After he saw the old fortress, Mr Putin visited St George’s Church, built in the 12th century, which has the mural of St George and the Dragon, one of the highest achievements of Russian mediaeval art.
Mr Putin also visited the Staraya Ladoga museum-reserve, which contains a collection of Stone Age artefacts gathered by Professor Alexander Inostrantsev of St Petersburg University in the late 19th century. The museum also exhibits archaeological finds from the site of an 8th-16th century settlement.
Mr Putin unveiled a memorial slab in honour of the 1250th foundation anniversary of Staraya Ladoga. Historians established the date as they studied a smithy in Staraya Ladoga, whose covering was made of logs cut in 753, as an analysis showed. The ancient town will celebrate its jubilee in August 2003.