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ÃËÀÂÍÀß > Exhibitions > Old Ladoga
Organizers: - Sophia Kasim, museum director. Museum “700 years - Landscrona, Nevskoe Ustye, Nyenskans” - Kuldushevsky Vladimir, archaeologist, author of the articles for the exhibition. The Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences The institute studies ancient history and the cultural heritage of Russia from stone-age artifacts to the towns and settlements of the Petrine era. 18 Palace Embankment, St. Petersburg 191186 Tel. (812) 249 0823, 312 1484 General Sponsor of the Exhibiton: "Nyenskans" Company *******  The town of Staraya Ladoga in the Volkhovsky district of the Leningrad Oblast is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River, just 12 kilometers from the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, to which the Volkhov feeds. The history of Ladoga is unique. Founded in the middle of the 8th century as one of the most important centers of trade between Europe and Asia, on a water route, the town became a capital for the northern tribes. This is where the history of the Riurik dynasty gets its start. It was the country’s northernmost port, an ancient Russian town, a fortress on the northern borders of the land. Today it is a small rural town and a museum of federal significance. Staraya Ladoga concentrates twelve centuries of Russian history, witnessed by some 160 architectural monuments still standing, by art and archeological artifacts. During the first century of its existence Ladoga was the main center for the northern Slavic and Finnish tribes and an example of early government in the northern part of Eastern Europe. It became a center of trade and economic ties between Europe and Asia along the Great Volga and, later, along the Dnepr river roots. Turbulent events such as the invasion by a tribe of Varangians (a Danish invasion in 852), the obligation to pay them tribute and infighting among the locals led them to invite the noble Viking Riurik and his people to rule Ladoga in 862. This story is told in the “Tale of the Varangian Rule” in the early 12th-century chronicles. According to the Ipatiev manuscript of the Primary Chronicle, “In the summer of 6370 (862) the Varangians were driven beyond the sea… Three brothers were selected with their families and took the Rus Varangians and came to the Slavs first and built the city of Ladoga. The oldest among them was Riurik…” Many researchers think this is the same Danish Viking Rerik known to Western sources. He became the founder of the Riurik dynasty that ruled in Russia until the end of the 16th century. The rule of Prince Riurik and his heir Prince Oleg left visible traces in the town of Ladoga. A cape in Lake Ladoga formed by the Volkhov River became home to a wooden, and later a stone fortress, the first in Russia. The fortress was discovered during digs led by the archeologist Kirpichnikov in 1975, A town covering between 10 and 12 hectares grew up around the fortress. The shores of the Volkhov are dotted with the burial mounds of nobles among the first settlers. These mounds dated to the 8th through 10th centuries. A Norman grave from the 9th or 10th centuries was found on the right bank of the Volkhov in the Plakun area. Local tradition holds that the grandest mound is that of Oleg. As trade between Europe and Asia became less active, Ladoga was drawn into the flurry of domestic state making. At the end of the 12th century the town came under the authority of the Novgorod princes. In 1114, Pavel, governor of Ladoga, built a new stone fortress that became a base for colonizing the North and bringing Christianity to the Finnish tribes. Although it had become part of Novgorod, Ladoga continued to occupy a privileged position. This could be seen in the active church building during the latter half of the 12th century. Six stone churches were erected along the Volkhov and Ladozhka rivers, contributing to the shape of town planning. Only two churches of that period survive: the Church of the Dormition and the Church of St. George. The Church of St. George is truly a landmark of international significance thanks to its fluid and exquisite architectural forms. Soon after it was completed, the church was painted by a group of Greek and Russian craftsmen. Frescoes covering some 150 square meters of wall space have survived, including a version of St. George and the Dragon that is a masterpiece of Graeco-Russian art. In the 12th through 14th centuries Ladoga remained a bastion of the northern reaches of the Novgorod lands. It was the northernmost port through which trade flowed between Northern and Western Europe. At the end of the 15th century Ladoga became part of Muscovy. Then a new stone fortress with five towers was built to accommodate new developments in artillery. Time has preserved the ancient landscape and many