The Novgorod Kremlin, one of the oldest monuments of military and defensive architecture in Russia, dates back to the 15th and 17th centuries. The area of the fortress within the walls exceeds 12 hectares. It is surrounded by a deep moat on the north, west, and south. The fortress walls, built on a rampart, are 1487 meters long, with a height of 8 to 15 meters and a thickness of 3.6 to 6.5 meters. Of the twelve towers that existed in the 15th century, nine have survived: the Palace, Savior, Prince's, Kokuy, Intercession, Zlatoost, Metropolitan, Fyodor, and Vladimir.

In ancient times, the Novgorod Kremlin was the religious, political, and cultural center of the Novgorod land. It houses the oldest temple in Russia, the Saint Sophia Cathedral, built in 1045-1050, as well as the oldest civil building, the Archbishop's (Granovitaya) Chamber from 1433, and other monuments from the 15th and 19th centuries. In the center of the Kremlin stands the Millennium of Russia monument, erected in 1862.

The ensemble of the Novgorod Kremlin is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Currently, it is home to the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, founded in 1865, the regional scientific library, the regional philharmonic, and a music college.