Antoniev monastery founded in the early twelfth century. The Cathedral belongs to the most ancient churches of Novgorod. The life of Saint. Anthony says that he was born in Rome. Left early an orphan, he gave away his riches to the poor, and the remaining jewels, gold and silver items and religious items plugged into a barrel and threw it into the sea. Disappeared on a rock by the sea and lived there for a year and three months. But once the stone on which he prayed, broke away and miraculously floated across the Neva river and lake Ladoga, Volkhov and found himself in Novgorod. It was on the night before Christmas in 1106. On the spot where he landed on the shore, St. Anthony built a monastery. A year later, he asked the fishermen for a bar of silver to cast a net into the Volkhov, and miraculously, the network pulled ashore barrel of treasures Anthony, thrown them into the sea in Italy. So, the legend says, and it's hard to believe her, but in the Cathedral of the monastery over the relics of Anthony hanging six enamel icons with Latin inscriptions. Such icons are not found in Novgorod and in Russia in General, and the legend says that they belong to the treasures of Antony, who had come to him in a barrel at sea.

The monastery burned down several times, again it was rebuilt, was sacked by the poles in the early seventeenth century. Now the monastery complex includes, in addition to the Nativity Cathedral, with its later additions monastery wall with arches travel, Rectory and Treasury building (XVII - XIX centuries) and the Church of the presentation with the refectory (XVI century).

In 1117 began construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity. According to the plan and the General solution it is typical of their time: four pillars, with a narthex, a stair tower, a three-headed conclusion. But instead of heavy cross-posts are used T-shaped and octagonal, for the interior of a small temple very significantly; the stair tower is round, not rectangular, the choirs are made of wood and not stone. Monumental painting, which appeared in 1125, represent the most significant and distinctive style ensemble Novgorod frescoes of the XII century. The most impressive is the scene of the Annunciation and the four half-figures of healers — frola, Laurel, Cyrus and John, located on the Western edges of the Eastern pair.

The Church was the burial place of the Novgorod boyars, archbishops, generals and others. In it are buried the largest of the Novgorod boyars brothers AlfaNova gored by the people during the unrest 1609 Michael Tatischev, Prince Vasily Ivanovich Odoevsky, who died in 1612, Stolnik Saltykov, who was killed in battle near the city of Rhodium in 1700, the steward Streshnev, Cholakova, Olsufiev, Knyaginin, etc.