St Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk closes for renovations

VITEBSK, 1 June (BelTA) – St Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk is closing for renovations, BelTA learnt from director of the Polotsk National History and Culture Preserve Olga Borodich. A three-year project will include the replacement of the roof frame and windows. The project will be financed from the national budget. The first stage, the replacement of the roof frame, will start in two weeks and last for the whole summer. The museum which is simultaneously a concert hall will be closed for visitors. During the repair works the well-known Polotsk organ will be covered with shielding materials. As soon as the renovations are over, it will be sanitized by German specialists. According to Olga Borodich, St Sophia Cathedral will be closed for visitors only during the roof repair. Virtual tours of the museum will be available in the Museum of the Belarusian Typography. St Sophia Cathedral is an architectural site of the mid 11th-mid 18th centuries. Built up at the Western Dvina bank, the cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Belarus as well as the Ancient Rus alongside with St Sophia cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod. The Polotsk church was reconstructed several times. In the 15th century it acquired the features of a fortress. In the 18th century the "Vilnius Baroque" style almost changed the appearance of the cathedral. St Sophia Cathedral opened as a museum in 1987. The exposition floor is 870 square meters. The exhibits tell about the history of the cathedral and its numerous reconstructions. A 304-seat concert hall was opened in St Sophia Cathedral in 1983. The hall hosts annual ancient and modern chamber and organ music festivals, weekly organ music concerts.

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