On the Sofia side, at the intersection of Stratilatovskaya and Novoluchanskaya streets, stands the church of Saint Theodore Stratilates. This is the only ancient temple among many stone churches mentioned in chronicles that has survived to this day in the Nerev end of Novgorod within the earthen rampart.

The history of the Theodore Church dates back to the distant pre-Mongol times, as it is based on one of the oldest temples in Novgorod, the fourth in terms of foundation after the Sofia Cathedral of 1045, the Church of the Annunciation at the settlement of 1103, and the Nikolsky Cathedral at Yaroslav's Court of 1113.

However, this monument, lacking ancient paintings and significantly rebuilt at a later time, until recently did not attract much attention from researchers. Its history, especially the initial period, is still full of mysteries. The Novgorod First Chronicle briefly reports on the time of the church's foundation and its patron in the year 1115. This earliest chronicle entry does not specify the location where the temple was erected and does not state whether it was made of stone or wood.

In later chronicles from the same year 1115, the Theodore Church is mentioned as a stone structure, and its location is indicated. Who the founder of the temple, Voigost, was remains unknown. The name "Voigost" consists of two words: "voi" and "gost", which in Old Russian meant "warrior" and "guest", "foreigner", "merchant". It can be assumed that the patron bearing such a name was from a lineage associated with military affairs. It is no coincidence that the church was dedicated to the martyr Theodore Tyron.

The oldest temple of Theodore Tyron did not stand for even two centuries; at the end of the 13th century, it was rebuilt. Although the chronicler does not specify which great martyr Theodore, the warrior-recruit Tyron or the commander Stratilat, the new temple was dedicated to, it is most likely that from this time it began to bear the name of Theodore Stratilates. The Church of Theodore Stratilates from the late 13th century was rebuilt again in the mid-16th century. It was from that time that the church acquired architectural forms that have mostly survived to this day. The Church of Theodore Stratilates, like many Novgorod churches, suffered greatly during the Swedish occupation of Novgorod from 1611 to 1617. After the Swedes, the Theodore Church stood in desolation for a long time. Only in the second half of the 17th century did the Sofia side begin to gradually revive. Many streets in the Nerev end were settled by archers. At that time, the need for a parish church arose in this populated area.

In 1804, a four-tier stone bell tower was added to the church from the west. Until that time, a simple wooden bell tower, set up on two posts, stood near the church. In the 18th-19th centuries, the Church of Theodore Stratilates was supplemented with relics and various items of church decoration.

During the Soviet era, the church shared the fate of most temples. The exact year of its closure has not yet been determined. It is known that in 1924 the church was still active. Most likely, the closure occurred in 1933. There are archival records that in 1934 entire complexes of items from many Novgorod churches and monasteries, including from the now-liquidated Church of Theodore Stratilates, were handed over to the joint-stock company "Intourist" for sale for currency.

In the tragic year of 1937, among the sentenced clergy was the priest of the Church of Theodore Stratilates, Dmitry Georgievich Semyonov. During the Great Patriotic War, the Church of Theodore Stratilates, unlike most Novgorod architectural monuments, suffered insignificantly. In the post-war years, it was used as a storage facility. At that time, the only active church in Novgorod was the Nikolsky Cathedral on the Trading side.

In 1955, a group of 26 believers, mostly of advanced age, attempted to convince the authorities of the necessity to reopen the Church of Theodore Stratilates on the Sofia side for worship. Through the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, Gregory, the believers appealed to Patriarch Alexius and civil authorities with a request for the transfer of the Church of Theodore Stratilates to their use. However, the Novgorod Oblispolkom denied the request. Only between 1991 and 2002 were restoration works carried out, which for various reasons dragged on for more than 10 years, during which the temple underwent two fires, funding interruptions, changes in contractors and scientific supervisors. Since 1992, after the death of the researcher and scientific supervisor of the restoration of the temple, G.M. Shtender, the work was carried out under the guidance of V.A. Druzhinin. After seventy years of oblivion, the Church of Theodore Stratilates on the Sofia side, restored with state funds, was returned to the believers. On December 19, 2002, Archbishop of Novgorod and Staraya Russa Lev solemnly consecrated the temple.