A wooden sculpture of a pagan idol has been found for the first time in Eastern Europe in the Rossony district.

August 13, Polotsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. A well-preserved wooden sculpture of a pagan deity has been found for the first time in Eastern Europe in the Rossony district. The sculpture was lifted from the bottom of the Drissa River today, as reported to BELTA correspondent by Denis Duk, Head of the Department of National and World History at Polotsk State University, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor.

The unique find was discovered by divers, and at first, no one believed them that a valuable archaeological exhibit was at the bottom. Only after underwater photography was conducted and archaeologists themselves examined the wooden statue was the decision made to lift it to the surface. The sculpture is an oak stump 1 m 22 cm high and over 1 m wide at the base. The sculpture weighs approximately 200 kg. According to Denis Duk, the statue is anthropomorphic: eye sockets, mouth, and chin are clearly distinguishable.

According to preliminary data, the sculpture dates back to the 12th century. The idol could depict either Perun or Veles. In the area near the villages of Krasnopolye and Amosenki, where the idol was found, there are traces of ancient settlements and burial mounds, but no remains of ancient sanctuaries – places of pagan worship – have been found to date. Denis Duk believes that during the Christianization of this region, an attempt was made to burn the idol, as evidenced by the charred parts. However, fortunately for modern scientists, without waiting for the deity to burn completely, Christians threw it into the water, thus saving it for posterity. Over time, the water only strengthened the oak statue.

As soon as the operation to lift the idol was completed, the pagan deity was placed in a specially prepared box and handed over for study to the Institute of History of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences. After restoration and conservation, the deity will take a place of honor in the institute's exhibition of archaeological finds.-0-