Nifont
Encyclopedia
Nifont was Archbishop of Novgorod
from 1130 to 1156, the first prelate of Novgorod the Great to hold that title, though it appears the title was held personally and did not extend to the office until 1165. During his tenure, the prince of Novgorod was first dismissed and "shown the road," beginning Novgorod's period of independence in 1136 which was to last until 1478.
Nifont was the first Novgorodian bishop to carry out extensive building projects. He built the Church of the Assumption in the Marketplace (the current building is a fifteenth century reconstruction carried out under the auspices of Archbishop Gennady). He also patron of the Church of the Transfiguration in the Mirozhsky Monastery
in Pskov
, said to have been built in a Greek style according to Nifont's tastes; twelfth century frescoes were recently uncovered there.
Archbishop of Novgorod
The Archbishop of Novgorod is the head of the eparchy of Novgorod the Great and is one of the oldest offices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The archbishops have, in fact, been among the most important figures in medieval Russian history and culture and their successors continued to play...
from 1130 to 1156, the first prelate of Novgorod the Great to hold that title, though it appears the title was held personally and did not extend to the office until 1165. During his tenure, the prince of Novgorod was first dismissed and "shown the road," beginning Novgorod's period of independence in 1136 which was to last until 1478.
Nifont was the first Novgorodian bishop to carry out extensive building projects. He built the Church of the Assumption in the Marketplace (the current building is a fifteenth century reconstruction carried out under the auspices of Archbishop Gennady). He also patron of the Church of the Transfiguration in the Mirozhsky Monastery
Mirozhsky Monastery
Mirozhsky Monastery – a 12th-century monastery complex in Pskov, Russia, famous for its frescoes, located in The Christ's Transfiguration Cathedral. The name of the monastery is derived from the name of the Mirozha River, near which it’s situated...
in Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, said to have been built in a Greek style according to Nifont's tastes; twelfth century frescoes were recently uncovered there.