The Kremlin (city fortress) was an integral part of any old Russian town and Novgorod was no exception. The city's kremlin had always been its core determining the city structure and layout. The Novgorod Kremlin or "detinets", as it was called in the old days, carried out the combined functions of an administrative, social and religious center. All major events were held in the Kremlin, including the veche assembly and elections of the posadnik; it was from the Kremlin that Alexander Nevsky's armed troops set out for the battle with the Swedes; the walls of the Kremlin defended the city's main cathedral of St. Sophia and the residence of Novgorodian archbishops; the learned men of the land gathered there to keep the chronicles, to collect and copy ancient books.
It is best to start a tour of the Kremlin by approaching the Volkhov River from the side of lake Ilmen. The outlines of red-brick turrets and walls of the fortress, built in the 10th century, which had acquired the name Noviy gorod or Novgorod (New Town) in contrast to the old town, called Gorodische, can be seen from far away. The Kremlin, which looks amazingly beautiful in any weather, seems to be floating above the modern city, resembling the legendary Kitezh-grad, which had once emerged from the depths of the sea. The melodious tolling of bells resounding across the water for dozens of kilometers, completes this truly dreamlike picture. As one approaches the walls, more details come into view, such as the narrow turrets and merlons as well as the most ancient and comparatively new buildings.
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