Novgorod Veliky (Novgorod the Great), the administrative centre of the Novgorod Region, is located in northwestern Russia, about halfway between Moscow and St Petersburg. It has a population of 214,777 (as of January 1, 2010), and occupies an area of 90 square kilometres.
This is one of Russia's oldest cities; September 2009 marked 1,150 years since its foundation.
Today Novgorod is an important economic and cultural centre of Russia's Northwestern Federal District. Tourism is one of the mainstays of its economy, with up to 225,000 tourists visiting every year. Among the city's main sights are 37 monuments of early Russian art, listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1992.
These include the Court of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, with its Cathedral of St Nicholas (1113); the Church of the Transfiguration on Elias Street (1374); the Church of St Theodore Stratelates (1360-1361); the Our Lady of the Sign Cathedral (1682-1688); the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (1117) at St Anthony's Monastery; the Cathedral of St George (1119) at the Yuriev Monastery (or St George's Monastery); the Transfiguration-on-Nereditsa Church (1198); the Assumption Cathedral on the Volotovo Field (1352); the Church of Simeon the God-Receiver (1467) at the Zverin Monastery; and the Khutyn Monastery of the Transfiguration (16th-19th centuries).
Novgorod's oldest and most famous surviving stone structure is the Cathedral of St Sophia (1045-1052), inside the Kremlin walls.
A monument to the Millennium of Russia -- the nation's first monument to celebrate its statehood -- was built here in 1862.
Industrial production forms the bulk of the city's economy, accounting for 67% of the total output of goods and services. Its major enterprises are involved with the processing of raw materials (90%) and with public utilities (10%). Other core industries include chemicals, food, timber, pulp and paper, mechanical engineering, and metal working.
The city's industrial heavyweights include the Novgorod Metallurgical Works and the tube manufacturer Splav. Many transnationals, such as the UK-based Dirol Cadbury confectionery and the German packaging producer Amcor Rentsch, also run operations here.
Local small businesses employ more than 26,000 people overall, and are involved in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, commerce, construction and services, including healthcare, education and utilities.