburg . This option can be a bit extenuating, since the journey involves more than 6 hours in train if you do a round trip. There are also organized bus tours to visit Novgorod from St. Petersburg, but the journey is about 4 hours (one way).
• Stop at Veliky Novgorod on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. If you are visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow, you can take the morning train from St. Petersburg, visit Veliky Novgorod all day, and then take the night train from Novgorod to Moscow. You can also do the reverse: take the night train from Moscow to Veliky Novgorod, visit the city by day and in the afternoon take the Lastochka train from Novgorod to St. Petersburg.

If you have more time and would like to visit the city with some more tranquility, then it is advisable to make a hotel night reservation. Among the wide range of hotels in the city you can choose from hostels or economic apartments, to more luxurious hotels, so the choice will depend on your budget. In any case, I recommend choosing a centric place. In the map below you can see the most centric area of ​​the city and the train station marked in a red box, which is close to the city center:

To book accommodation I recommend two platforms: Booking (where it is highly recommended to read the reviews of other travelers to choose a good accommodation) or the Russian platform Zenhotels (where you can often find better prices than Booking).

With regards to food, there are also many Russian food restaurants. At around 10 minutes from the Kremlin (towards the train station), on Germana street number 2, we can find the Zavodbar Russian food restaurant (see photo below). Other Russian food options are the Malinovka restaurant (right next to Zavodbar) or the Sudarushka restaurant (Bolshaya Moskovskaya, 32).

3. What to see in Novgorod

The city has many tourist attractions : the Kremlin, ancient churches, monasteries, museums, etc. The tourist information center is near the Kremlin and you can get a map of the city, or an audio guide:

Here is also a tourist map of the city in digital format:

There are several itineraries that can be done, recommended by the city’s tourism office. The most popular are:

The Novgorod Kremlin is the first must see place. Formerly known as Detinets , it is the oldest surviving Kremlin in Russia. It was founded by Prince Yaroslav, being the administrative, social and religious center of Novgorod.

The entrance to the Kremlin is free . It’s open from 6 in the morning until 12 at night, however, you have to pay an extra fee to visit some of the buildings inside the Kremlin.

The highest tower in the Kremlin is the Kokui tower , built in the 18th century, as it offers wonderful views of the city and its surroundings. The entrance to the tower costs 200 rubles (it is closed on Mondays, Thursdays and the last Wednesday of each month, it is also closed from November to May).

Inside the Kremlin we can find the Cathedral of Saint Sophia , the oldest in Russia, founded by Prince Yaroslav. The entrance is free, but to visit the bell tower of the Cathedral you have to pay a small extra entrance fee.

In the interior of the Kremlin, it is also worth mentioning the Chamber of Archbishops , the only civilian German Gothic building in Russia, where major events such as the reception of ambassadors or the meetings of the Novgorod Parliament took place (the entrance fee costs 200 rubles).

You will also find the Russian Millennium Monument , which was built in 1862 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Russia (free) and the state museum of Novgorod , which houses a collection of icons and other memento that is related to the city’s history (200 rubles).

In the outer gardens of the kremlin walls you can also visit the monument dedicated to the famous composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, who was born in this city.

Leaving the Kremlin and crossing the bridge over the Vjojov river, you will arrive at the Court of Yaroslav , a garden in which the Old Market (in the arcades) was found and which is composed by several small churches, among which we can find the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Church of Paraskeva or the Church of St. George .

Routes 1 and 2 can be done in 1 day or even less. If you have more time, it is worth visiting the monasteries of Perynsky and St. George , at the birth of the Vjojov river (near Ilmen lake). Entrance to these monasteries is free.

Also worth visiting is the Vitoslavlitsy Wooden Architecture Museum , located in a beautiful enclave, bathed by the waters of Miachino Lake and the Voljov River, near the Monastery of St. George. The entrance fee costs 200 rubles. To get here you have to take the bus (numbers 7 and 7A) from Novgorod railway station.

Finally, if you want to take a guided tour of this beautiful city, there are several companies that offer them. You can check them through the GetYouGuide platform. Simply enter “Veliky Novgorod” in the search box to discover the different tours that are available.

Have you visited this ancient Russian city? What has been your experience? You can leave your comments below.

About Irena Domingo

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 30 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. I started this blog with one aim: to create the most comprehensive guide ever written for traveling to Russia and beyond. Author of the Russia Guidebook 2024 (PDF)

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Adaptive Recruitment

Flexible & Powerful Market Research Recruiting

The Qessential Adaptive Recruitment team  finds the right market research  respondents for your study using our flexible recruiting process and  the Qessential Medical Network, one of the most comprehensive  collections of U.S. health care professionals in existence.

