St. Anthony Monastery was founded at the beginning of the XII century .  Its cathedral belongs to the ancient churches of Novgorod .  Life of St. .  Anthony says that he was born in Rome .  Left early an orphan, he distributed his wealth to the poor, and the remaining jewelry, gold and silver items and religious items corked in a barrel and put it in the sea .  Sam retired on a rock by the sea and lived there for a year and three months .  But once the stone on which he prayed and looked wonderful sailed across the Neva River and Lake Ladoga, and found himself in Volkhov in Novgorod .  It was at night under the Christmas in 1106 .  On the spot where he landed on the beach, St. Anthony Roman built a monastery .  A year later, he asked for the fishermen throw nets silver bullion in Volkhov, and miraculously the network pulled ashore barrel Treasure Anthony thrown them into the sea in Italy .  So, says the legend, and it is hard to believe, but in the cathedral of the monastery over the relics of Anthony hang six enamel icons with Latin inscriptions .  These icons are not found in Novgorod and in Russia in general, and the legend says that they belong to the treasures Anthony sailed to him in a barrel on the sea .  

The Monastery was repeatedly burned, rebuilt again, was plundered by the Poles at the beginning of the XVII century. Today the monastery complex includes, in addition to the Nativity Cathedral, with its later additions, the monastery walls with arches, travel, housing and treasury Nastoyatelsky (XVII - XIX centuries.) And the Church of the Presentation of the refectory (XVI century.).

In 1117 construction began on the Cathedral of the Nativity. According to the plan, and the general solution it is typical for its time: four internal, with narthex, staircase tower, three-headed conclusion. But instead of heavy cross-shaped pillars used T-shaped octagonal and that the interior of a small temple is very important; staircase tower - a round, not rectangular, choirs - wood, not stone. The monumental painting, which appeared in 1125, are the most significant in terms of style and unique ensemble of the Novgorod frescoes of the XII century. The strongest impression is made by the scene of the Annunciation and the four half-figures healers - Frolov, Laurel, Cyrus and John, located on the western edges of the eastern pairs.

The temple was the burial place of the Novgorod boyars, the archbishops, the governor and others. It buried largest Novgorod boyars brothers Alfanov, torn to pieces by the people during the riots in 1609, Mikhail Tatishchev, Prince Vasily Odoyevski, who died in 1612, steward Saltykov, who was killed in a battle near the city Rugodivym in 1700, Venetian steward, Choglokov, Olsuf'ev, Knyazhnin and others.