Volkhov River in the context of "Novgorod"

The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empire, and prompted some of them to settle in the territories of present-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The majority of the route comprised a long-distance waterway, including the Baltic Sea, several rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, and rivers of the Dnieper river system, with portages on the drainage divides. An alternative route was along the Dniester river with stops on the western shore of Black Sea. These more specific sub-routes are sometimes referred to as the Dnieper trade route and Dniester trade route, respectively.

The route began in Scandinavian trading centers such as Birka, Hedeby, and Gotland, the eastern route crossed the Baltic Sea, entered the Gulf of Finland, and followed the Neva River into Lake Ladoga. Then it followed the Volkhov River upstream past the towns of Staraya Ladoga and Novgorod (where it met the Volga trade route and which became a major trade centre), crossed Lake Ilmen, and continued up the Lovat River, the Kunya River and possibly the Serezha River [ru]. From there, a portage led to the Toropa River [ru] and downstream to the Western Dvina River. From the Western Dvina, the ships went upstream along the Kasplya River and were portaged again to the Katynka River (near Katyn), a tributary of the Dnieper. It seems probable that once the route was established, the goods were unloaded onto land transport to cross the portage and reloaded onto other waiting ships on the Dnieper. Along the Dnieper, the route crossed several major rapids and passed through Kiev. After entering the Black Sea, it followed its west coast to Constantinople.

Veliky Novgorod (/vəˈliːki ˈnɒvɡərɒd/ və-LEE-kee NOV-gə-rod; Russian: Великий Новгород, IPA: [vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət]; lit. 'Great Newtown'), also known simply as Novgorod (Новгород), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the Volkhov River just downstream from its outflow from Lake Ilmen and is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg. UNESCO recognized Novgorod as a World Heritage Site in 1992. The city has a population of 224,286 (2021 census).

At its peak during the 14th century, the city was the capital of the Novgorod Republic and was one of Europe's largest cities. The "Великий" (Veliky) part was added to the city's name in 1999.

Staraya Ladoga (Russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, romanized: Stáraya Ládoga, IPA: [ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə], lit. 'Old Ladoga'), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a selo) in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) north of the town of Volkhov, the administrative center of the district.

It used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries. During this period, it was known to the Norse as Aldeigjuborg. It was dominated by Varangians who became known as the Rus'. For that reason, Staraya Ladoga is sometimes called the first capital of Russia; it is also regarded as one of the original centers from which the name Rus' spread to other territories inhabited by the East Slavs.

Lake Ilmen (Russian: И́льмень, IPA: [ˈilʲmʲɪnʲ]) is a large lake in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Veliky Novgorod, which is a major trade center of the route, lies six kilometres (3.7 mi) below the lake's sole outflow, via the Volkhov River.

According to Max Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary, the name of the lake originates from Finnic Ilmajärvi, which means "air lake". Thanks to Novgorodian colonisation, many lakes in Russia have names deriving from Lake Ilmen. Yuri Otkupshchikov has argued that the presence of the name "Ilmen" in Southern Russia cannot be explained by Novgorodian colonisation alone, and proposed a Slavic etymology instead.

Rurikovo Gorodische (Russian: Рю́риково Городи́ще, romanized: Ryúrikovo Gorodíshche, IPA: [ˈrʲʉrʲɪkəvə ɡərɐˈdʲiɕːə], lit. 'Rurik's Hillfort'), the primary settlement in the area known in Scandinavian sources as Holmgård, was the 9th century predecessor of Veliky Novgorod. The archaeological site is 2 km to the south of the current city center, across from Yuriev Monastery where the Volkhov River flows out of Lake Ilmen. Part of the Novgorod World Heritage site, it includes the original residence of the princes of Novgorod, connected with the names of many famous political figures of ancient Russia.