Hanseatic Fountain (Veliky Novgorod)

The Hanseatic Fountain is a fountain decorated with the coats of arms of the Hanseatic League countries, standing at Yaroslav's Court in Veliky Novgorod, on the right bank of the Volkhov River opposite the Novgorod Kremlin (2 Ilyina Street). It was opened in 2009 for the International Hanseatic Days of Modern Times and is one of the best-known modern landmarks of the Novgorod Region.

History

The fountain was built for the international cultural and economic forum "XXIX Hanseatic Days of Modern Times", held in Veliky Novgorod in June 2009. The design is credited to the TRI architectural studio and the Vozrozhdenie company.

It is dedicated to the Hanseatic League of Modern Times, which unites more than 170 cities in 15 European countries, including towns that were never part of the medieval Hansa but traded with it. In 1993 Veliky Novgorod became the first Russian city to join the "New Hansa", and other Russian cities followed later. In 2022 the participation of Russian cities in the league was suspended.

The fountain and its coats of arms

The base of the fountain is a granite circle eight metres across, symbolising a negotiating table around which the member cities meet. Sixteen apple trees are planted around it, and sixteen mosaic coats of arms of the member countries run along its rim, among them Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, France, Belarus and Russia. Visitors like to walk around the circle guessing each country by its lions, eagles and crowns.

The composition is crowned by a bronze sculpture called the Hanseatic Sign. It shows two old sailing ships, a Hanseatic cog and a Novgorod boat, whose sails are replaced by two intertwined trees, a symbol of the unity of countries and times.

Legends

Like many fountains, this one has its own superstition: guides say that for every coin thrown in, the Volkhov water will "wash up a thousand". It is a local joke rather than an old tradition.

Getting there and practical notes

The fountain is on the grounds of Yaroslav's Court, near the Gate Tower of the Merchants' Court. A footbridge over the Volkhov leads there from the Kremlin in a few minutes. The water runs in the warm season and the fountain is shut down for winter, but the granite circle with its coats of arms and the Hanseatic Sign can be seen all year round.