Some historical facts

Between the 10^th and 12^th centuries, the Principality of Polotsk emerged as the dominant center of power in what is now Belarusian territory, with a lesser role played by the principality of Turau to the south. It repeatedly asserted its sovereignty in relation to other centers of Kiev Rus, becoming a political and episcopal capital, the controller of vassal territories among the Balts in the west. Its most powerful ruler was prince Vseslav Bryachislavich, who reigned from 1044 to 1101. A 12^th -century inscription commissioned by Vseslav’s son Boris may still be seen on a huge boulder installed near the St. Sophia Cathedral.

Polotsk became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1307, and it is said to have been the main center of trade in the state. The Magdeburg law was adopted in 1498. Polotsk was a capital of Połock Voivodship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1772. Captured by the Russian army of Ivan the Terrible in 1563, it was returned to Lithuania just 15 years later.

That period of warfare started the gradual decline of the city. After the first partition of Poland, Polotsk degraded to have the status of a small provincial town of the Russian Empire. During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, it was the site of two battles: First battle of Polotsk and Second battle of Polotsk.

Cultural heritage

The city’s Cathedral of St. Sophia in Polotsk (1044-1066) was a symbol of the independence of Polotsk, rivaling churches of the same name in Novgorod and Kiev and referring to the original Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (and thus to claims of imperial prestige, authority and sovereignty). The building of the cathedral had been ruined by the troops of Peter I of Russia. Hence the present baroque building by Johann Christoph Glaubitz dates from the mid-18th century. Some genuine 12^th century architecture survives in the Convent of Saint Euphrosyne, which also features a neo-Byzantine cathedral, designed and built in 1893-1899 by Vladimir Korshikov.

Cultural achievements of the medieval period include the work of the nun Euphrosyne of Polotsk (1120-1173), who built monasteries, transcribed books, promoted literacy and sponsored art (including local artisan Lazarus Bohsha’s famous “Cross of Euphrosyne”, a national symbol and treasure lost during World War II), and the prolific, original Church Slavonic sermons and writings of Bishop Cyril of Turaw (1130-1182).

Belarussian first printer Francysk Skaryna was born in Polotsk around 1490. He is famous for the first printing of the Bible in an East Slavic language (in Old Belarussian) in 1517, several decades after the first-ever printed book by Johann Gutenberg and just several years after the first Czech Bible (1506).

In September 2003, as “Days of Belarussian Literacy” were celebrated for the 10^th time in Polotsk, city authorities opened a monument to honor the unique Cyrillic Belarusian letter Ў, which is not used in any other Slavic language. The original idea for the monument came from the Belarusian calligraphy professor Pavel Siemchanka, who has been studying Cyrillic scripts for many years.