Riurik Gorodishche

an ancient fortified settlement located 2 km from Novgorod on the right bank of the Volkhov River, in the village of Gorodishche. Initially the settlement was known simply as Gorodishche; the name Riurik Gorodishche originated in the early 19th century in connection with the chronicle legend about Riurik.

Excavations conducted in 1928, 1935, and 1965 by the Novgorod archaeological expedition uncovered three cultural layers, dating from the Neolithic period, the early Iron Age, and the Russian period (from the 12th century). Many lead stamps from the 12th to 15th centuries engraved with the names of princes, boyars, posadniki (princes’ vicegerents), and namestniki (vicegerents) have been found in the area. These finds are related to the existence of a fortified princely estate in Riurik Gorodishche in the 12th and 13th centuries; princes settled here when they were forbidden to live in Novgorod after the popular uprisings of the 12th century. The namestniki of grand princes lived in Riurik Gorodishche in the 14th and 15th centuries.