The Church of Nikola Bely (Nicholas Wonderworker) is an architectural monument of federal significance. It is located in the historical part of our city - the ancient Nerevsky End of medieval Novgorod.

Nikolo-Belsky Monastery was founded more than 700 years ago. After the restoration in 2009 it is also one of the most frequently visited places of the Novgorod Regional Folk Art Centre.

This monastery faced a hard fate. Due to various unfortunate circumstances, very few written sources and facts have been preserved.

Novgorodian chronicles tell us little about the foundation and consecration of the Church of St. Nikola on Yakovlev Street in the Nerevsky End in 1135. In 1165 the bishop Ioann made a dormitory in the St. Nicholas-Belsky Monastery under hegumen Anthony.

Initially, all the monastery buildings were wooden. By the XIV century the monastery was abandoned and dilapidated. But in 1312 it was renewed by Archbishop David, who had his own country house in its walls.

The stone church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nikola Bely in another way) was built and consecrated in 1312 - 1313. Unfortunately, not a single historical document explains why the church was named «Belaya» (White) exactly, but this epithet has been fixed to this day.

Nowadays, unique exhibition spaces have been created in the church. You can immerse yourself in the era of Novgorodian Hansa or post-war Novgorod of the 20th century. Nativity performances are held here. Moreover, in the church of Nikola Bely one can know how children were taught literacy in ancient Novgorod.

Only here, thanks to the Club of Historical Reconstruction "Zmey Gorynych" (Slavic Dragon), you can enter a real Druzhinny house (a house of a prince’s retinue) and see elements of life and armaments of Novgorod warriors of different eras or model your own seal by hand sculpting from clay and admire the exact copies of archaeological finds in the workshop "Potter's yard".

But mostly important is that the Church of Nikola Bely lives and continues to delight the Novgorodians and visitors of the city with its proportions and wonderful acoustics.

This is our great joy, pride and huge responsibility for us.