Sights

Polotsk Museum of Medieval Knighthood

This is a small museum that does not differ in monumentality, but it is able to give the visitor a lot of interesting and informative minutes. Only three rooms with samples of knightly ammunition, objects of medieval life - and, for the most courageous, there is an exposition of the torture chamber. However, even the latter does not terrify, but simply tells how these or other devices were used in ancient, sometimes cruel times.

Sophia Cathedral

The most famous sight of Polotsk is the Hagia Sophia. This is one of the first Orthodox churches of Russia, and the first built of stone - in Belarus. It appeared almost immediately after the construction of cathedrals in Kiev and Novgorod, becoming the third most important Orthodox church in Russia. The temple was built according to the canons of the Byzantine Church, but in the 18th century it was rebuilt by the architect Jan Glaubitz in the style of the Late Russian (Vilna) baroque.

 

Museum of Belarusian Printing

Any educated person is interested in books. And, it means that the history of printing and the Polotsk Museum of printing will also be interesting. It is worth noting that this is the only such museum in Belarus. Even if you do not consider yourself a bibliophile, visit this museum, because it presents both ancient manuscripts and early printed books, as well as modern publications. And also to see how typography has changed over the centuries: to meet a copyist monk in the scriptorium, nervous typesetters with fingers stained with lead paint and, finally, a reconstruction of the modern printing house.