Of the provincial capitals, Novgorod was the nearest, and more interesting than most of its rivals; for it has had a curious history, much older than that of St. Petersburg or even of Moscow, and some traces of its former greatness are still visible.  Though now a town of third-rate importance—­a mere shadow of its former self—­it still contains about 21,000 inhabitants, and is the administrative centre of the large province in which it is situated.

About eighty miles before reaching St. Petersburg the Moscow railway crosses the Volkhof, a rapid, muddy river which connects Lake Ilmen with Lake Ladoga.  At the point of intersection I got on board a small steamer and sailed up stream towards Lake Ilmen for about fifty miles.* The journey was tedious, for the country was flat and monotonous, and the steamer, though it puffed and snorted inordinately, did not make more than nine knots.  Towards sunset Novgorod appeared on the horizon.  Seen thus at a distance in the soft twilight, it seemed decidedly picturesque.  On the east bank lay the greater part of the town, the sky line of which was agreeably broken by the green roofs and pear-shaped cupolas of many churches.  On the opposite bank rose the Kremlin.  Spanning the river was a long, venerable stone bridge, half hidden by a temporary wooden one, which was doing duty for the older structure while the latter was being repaired.  A cynical fellow-passenger assured me that the temporary structure was destined to become permanent, because it yielded a comfortable revenue to certain officials, but this sinister prediction has not been verified.

     * The journey would now be made by rail, but the branch line
     which runs near the bank of the river had not been
     constructed at that time.

That part of Novgorod which lies on the eastern bank of the river, and in which I took up my abode for several months, contains nothing that is worthy of special mention.  As is the case in most Russian towns, the streets are straight, wide, and ill-paved, and all run parallel or at right angles to each other.  At the end of the bridge is a spacious market-place, flanked on one side by the Town-house.  Near the other side stand the houses of the Governor and of the chief military authority of the district.  The only other buildings of note are the numerous churches, which are mostly small, and offer nothing that is likely to interest the student of architecture.  Altogether this part of the town is unquestionably commonplace.  The learned archaeologist may detect in it some traces of the distant past, but the ordinary traveller will find little to arrest his attention.