St. Sophia’s cathedral, based on the design for the St. Sophia cathedral in Kiev (which is a Slavic version of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul), is one of the oldest stone buildings in Russia. Built in 1045 by Prince Vladimir it has been completely renovated on the outside and most of the frescoes on the inside have also been restored many times over the years. The huge iconostasis, one of the biggest in Russia, dates back to the 15th Century. The cathedral’s most important relic, the icon of the sign of the Holy Virgin was made in the 12th Century and became a famous symbol of Novgorod when it miraculously helped the people of the city fend off an invasion by the Suzdalians.