Natalia Kochanova at the opening of the Transfiguration Church in Polotsk: "These are the spiritual roots, the spiritual value of our Belarus"
A thanksgiving service was held to mark the completion of the church's restoration work. It was attended by Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Subbotin, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Veniamin, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Chairman of the Polotsk District Executive Committee Igor Markovich, and the abbess of the Holy Euphrosyne Convent, Abbess Evdokia. Those who worked on the restoration of the shrine were invited to the solemn ceremony of the church's opening.
- This landmark event became possible thanks to the efforts of restorers, designers, and builders. They all understood that this needed to be done for the benefit of our people, because these are the spiritual roots, the spiritual value of our Belarus, - said Natalya Kochanova. - But this would have been impossible if not for the will of our President. When Alexander Grigoryevich visited here, he said that everything must be done for the revival of this shrine. And the work began thanks to the President's directive and the financial support of the state. Today, the work has been completed in full, and the church will now delight parishioners and guests of ancient Polotsk, a city where our roots, history, and the origins of our statehood lie.
Natalia Kochanova read out a welcome address from the President of Belarus, which states, in particular: "The Polotsk land is the cradle of Belarusian statehood and the Orthodox faith of the Belarusian people. It was here, nine centuries ago, that the Transfiguration Church was built, the first stone of which was laid by Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk. The monastery became a spiritual center of reverence for pilgrims from all over the world. The centuries-old history of the monastery testifies to the power of faith in God and His help in good deeds for the sake of the Fatherland. Following the behests of our ancestors to preserve and multiply the wealth of our native land, we have carried out a major restoration of the church using unique technologies and methods that have made it possible to restore the ancient elements of the church. The work of builders, scientists, restorers, and everyone who worked in this holy place deserves high praise. Thanks to the implementation of such projects, a significant contribution is made to our common cause – strengthening the historical memory of the Belarusian people. I am confident that the veneration of Christian values will further help preserve cultural heritage and build a successful future for our descendants."