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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Novgorod
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1992-09-01
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Industrial (chemicals, engineering, clothing,
brewing) city on the Volkhov river, NW USSR;
a major trading city in medieval times;
population (1987) 228,000.
Novgorod was the original capital of the
Russian state, founded at the invitation of
the people of the city by the Viking
(Varangian) chieftain Rurik 862. The Viking
merchants who went there quickly became fully
assimilated into the native Slav population.
In 912 the capital of the principality moved
to Kiev, but this did little to harm
Novgorod. It developed a strong municipal
government run by the leaders of the craft
guilds and, until the 13th century,
flourished as a major commercial centre (with
a monopoly on the Russian fur trade) for
trade with Scandinavia, the Byzantine empire,
and the Muslim world. It became one of the
principal members of the Hanseatic League,
but its economy had already started to
decline. This was hastened during the
15th-century rule of the boyars, nobles who
had seized power from the guilds 1416. It
came under the control of Ivan the Great III
1478 and was sacked by Ivan the Terrible
1570.