St. Sophia Cathedral: western facade

Western facade with the Magdeburg (Korsun) Gate. In the old days it was the main entrance to the cathedral; now they are opened only when the Archbishop of Novgorod is serving. In 1616, during the Swedish occupation, Gustav II Adolf ordered the relic to be taken to Stockholm, but Jacob Delagardie, who was at that time the governor of Novgorod and fearing a possible massacre, advised against requisitioning it.