Vasily Novikov, archaeologist
A Russian archaeologist's channel straight from the dig at Gnezdovo: Viking-age burials, silver hoards and how field theories get corrected by bone specialists.
What it is
This is the Telegram channel of Russian archaeologist Vasily Novikov. His own description sums it up: modern archaeology, history, the Vikings and his personal experience in the field. When we checked, the channel had about 11,000 subscribers and was posting the same day — the 2026 season was still in full swing. Everything is written in Russian, so non-Russian readers will need a translator.
Most of the action happens at Gnezdovo, a large early medieval site near Smolensk with strong Viking-age connections. Posts carry hashtags like #Гнёздово2026, and together they read like a running dig diary: who arrived, what turned up, what went wrong. A student research society called "Relikviya" works alongside him.
Why we picked it
Because this is archaeology from inside the trench, not from a press release. One of the best posts we read was about a paired chamber burial excavated this year. Novikov had first written about a bloody horse sacrifice; then the osteologists took a look. The horse stayed in the story, but it had not been hacked apart — it was a riding stallion of about three and a half to four years old. He reports this with good humour, and it is a neat lesson in how science actually works: hypothesis, testing, revision.
He also adds context to headline news. When a hoard of silver objects from the Tiversky hillfort near St Petersburg made the rounds in the media, he skipped the rewrite and, together with the excavation leader, explained how such a "complicated hoard" is actually lifted out of the ground.
There are lovely glimpses of the practical side, too, like a call to readers for access to a powerful industrial CT scanner to read a maker's mark on a sword blade — a medical scanner apparently will not do. Details like that show how much engineering hides behind the word "find".
The tone is light: emoji, jokes, team photos in expedition merch that readers have already carried as far as Stonehenge. Now and then he shares his media appearances, such as a radio interview on whether AI will replace archaeologists (his answer: not in the next hundred years).
Where to start
- Scroll back to the #Гнёздово2026 posts for the current season's diary.
- Find the burial story where the osteologists overturned the sacrifice theory.
- Read the piece on the Tiversky hillfort hoard and why it was tricky to recover.
- Look up the post on the "Robotics in Archaeology" contest held at the dig.
Who it's for
Readers who love the early Middle Ages and the Viking world but are tired of "scientists discover" headlines. History students weighing up fieldwork. Anyone curious what archaeology looks like day to day — weather, deadlines, debates with specialists and hunting for the right equipment. You will need to read Russian or use a translator.
Quick answers
Who runs it? Archaeologist Vasily Novikov, as stated in the channel's name and description.
What does it cover most? The Gnezdovo excavation, early medieval burials, hoards, the Vikings and expedition life.
Is it active? Yes — when we checked, new posts were going up daily during the 2026 season.