Our Adaptive Process

Every one of our projects is custom-built. That allows us to work hand-in-hand with clients to find the exact experts needed for every phase of research.

• We partner with clients to fine-tune screeners to identify the ideal respondents for each specific study.
• Members of the Qessential team assess screener data in real time to ensure qualification and quota requirements.
• A senior team member is the primary contact and is hands-on with every project.
• Throughout the recruitment process, clients receive regular progress updates, including screener data for all respondents.
• This high-service process is so powerful that many other research firms come to Qessential when their projects require solid, defensible samples.

Qessential Medical Network​

Our network has access to more than two million U.S. healthcare providers, administrators, and allied health professionals across dozens of specialties and sub-specialties.

High quality is why clients have selected our network over other sample sources. We custom-built our network over more than 30 years, allowing us to develop relationships with these professionals.

Many do not participate in market research studies outside of Qessential. In fact, many of our study respondents do not belong to any panel, making our sample frame much more unique than the competition.

Additionally, our deep understanding of the way these healthcare experts think, behave, and respond allows us to guide our clients to sample markets more effectively and successfully accomplish their market research goals where others often fail.

Our Expertise

Client Cases Where We Made A Difference

Talking to the right potential customers can make all the difference to the future of your business. Qessential is expert at selecting the right respondents to make market research projects succeed.

Meaningful Education Improvements

How can physicians communicate with patients for better outcomes?

Identifying the Most Important Factors in Device Selection

What factors are most important in driving product selection?

“Qessential routinely offers expert advice on how best to find qualified respondents, and they consistently deliver high-quality results in a timely manner. It is not just a pleasure working with them, but also an efficient and successful business relationship.”

- President, Medical Device Marketing Consultancy

“Their respondents are always top notch experts who actually show up to meetings, and the recruit team’s responsiveness can’t be beat anywhere.”

- President, Qualitative Moderation Firm

”The Qessential Adaptive Recruiting team has never failed to execute in over 10 years of working with them on difficult qualitative projects.”

- President, Market Research Agency

When should you contact Qessential about your potential project?

When you’re trying to find a crucial healthcare marketing insight, and you can’t afford to get it wrong.

Fill out the form below, and we will get back to you ASAP.

Take a walk through the most ancient Kremlin in Russia

The Novgorod Kremlin, which is also called ‘Detinets’, is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The first fortified settlement was set here during the reign of prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. During these times, all the state, public and religious life of Novgorod was concentrated here. It was the place where people kept chronicles and copied the texts of books. The Novgorod Kremlin, the most ancient one in Russia, was founded here in the 15th century.

St. Sophia Cathedral (11th century), The Millennium Of Russia Monument, Episcopal Chamber (15th century) and the main exhibition of The State Novgorod Museum-reservation located in a public office building of the 18th century are all situated in the Novgorod Kremlin. The exhibition will tell you about the whole Novgorod history from ancient times to the present day. There are also restoration workshops, a children’s center, a library and a philharmonic inside the Kremlin walls.

Send a letter with the State Novgorod Museum-reservation stamp

While visiting the main building of the Novgorod Kremlin museum, you’ll see a small bureau near the souvenir area. Two more bureaus like that can be found in the Fine Arts Museum and the Museum information centre. This is the Museum Post, the joint project of the State Novgorod Museum-reservation and Russian Post.

The tradition to exchange letters (at that time written on birch bark sheets) dates back to the 11th century so it’s hardly surprising that such a project appeared here. The bureaus are desks and mailboxes at the same time, so you can send your friends a postcard with a view of Novgorod right from the museum.

Find the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin among the figures of The Millennium Of Russia Monument

In 1862, 1000 years after the Varangians were called to Russia, a monument dedicated to this event was launched in Novgorod. To tell the story of Russia’s one thousand years, the sculptor used 129 bronze figures: from state and military leaders to artists and poets.

One of figures portrays Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin, a politician and reformer who was responsible for Russia’s diplomatic relations in the middle of the 17th century. He is believed to be the father of international and regular mail in Russia. He was also the person who came up with the idea of the first Russian Post official emblem — a post horn and a double-headed eagle.

Cross the Msta River over the first arch bridge in Russia

The steel bridge in Borovichi town that connects two banks of the Msta river was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The project of the bridge was created by Nikolay Belelyubsky, engineer and professor of St. Petersburg State Transport University. This is the first arch bridge in Russia.

In 1995, it was included in the national cultural heritage register. More than 100 bridges across Russia were developed by Belelyubsky, but only this one is named after him.

