Eleven centuries old, Novgorod is one of the oldest towns in Russia, and each of these centuries has left its mark on the banks of the Volkhov. This town, which is famous for its birch-bark documents and the richest chronicles surviving in Russia, its wonderful architectural monuments and its beautiful wooden roadways, has always had an enormous influence on the fate of Russian lands. Invaders from East and West met defeat under the walls of Novgorod. Surrounded by marshes and forests, the city is an age-old guardian of ancient Russian culture on the country’s north-western borders. (fragment)