Valday

About the town. Modern Valday lies on the Valday Hills beside Lake Valday, 140 km southeast of Veliky Novgorod, at kilometre 386 of the federal Moscow — St. Petersburg M10 (E 105) highway. Valday is first mentioned in a birch bark manuscript dated 1140-1151. Until 1654 it was a palace village, then until 1764 it belonged to the Iversky Monastery and was known as Bogoroditsyno. Valday received town status in 1770. Its location on the postal road between Moscow and St. Petersburg encouraged trade and crafts. Valday craftsmen became famous throughout Russia for casting large bells and small handbells. Visitors to the town included Alexander Radishchev, Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Nekrasov, Vladimir Serov and Gavriil Derzhavin. Valday is a landscape of rivers, lakes and forests. Valday National Park contains 70 lakes, 20 rivers, rare flora and fauna, and around 500 archaeological, historical and architectural monuments. Bells have long been the town’s symbol, marking times for prayer, work and rest. The Valday Museum of Bells holds a major collection of bells and handbells from around the world. The Valday Iversky Holy Mother of God Monastery, founded by Patriarch Nikon in 1653, attracts pilgrims from many countries. Its principal shrine is the wonderworking Iverskaya Icon of the Mother of God.