Cast a virtual bell

When in the Novgorod region, you’ll definitely hear bells ring and learn about the Novgorod Veche Bell. During the siege of the city, tsar Ivan III ordered to remove this bell from the bell tower and send it to Moscow. Legend says that the bell didn’t accept his fate, fell to the ground near the border of the Novgorod region and broke to pieces against the stones.

In the biggest Museum Bell Centre in Russia located in the Valday town, you can see bells from across the world and learn why Novgorod bells are unique. The museum’s collection represents bells from different countries and ages, some of them dating back to the 3rd century BC. You’ll learn about the history of casting and modern bell-making technologies and also play games on a touch table. For example, harness virtual ‘troika’ (three) horses with bells or cast a virtual bell.

Spot the pigeon on the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral

St. Sophia Cathedral was built in Novrogod between 1045 and 1050 by Kievan and Byzantine masters. It was conceived as the main cathedral of the city, and during its first years it was the only stone building in Novgorod. So where does the pigeon on the cross of the cathedral’s biggest dome come from?

Legend says that while tsar Ivan the Terrible and his Oprichniki were cruelly killing peaceful city folk in 1570, a pigeon suddenly sat down to the cross of the city’s main cathedral. It looked down, saw the massacre, and was literally petrified with horror. Since then the pigeon has been considered the defender of the city. People believe that as soon as the pigeon flies away from the cross, Novgorod will come to an end.

Visit a monastery, that was founded by Patriarch Nikon

The Valday Iver Monastery is situated on the island in the middle of the Valday lake. It is considered to be one of the most important and picturesque orthodox shrines.

The monastery was founded in 1653 by the initiative of Nikon who had just been elected Patriarch. Nikon wanted the monastery to look like the Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos, including the architectural style and monk’s clothes. Legend says that Nikon saw the spot for the monastery in a dream.

Check out Fyodor Dostoevsky’s country house

Fyodor Dostoevsky, a famous Russian writer, first visited Staraya Russa town in 1872 during a summer trip with his family. They liked it so much that the next year they rented a house near the Pererytitsa River’s embankment and spent every summer here ever since.

Dostoevsky loved this house, called it ‘his nest’ and considered it the perfect place to work and to be alone. In Staraya Russa he wrote his novels ‘The Adolescent’, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and ‘Demons’. Today, this place is a museum where you can explore what Dostoevsky’s house looked like and see his family’s personal belongings, photos and letters.

Visit an authentic Russian ‘izba’ (wooden house)

If you want to really enjoy the atmosphere of the old Novgorod, you should come to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of folk wooden architecture that is located on the Myachino lake not far away from Veliky Novgorod. In this open-air museum you’ll see the best examples of Russian wooden architecture, including authentic old ‘izbas’ (wooden houses), rural chapels and churches.

During the year, the museum hosts fairs of crafts and folklore, christmastides, and even an international bell ringing festival.

Learn what Brick Gothic looks like

The Episcopal Chamber of the Novgorod Kremlin is the only non-religious German Gothic building of the 15th century preserved in Russia. You can have a good look at the facets of the gothic cross-domed vaults inside the chamber. This is why this building is also called ‘Faceted Chamber’ or ‘Chamber of Facets’.

The chamber was part of Vladychny Dvor, the place where all important city events took place: court hearings, gatherings of the Council of Lords of the Novgorod Republic, ambassador’s receptions and feasts. The seals of the city’s lords were kept here. The decree of tsar Ivan III on merging the Novgorod Republic with the Moscow State was first announced in 1478 in Episcopal Chamber. This is when the name of the new state, Russia, was first pronounced.

See the murals by Theophanes the Greek

The Byzantine Empire had a huge impact on the development of the Russian culture. Many works of art and architecture in ancient Russia were created by Byzantine artists and masters. Theophanes the Greek was one of them. He was born in Byzantine and created icons and murals in Constantinople and Caffa (modern Feodosia). After that he moved to Novgorod where he was commissioned to paint the walls of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyina Street. You can enjoy his unique and expressive style if you look at the murals inside the dome of the church and the Trinity side chapel.

The most recognizable and the only monumental work of Theophanes the Greek that is preserved today is the chest-high portrait of the Savior the Almighty in the dome of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior.

Take a photo with an ancient Novgorod citizen who is learning how to read and write

In 1951, a letter written on birch bark dating back to the 14–15th centuries was found in Veliky Novgorod. Many decades later, in 2019, a sculpture designed by Novgorod artist and sculptor Sergey Gaev appeared on this exact site.