archeological landmarks. All of this leaves a lasting impression with those who visit Ladoga. The names of the neighborhoods surrounding the town evoke the mystery of events long past: Varangian Street, the Burial Mound of Oleg, Prince’s Village, the shrine to the pagan god Veles, the Victory burial mound dating to the 8th through 10th centuries and the Varangian burial mound known as Plakun dating to the 9th and 10th centuries. In 1984 a museum was opened in Staraya Ladoga – as the town is now called – to display the history and architecture, as well as the archeological artifacts connected with the ancient settlement. The Russian president signed a decree in 1995 granting the museum federal status. Interest in the ancient history of Ladoga goes back a long way. In 1114, the author of the Primary Chronicle wrote that in Ladoga the water shaped “glass pebbles small and great” and the children collected them. The first archeological digs in Staraya Ladoga were led by Pastor Wilhelm Tolle in 1708. He discovered the Victory burial mound. The archeologists Brandenburg, Repnikov and Ravdonikas studies Ladoga at the end of the 19th century and through the mid-20th century. New research interest was sparked in 1972. The Staraya Ladoga architectural expedition sponsored by the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences and led by Kirpichnikov uncovered burial mounds, remains of fortresses and the Earthen Settlement that sprung up in medieval times. The results of the Staraya Ladoga expedition allow us to expand our understanding of crafts and trade and the ethnic makeup of the population in those distant days. A team led by the archeologist Ryabinin found the remains of a jewelry smith’s workshop with a unique collection of tools in a layer of earth dating to the 8th century. The same team also found traces of a glassblower’s workshop that produced beads. Ryabinin and another archeologist, Chernykh, were responsible for dating the Ladoga settlement based on dendrochronography. They unearthed the remains of a structure built in 753, which anticipates the mention of Ladoga in the Primary Chronicle (862) by more than a century. Archeological digs have uncovered articles that can be dated to the 6th through 8th centuries, meaning that there were settlements here even earlier. During digs led by the archeologist Petrenko on the left bank of the Ladozhka River outside the Earthen Settlement, a large (120 square meters) structure with a double wall dating to 960-980 was found. This was most likely either a sanctuary or a place for gatherings and feasts. Many interesting items were found on the site, including a bronze pendant decorated with runes and a chain decorated with Thor’s hammers. These items are of Scandinavian origin. The exhibit features artifacts from Kirpichnikov’s digs in the Earthen Settlement in 2003 and a collection of finds and artifacts discovered by Petrenko on the left bank of the Ladozhka River between 1972 and 1975 (the digs near Varangian Street). By analyzing these finds we can make some conclusions about the ethnic composition of the original population of Ladoga. It consisted of Slavs, local Finns and Scandinavians. The digs at the Earthen Settlement made it possible to determine the scale of international trade. Weapons, combs, beads, jewelry, cloth, vessels and a large number of silver dirham coins came to Ladoga from different countries. From here they were disseminated throughout Northern and Eastern Europe. The artifacts gathered during archeological digs allow us to imagine the daily life and activities, not to mention the aesthetic tastes, of the Ladoga residents in those distant days. Many articles bear ornament of various origin: rough cuts, lines that interweave to create complex designs, and images of fantastic beasts. The shores of the Volkhov with their grand pagan burial mounds and elegant churches, and the unbreachable walls and towers of the 15th-16th century fortress remind us of the glorious past of the first capital of Northern Russia. The Okhta Group holding has been supporting the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences for a long time. The archeological expeditions carried out in 2003 and 2004 to study the Earthen Settlement in Staraya Ladoga have received financial support from Nevaland, a company in the holding. |
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On 18 February 2003 in the museum “700 years - Landscrona, Nevskoe Ustye, Nyenskans” started up an archeological exhibition OLD LADOGA ANTIQUES. The grand opening of the exhibition attracted people from Russia and Northern countries: Sweden, Denmark and Finland. All who interested in history: both archeologists and businessmen, representatives of the city administration and general consulates, historians and designers met at the ASKOLD Business Center where the museum is located. 