The first serious invasion, in 1332, was rolled back with the aid of the Lithuanians. But in 1456 the great prince of Moscow imposed a heavy tribute. Ivan III. of Moscow took possession of the colonies in the northern Dvina and the Perm regions, and began two bloody wars, during which Novgorod fought for its liberty under the leadership of Martha Boretskaya, the mayor. In 1475-1478 Ivan III. entered Novgorod, abolished its char ters, and carried away i,000 of the wealthier families, substi tuting for them families from Moscow ; the old free city then recognized his sovereignty. A century later Ivan IV. (the Ter rible) abolished the last vestiges of the independence of the city. Having learned that a party favourable to Lithuania had been organized in Novgorod, he took the field in 1570, and en tered the city (much weakened by the recent pestilences) without opposition. His followers killed the heads of the monasteries, the wealthier of the merchants and clergy, and burned and pil laged the city and villages. No fewer than 15,00o were massacred at Novgorod alone (6o,000 according to some authorities). A famine ensued, and the district of Novgorod fell into utter desola tion. Thousands of families were transported to Moscow, Nijni Novgorod, and other towns of the principality of Moscow.
In the beginning of the 17th century Novgorod was taken and held for seven years by the Swedes ; and in the i 8th century the founding of St. Petersburg (now Leningrad) finally destroyed its trade. Its position on the water highway from the Volga to St. Petersburg and on the trunk road from Moscow to the capital, still gave it some commercial importance; but even this was destroyed by the opening of the Vishera canal, connecting the Msta with the Volkhov below the city, and by the construction of the railway from St. Petersburg to Moscow, which did not
reach Novgorod. Later a branch loop linked the town with the main line and its position improved.
Antiquities.—The town consists of a Kremlin (old fortress), and of the city, which stands on both banks of the river, con nected by a handsome stone bridge. The Kremlin was much en larged in 1044, and again in 1116. Its stone walls, originally palisades, were begun in 1302, and much extended in 1490. Its historical monuments include the cathedral of St. Sophia, built in 1045-1052 by architects from Constantinople to take the place of the original wooden structure (989), destroyed by fire in that year. Apart from minor changes the building remained unaltered until its restoration in 1893-1900. It contains highly-prized relics, including 12th century bronze doors, one brought reputedly from Sigtuna, the ancient capital of Sweden. Another ancient building in the Kremlin is the Yaroslav tower. Other remarkable monu ments are the church of St. Nicholas ("35), the Snamenski cathedral (i4th century), and churches of the i4th and 15th centuries. Within the town itself there are four monasteries and convents, two of them dating from the nth century and two from the 12th century; and the large number in the immediate neighbourhood shows the great extent which the city formerly had. A monument to commemorate the i,000th anniversary of the foundation of Russia (the calling in of the Varangians by Nov gorod in 862) was erected in 1862. Another monument com memorates the repulse of the Napoleonic invasion of 1812.