Now on air
23:00
The View From Up On High. The Churches of Veliky Novgorod
It is better to die than to allow one’s gods to be insulted,” the people of Novgorod stated, resisting attempts to convert them from their pagan beliefs to Christianity. In the face of this opposition, Prince Vladimir’s envoys resorted to brute force. With fire and the sword. It was in this way that Novgorod was brought round to the Christian faith in the 10th century. But a new strength was born out of that fire. Christianity united the different tribes and groups. Two centuries later, the majority of the churches in this medieval city were part of a vast monastery. Every community in Novgorod had its own church – the inhabitants of each neighborhood in the city, even streets, merchants working in the different trades, aristocratic families. The church signified heavenly patronage and affirmed the existence of the community within the sacral space of the city. The history and architectu...
The Yuriev monastery
Monasteries serve as a stronghold of the Orthodox faith on Russian soil. Each monastery has its own unique history and for thousands of tourists, pilgrims and those simply seeking an escape from their busy everyday lives these places truly are holy. The most remote and hidden monasteries, some of which are even hard to reach, were built by people with no interest in a connection with the outside world, only in their connection with God. The peaceful environment of such places seems to be protected by nature itself. Other spiritual centres, on the contrary, were built by those who sought to be heard by the masses — no one other than the rulers of the Russian State. Such monasteries then became a solid foundation of princely power and their superiors played an active role in local political life. One such institution is the St. George Monastery. RTG TV host Alexander Uvarov v...
Now on air
23:15
The Yuriev monastery
Traditional Nogai Costumes
Nowadays representatives of the ancient Turkic Nogai people are scattered across Russia and Europe. The Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia is one of the original homes to this indigenous people, who today are very careful to preserve their traditions. In 2008 in the mountainous republic in southern Russia, the theatre of the national Nogai costume, Suyumbike, was founded. Find out what traditional folk ornaments have been preserved, why trousers are part of women’s dress and how to tell the difference between Nogai girls from Crimean and Astrakhan in RTG’s new programme.
Now on air
23:00