Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyina Street

14th-century church with the only surviving frescoes by Theophanes the Greek

The Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyina Street is a modest 14th-century white-stone church that contains something extraordinary: the only surviving frescoes painted by Theophanes the Greek, one of the greatest artists of the Byzantine world. Theophanes came to Novgorod around 1370 and painted several churches here; this is the only one where his work has survived. The church was heavily damaged in World War II but has been carefully restored.

The frescoes in the drum of the central dome — Christ Pantocrator surrounded by angels and prophets — are particularly striking. The style is loose, energetic, almost expressionist compared to the more formal Byzantine tradition. If you have any interest in medieval art, this is one of the most important sites you can visit in Russia. Opening hours are limited and the church sometimes closes for restoration; check locally before making a special trip.

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Theophanes the Greek painted the frescoes here in 1378, before he moved to Moscow where he would later work alongside the young Andrei Rublev. Only a fraction of the original cycle survives — the drum of the central dome and the Trinity Chapel — but what remains is considered among the greatest works of Byzantine painting in existence. The ascetic faces and dramatic swirling drapery are unlike anything else in Russian medieval art.