Archaeologists from Novgorod State University have discovered an 11th-century pendant in Staraya Russa featuring a snake-haired figure resembling the Greek Medusa on one side, and a Christian warrior saint (likely Saint Theodore Stratelates) on the other. The piece blends Christian motifs with older pagan traditions, a rare but documented combination in "serpentine" amulets worn as protective talismans. The find may be some of the oldest physical evidence of an established Christian community in the area and of cultural links to Byzantium. Based on the material and context, it was likely made locally and belonged to someone of high social status.