St. Sophia Cathedral, Novgorod, Russia

Martin Gray

[Click on the picture to enlarge.]

Christianity became the religion of Russia in 988 CE yet for uncounted centuries a variety of megalithic, pagan and shamanic traditions existed. Concentrations of megaliths have been found near the White Sea and in the Caucasus Mountains. The Scythians, Huns, Greeks, Persians, Celts and Slavs built temples for different deities. Following practices established by Roman Christianity, the Russians demolished temples, erected churches upon the foundations, and installed relics. Over the centuries, tens of thousands of Russians went on long walking pilgrimages to behold the sacred icons and relics.

Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia, was founded in the 5th century CE. Its first church, erected upon the site of a pagan temple, was built in 989. In 1045 this building burned to the ground, and upon the same site a stone cathedral was built. The new Russian Orthodox cathedral was consecrated in 1052 to St. Sophia, who symbolized the feminine aspect of divine wisdom. Scholars interpret the dedication of Novgorod's cathedral to St. Sophia as a continuation of the cult of the Great Goddess, which was widely practiced since archaic times.

In 1170 an event occurred that firmly established the cathedral as a place of pilgrimage. An army had attacked Novgorod and was threatening to overwhelm the inhabitants. The local bishop had a vision in which he was instructed to carry the cathedral's icon of the Virgin to the fortress walls. An attacker's arrow flew through the air and lodged directly in the icon, where upon tears began to flow from the Virgin's eyes. At this moment, so the legend tells, all the attackers went blind and the army of Novgorod was able to defeat the enemy. Since that time, the icon of the Virgin has been named Znamenie, or Our Lady of the Sign, and she is believed to be the protector of the city. Her festival is celebrated on December 10.

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About Martin Gray

Martin Gray is a photographer and anthropologist specializing in the study of sacred sites and pilgrimage traditions around the world whose work has been published by the National Geographic Society. During the past twenty years, he has presented slide shows on the extraordinary beauty and precarious situation of the world's sacred sites to more than one hundred thousand people on four continents. Traveling as a pilgrim, Martin spent twenty years, visiting and photographing over 1000 sacred sites in eighty countries. His award winning website, www.sacredsites.com has received over twenty million visitors since 1998. Sacred Earth is featured in a major Feng Shui journal. Martin's Email: martin@sacredsites.com