Velikiy Novgorod is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the highway (and railway) connecting Moscow and St Petersburg. "Novgorod" is the Russian for "new city", whereas "Velikiy" means "the Great". An administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast.
In 1727, Novgorod was made a capital of the Novgorod government. On August 15, 1941 it was occupied by the Nazi army. Its historic monuments were systematically annihilated. When the Red Army liberated the city on January 19, 1944, out of 2536 stone buildings less than 40 were still standing. After the WWII, the downtown has been gradually restored. Its chief monuments are declared the World Heritage Site. In 1998, the city was officially renamed Velikiy Novgorod, thus partly reverting to its medieval title "Lord Novgorod the Great".