St. George's Male Monastery is the largest among the Novgorod monasteries. According to legend, it was founded in 1030 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, who was baptized under the name George. At that time, a wooden church was built in honor of the great martyr George. The monastery held a special position among the Novgorod monasteries and was called a lavra. It owned vast lands and engaged in complex economic activities. The archimandrite of Yuriev was considered the second most important spiritual figure in Veliky Novgorod after the archbishop. In 1119, Prince Vsevolod Mstislavovich, along with the abbot Kyriak, laid the foundation for a stone cathedral, which was second in size only to the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod.

The walls of the monastery are first mentioned in the chronicles of 1333, when they were erected 40 fathoms with fences under Archimandrite Lavrenty. By the decree of Catherine II on the secularization of church lands, the monastery lost a significant part of its possessions but remained third among the 15 monasteries in Russia classified as first class.

The George Cathedral, one of the outstanding works of ancient Russian architecture, was created by the master Peter. Despite the influence of Byzantine and Kyiv traditions, the cathedral possesses unique features. Inside, it does not create a feeling of crampedness and is harmonious both outside and inside, although its walls reach 20 meters in height.

The revival of the monastery began in the early 19th century thanks to Archimandrite Photiy Spassky, whose faith and active character earned respect even from Emperor Alexander I. Archimandrite Photiy led a strict life, refusing tea and coffee, and drank only hot water. During fasting, he observed a vow of silence and spent time in church almost without food. His spiritual daughter was Countess Anna Orlova, who possessed a vast fortune.

In 1822, when Father Photiy was appointed to Yuriev Monastery, the countess supported his initiatives. With her funds, construction began: the Western wing with the Church of All Saints, the Spassky Cathedral, the eastern Orlov wing with cells, the northern wing with the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, and the southern wing with the hospital church of the Burning Bush. In 1841, a bell tower was built according to the design of Karl Rossi, intended to be taller than the bell tower of Ivan the Great in Moscow, but Emperor Nicholas I reduced it by one tier.

The George Cathedral was adorned with unprecedented luxury. It featured a seven-tiered iconostasis with silver royal gates, and the altar was covered with a silver vestment. The 12th-century icon of the great martyr George was decorated with precious stones. Countess Orlova gifted an emerald icon of the Mother of God, adorned with diamonds.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the monastery was closed and looted, and during the Great Patriotic War, it housed German and Spanish troops. After the war, the territory housed a post office, a technical school, a college, and a museum, as well as people left homeless. In 1991, thanks to Archbishop Lev, the monastery was returned to the Church, and its revival began. Repairs of the churches and buildings are underway, and the economy is gradually being restored.

Currently, services are held in four churches of the monastery: the George Cathedral, the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Spassky Cathedral, the Church of the Nativity of Christ, and the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Burning Bush." A refectory and a hotel for pilgrims operate at the monastery.