The Novgorod Land Arts Culture Museum was founded in Veliky Novgorod in 2002. It is located on the territory of  the Desyatinny Convent - an architectural monument of the 14th century.Here, in 1170, during the famous Battle of the Novgorodians with the Suzdalians, the priests marched with the wondrous Our Lady of the Sign icon, which saved Novgorod, according to legends. 1327 is presumed to be the year when the monastery was founded.

The museum is located in the sister building of the Desyatinny Convent, which was built in 1845. Desyatinny Convent is one of 8 ancient convents that were within the town walls, and it kept most of its territory, its planning patterns and buildings.

The museum presents works of art by Novgorod artists of the late 20th - early 21st century. The quality of the exhibition meets the high international standards and follows the traditions. The exhibition introduces the traditional art of the Novgorodian artists and masters of applied arts. Every one of them has their own style. The visual art pieces were made using different techniques: oil painting, graphics (watercolor, pastel, etching, pencil drawing, linocut, etc). This art belongs to the skilled hands of the masters from Novgorod, the participants and winners of many international contests and exhibitions, as well as People’s Artists and honored artists. The applied art is particularly interesting: marvelous tapestries and batiks, followed by works made of glass and porcelain, in which the artists follow the traditions of the Kuznetsovy family, whose factories were widespread in early 20th century.

The Novgorod Land Arts Culture Museum is widely known both in Russia and internationally. The museum provides workshops, meetings with the artists, topical activities for children, travelling shows, “one-painting exhibitions” and other events for those interested in Novgorodian art.

The Cultural Heritage of the Novgorodian Cloisters exhibition

The Cultural Heritage of the Novgorodian Cloisters exhibition, for the first time ever, combines the history of 25 Novgorodian cloisters at the same area, with preserved and recreated buildings. The exhibition showcases the fresco fragments of the unique 14th century landmark – the Church of the Dormition in Volotovo – the “Souls in hand of God fragment on the east wall bema, above the arc that leads to the cloister’s apsis (14th century); Fomin’s tracing copies, provided by Tamara Anisimova, head of the restoration workshop “FRESKA”; a 1352 brick with a drawing of a galley boat and the three warriors from the ruins of the Church of the Dormition in Volotovo. Movies by Alla Osipova: “Vremya sobirat’ kamni” (Time to collect the stones) and “Kak feniks is pepla” (Like a phoenix from ashes). The artistic part of the exhibition includes 39 paintings and graphics from the museum’s foundation. These art pieces were made by the pride and joy of Novgorodian artistry: Dmitry Kondratiev, Ilya Kushnir, Grigory Shtender, Semyon Pustovoitov, Vasily Chekhonadsky, Vladimir Zhuravlev and other modern artists. The information on Novgorodian cloisters is displayed on boards: it includes 100 modern and early 20th century photos, 60 copied documents and over 150 pictures in digital format.