This one is an Official Postcrossing card from Russia! This comes from the postcard series “The Monuments of the Russian Architecture, Novgorod”, and by golly “Novgorod” rings a bell, doesn’t it? Where’s Sadko at?! Anyway, this card shows Nereditsa Cathedral, located on Nereditsa Hill just a few kilometers south of Novgorod. This church was built in 1198 and just a year later was adorned with frescoes. Frescoes are wall paintings done on wet plaster – think “The Creation of Adam” from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. These frescoes were very well-preserved for over seven centuries, until it was laid to ruin during WWII, leaving half of the church and most of the paintings destroyed. Among these paintings was a composition of The Last Judgment – a scene in religion that has been interpreted and painted by many different artists over time – which was reduced to fragments. Today, restoration work on the church has been completed, and the restoration of the paintings is still occurring. While I couldn’t say I know what the church looked like before, in looking at contemporary photos of it, I think they did a pretty swell job! (Sadko, what do you think?) Thank you very much for sending me this postcard, Dasha!
