Church of St Philip the Apostle and St Nicholas

The Church of St Philip the Apostle and St Nicholas the Wonderworker is a working Orthodox church on the Trade Side of Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod Oblast, at 34 Nikolskaya Street; historically the site belonged to Nutnaya Street. It is a double church: two churches, St Philip's and St Nicholas's, stand on a single base and form one building. The Novgorod local historian Vasily Peredolsky is buried in the churchyard.

History

The first stone church of St Philip was built here in 1383–1384 by the posadniks Rodislav Danilovich, Ustin and Philip. The present building dates from 1527–1528, when Novgorod and Moscow merchants raised two separate parish churches, of St Philip the Apostle and of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, on a common base. In the 17th century they were united into one parish.

In 1899 St Nicholas's church was almost entirely dismantled, leaving only its western wall and traces of other parts. In 1962, during Khrushchev's anti-religious campaign, a parish community whose church had been taken over as a museum was moved into St Philip's.

Restoration and architecture

Restoration of the monument began in 1969–1970, and in 1977 the dismantled St Nicholas church started to be rebuilt to a design by the restoration architect Ninel Kuzmina. The work was supported by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov).

The church was restored in its 16th-century forms. The two churches share a base and a lower church, while later parts survive: the western porch and the 18th-century bell tower. A double church of this kind is a rare type in Novgorod architecture.

Peredolsky's grave

The churchyard holds the grave of Vasily Stepanovich Peredolsky, a Novgorod local historian and archaeologist, buried here in 1907. His house stood opposite the church on Nutnaya Street, and on its ground floor he kept a private museum. The house was later rebuilt and now hosts the diocesan centre for religious education.

Getting there

The church is on the Trade Side of Veliky Novgorod at 34 Nikolskaya Street. It is an active church with regular services; Peredolsky's grave is inside the church fence, and his rebuilt house stands opposite.