Image of Veliky Novgorod in Historiosophy by Novgorod Society of Antiquity Lovers: Reflections on Historical Narratives

Historical narratives reconstruct the past by engaging images and symbols of collective memory, among which the image of Veliky Novgorod holds a prominent place. This article examines the methods of representation and the functions of Novgorod’s image within the historiosophical perspectives of the Novgorod Society of Antiquity Lovers. This study addresses this topic for the first time. It draws on a wide range of sources, including published historical narratives (essays, articles) and unpublished materials (transcripts of reports, notes, letters). The research reveals that the Society proposed original historiosophical ideas most actively during the First World War (1914–1916). Following the 1917 revolution, the Society’s creative activity ceased. The author concludes that for the Society, the primary mode of representing and organizing knowledge about the past was not “scientific-historical work” but rather “historical narrative.” The image of Veliky Novgorod, in its various forms, played a central role in these narratives. The construction of history by the Society was shaped by the goals and priorities it deemed relevant and was influenced by the collective mentality of its members as a social group sharing a common worldview.