Novy Torg is governed for Novgorod by a posadnik, attested by name only from 1215, or at times by a prince placed there.
In the winter of 1196 Yaroslav Vladimirovich, expelled from Novgorod, went to Novy Torg, whose people received him gladly, and stayed until Vsevolod called him in 1197. The holder on 1 January 1200 is not named.
Who he is
- Title
- posadnik of Novy Torg
- Confidence
- low
The first posadnik of Novy Torg named in the chronicle is Foma Dobroshchinich, seized by Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in 1215. Princes were sometimes seated there instead: David Rostislavich in 1158, Yaropolk in 1177 and 1180-81; Yaroslav Vladimirovich sat there in 1196-97.
Overlord
Novgorod.
What it holds
- Novy Torg and its district (see Novy Torg)
How it was acquired
Appointment by Novgorod.
Allies and rivals
The grand prince of Vladimir, whose land begins a day's ride east.
How things stand that morning
Office in being; holder not named.
Wealth
Tolls on the grain trade from the Suzdal land.
Military
The town's fort and men.
Threats
- Seizure by the grand prince (as in 1178 and 1181).
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: No name for 1200.
On the map: Drawn with the town record.
Primary sources for Novgorod
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Chronicle of Novgorod (kept year by year; the Synodal manuscript written in the 13th and 14th centuries). Novgorod's own record, kept at St Sophia. Read online
- The Laurentian Chronicle (the Suzdal continuation kept in the late 12th and 13th centuries; manuscript 1377). The court record of Vsevolod III of Vladimir. Read online
- The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
- The birch-bark letters (11th to 15th centuries). Excavated letters and notes on birch bark, dated by the layer they lie in. Read online
- The law of the Gotlanders; The saga of the Gotlanders (Guta lag about 1220, Guta saga about 1220 to 1275; manuscript of about 1350). The law and the short history of the self-governing island. Read online
Sources and studies
- The Chronicle of Novgorod 1016-1471 (Novgorod First Chronicle), tr. R. Michell and N. Forbes (1914): entries for 1164-1215 read through the archive.org full-text search (scan pp. 76-106)
- Wikipedia (en): Torzhok
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.