The sculpture portrays an 8–year old boy sitting on a stool and holding a piece of birch bark. At this age children in Novgorod started to learn how to read and write. During archaeological excavations in Novgorod, scientists often found ancient handwriting practice books and children’s drawings on birch bark sheets.

Feel like an ancient viking or prince Rurik’s guest

Novgorod is one of the waypoints of the famous trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The route passed through the Volkhov river. In the 9–10th centuries there was a fortified settlement of the Viking Age here.

Some scientists believe that Novgorod is named after this area which was called ‘Stary Gorod’ (‘Old City’) at that time. Some historians and archeologists consider this place to be the residence of Prince Rurik who was asked to rule the city in 862. That’s why this ancient settlement is called ‘Rurikovo Gorodische’ (‘Ruruk’s Old City’).

Learn more about the Soviet modernist architecture

On the bank of the Volkhov river near the Novgorod Kremlin, there is an incredible building that looks like a spaceship and contrasts strongly with the ancient buildings of the city.

This is the Fyodor Dostoevsky Theater of Dramatic Art that was built in 1987. It is one of the most striking examples of the Soviet modernist architecture. The theater was built for 10 years according to the project of architect Vladimir Somov.

See what an everyday life of Old Believers looks like

The Krestsy town in the Novgorod region has always been considered to be the center of the Novgorod Old Belief community, and it still is. Before the Soviet revolution there were three Old Believers churches here.

The Lyakova village, which is located not far from the town, used to be inhabited completely by Old Believers. You can learn more about their lifestyle in the local interactive museum. You’ll be introduced to Old Believers’ traditional crafts and ceremonies, drink tea with healing herbs and learn how to chop wood and use an old spinning wheel.

Buy a traditional embroidered tablecloth

A unique embroidery style that is now famous all over the world was born in the Staroye Rakhino village in the Novgorod province. By the middle of the 19th century, it had become a folk craft. Since then, linen tablecloths, towels and clothing items decorated with unusual ornaments have been popular not only among the locals, but also travellers.

In 1929, the first cooperative partnership of embroidery masters was created in Kresttsy. Later it turned into a factory that still operates today. The factory has a museum where embroidery traditions are preserved and new ornaments and technologies are created.

Find yourself in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, Staraya Russa town could be called ‘the salt cellar of Russia’. That’s because salt making was the main trade here up to the 19th century. A few years ago, the old craft was brought back to life, and construction of salt works began. Later, an interactive museum was launched based on the results of archaeological findings.

This museum recreates a typical medieval manor of Staraya Russa of the 12th century with living rooms, a bathhouse, workshops, a livestock pen and traditional peasant household items. In this museum, you can also buy salt which is made in the same way as 1000 years ago.

See the place where Suvorov started his Italian campaign

Alexander Suvorov’s manor in the Konchanskoe village, which has now become the museum of the great commander, was originally the place of his exile. Suvovor openly disagreed with the reform of Russian’s army based on the Prussian model, and Emperor Paul the First didn’t appreciate such behaviour. He first fired Suvorov and then sent him away to his family estate.

However, the exile lasted for only two years. The great commander started the military campaign straight from his house in the Konchanskoe. During this legendary expedition, he crossed the Alps and defeated the French army.

Become a real hiker

If you dream of having a hike in the Novgorod region, but at the same time you are afraid that a tourist’s life may be too hard, you should try the Big Valday trail. This is a five-day 59-kilometer walking route. Its central part goes right through the Valday National Park’s territory.

You won’t have to cope with difficulties and inconveniences of camping life here. The route is marked with signs, and there are camping sites where you can find everything you need for an overnight stay from shelters and places for a fire to toilets. The trail finishes at the Dunayevshchina village where you can take a bus back to Valday. To take the trail, you have to fill out a special form and register on the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation website.

Russian Post has launched a limited series of products dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Novgorod region.

In autumn 2020, Russian Post announced an open contest to create the design for its limited series dedicated to Novgorod region. The project was supported by the Government of the Novgorod region, ‘Russ Novgorodskaya’ (Novgorod Russia) project, the State Novgorod Museum-reservation and Yandex.

Stamps and envelopes are traditionally used to spread information about historic dates and figures and famous landmarks. Now we can also use parcel boxes, packaging tape and postcards. The limited series products will travel around the world, introducing the most popular Russian attractions to six million Russian Post clients daily.

The participants were to create the design for the limited series featuring three iconic attractions of the Novgorod region, the Novgorod Kremlin, the Millennium Of Russia Monument and the Belelyubsky Bridge in Borovichi. Moscow designers and graduates of the Higher School of Economics’ Art and Design School Alena Akmatova and Svetlana Ilyushina won the contest. Their project was chosen via an open vote and by the expert jury.