The Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Novgorod is the oldest surviving stone building in Russia, predating most of the country's medieval architecture by centuries. Built between 1045 and 1050 on the orders of Yaroslav the Wise, it served as the spiritual centre of the Novgorod Republic for nearly five centuries. The exterior is massive and austere — white-washed stone, thick walls, small windows, and a lead-covered golden dome that has been the city's landmark for almost a thousand years.
Inside, the cathedral is relatively plain by the standards of later Russian Orthodox churches, which makes the surviving fragments of original 11th-century frescoes all the more striking. The iconostasis contains medieval icons from the Novgorod School. The cathedral is still an active place of worship as well as a museum, and services are held regularly. Entry to the cathedral requires covering your head and shoulders.