Polotsk discussed preparations for the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the St. Euphrosyne Monastery
The first meeting of interested services, representatives of the authorities and the monastery was held at the St. Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk to organize the celebration of the monastery's 900th anniversary in 2025.
Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova took part in the meeting. She noted that the 900th anniversary of the monastery is an important date for Belarusians. "In Polotsk are our statehood, origins, spirituality, and roots. Today, we will determine the events and the list of works that need to be carried out to prepare for the celebration. At the request of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, the state transferred a number of buildings to the monastery's ownership. It is planned that there will be a hotel for pilgrims here, as a large number of people from different countries come here. The conditions available at the monastery do not allow for the full provision of comfortable accommodation for tourists and pilgrims. A lot of work needs to be done for this, and the most important facilities that need to be repaired and built first must be identified," said Natalya Kochanova. It is expected that the works will be financed from local, regional, and republican budgets, and assistance from patrons is also expected.
Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev said that among the first facilities, in addition to the hotel, a new refectory will also be built. Project and estimate documentation will be developed in the near future. It is planned to start the work in the spring of 2022. "For now, the main task is these two facilities. Also, based on the transferred five-story building, which will be separated from the Polotsk State Forestry College, a large library and a museum are planned. It will be not just a complex for the sisters, but also a historical and cultural center," added Vladimir Terentyev.
The Holy Euphrosyne Monastery was founded around 1125 by St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk, whose relics are interred here. Before 1161, a stone Church of the Transfiguration was built on the site of the wooden one. Unique 12th-century frescoes have been preserved within it. The church is currently undergoing restoration. In 1882, a belfry was erected above the monastery entrance, and at the end of the 19th century, the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross was also built here. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is included in the list of historical and cultural values of Belarus.