INTERVIEW: Archaeologists propose to museumize the remains of ancient Polotsk churches

SECRET FILES OF POLOTSK The year of Polotsk's foundation is 862. Every schoolchild knows this date. But scholars, strangely enough, still have doubts. Some believe that the year 862 still needs to be proven: they say that one written source, and even then mentioning the city in passing, is not enough; others are convinced that Polotsk already existed in the 8th century. However, both sides do not doubt one thing: the Polotsk land still holds many secret files, and we need not only to read them, but also to preserve what the land reveals to us, and to use it wisely. BELTA correspondent discussed the undeniable date of Polotsk's foundation, the secrets and treasures of the Polotsk land with Denis Duk, Head of the Department of National and World History at Polotsk State University, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, archaeologist. - In 2012, Polotsk will celebrate its 1150th anniversary. To prepare for the celebration of the anniversary of the oldest city in Belarus, a five-year comprehensive development program for the period up to 2012 was approved. One of the points of the program is "Organization of the work of a permanent archaeological expedition for the study of the Polotsk land." What has already been done by archaeologists? - Indeed, since 2008, a comprehensive archaeological expedition has been operating in Polotsk. Together with the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, Polotsk State University takes a direct part in the expedition. Together we conduct research work. Polotsk has been studied by archaeologists for many years, but each year brings new discoveries. The situation in the city is unique. If we compare it with other ancient cities of the Eastern Slavs, for example, Novgorod or Pskov, where everything has been studied and it is unlikely to learn anything new about the urban topography, then the Polotsk land still holds many artifacts that, if they do not overturn our ideas about its history, will expand and deepen them. For example, outside the modern Polotsk, we discovered a huge part of the medieval city where merchants and artisans lived. Imagine that Polotsk of the 11th century was a huge metropolis for its time. Its area varied from 120 to 200 hectares in different years. In 2009, we found an answer to an important question about the left-bank part of the city. Polotsk was founded and traditionally developed on the right bank of the Western Dvina. Here are the ancient settlement, St. Sophia Cathedral, the Upper Castle, but the left-bank settlements are poorly studied. We completed the study of archaeological materials and written sources and found out that the left-bank part played a certain role in the formation of Polotsk. We found a section of the Old Sloboda where people lived in the 10th century. It was a kind of suburb. Then, in this place, the largest princely monastery of Saints Boris and Gleb in Eastern Europe was founded. Much later, this part was massively populated. This was facilitated by tragic historical events of the 16th century, when, fleeing from frequent enemy raids, residents left their homes and moved to the left bank. Thus, archaeologists have obtained data on the development of the oldest part of Polotsk, found interesting materials on the development of the city's topographic structure, and received an answer to the question: from what time can the settlement on the site of Polotsk be considered a city. And, finally, we confirmed that Polotsk is an ancient city not only of Belarus but also the oldest in Eastern Europe. - Denis Vladimirovich, so the date 862, when, as stated in the legendary "Tale of Bygone Years," "Rurik took all power and began to distribute cities to his men: to him Polotsk...", has a material basis? - Let's pay tribute to the chronicle date. The year 862 is not in doubt, so we can celebrate the anniversary in 2012 with confidence, although some historians considered the date 862 not objective. They demanded proof that Polotsk existed in the 9th century, saying: show us artifacts from that era. And now, the archaeological finds of recent years, their dating, allow us to present this material evidence. One of the convincing proofs is attributed to the archaeological expedition of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, led by Marat Vasilievich Klimov, a research fellow of the institute and Candidate of Historical Sciences. Last summer, during excavations on the territory of the ancient settlement, the original center of the city, fragments of Arabic silver coins - dirhams were found in a layer of fire. The coins were damaged, but with the help of Russian specialists, their minting date was established - 800-825. The attribution of the coins is proof that Slavs lived and founded the city long before Polotsk appeared in the chronicle under the date 862. However, we can also confirm earlier dates of Polotsk's existence, for example, 780. During excavations conducted by our group, fragments of Slavic pottery and a piece of burnt wood were found. Radiocarbon analysis gave an upper date of 780. As is known, Slavs came to these lands in the mid-8th century. - So, after all, did the Slavs found Polotsk? It is no secret that there is a "Scandinavian" version, according to which the Varangians were at the origins of the glorious city. - Archaeological finds confirm that Polotsk was founded by the Slavic tribe of Krivichi. It is the Slavs who played the main role in the formation of the city, despite the fact that they were not the first inhabitants of this settlement. Before the arrival of the Slavs, tribes lived in the territory of modern Polotsk, who left numerous artifacts, but took their name into the depths of centuries. We conditionally call them Balts. And it was the Slavs who founded the chronicle city, which later became the center of the principality. - Denis Vladimirovich, did you happen to find any treasures during excavations? - Of course, the association with excavations is treasures. We cannot boast of treasures found in Egypt or Babylon. On a European scale, Novgorod is considered the richest in treasures. However, Polotsk also occupies a certain place in this system. During excavations at the settlement where the prince and his retinue lived, we found a huge number of jewelry items. Imagine a 4-meter by 11-meter excavation, and in it, in the 12th-century layer, we found so many jewelry items - ornaments, parts of weapons, household items, that we simply didn't have time to describe them. They were abundant. These were both works by Polotsk masters and imported from Byzantium, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. We found artifacts of Northern European culture. We found attributes of craft production, an armory where lamellar armor was assembled. There were not only many finds, but they were also of magnificent quality, which is gratifying. After this, I realized that the Polotsk land is a treasury that is just beginning to reveal its secret. After all, we have found only a few hundredths of a percent of the treasures hidden by history in Polotsk. One can imagine what spiritual and material wealth lies beneath our feet. Everything we have found is now stored in the National Polotsk Museum-Reserve. The finds are being prepared for an exhibition in the city museum, which will soon appear. - You will agree that archaeological excavations, especially those rich in finds, are of interest not only to specialists. Every history enthusiast is interested in seeing with their own eyes a part of the revealed pavement and the ancient foundation of a residential building. Is it planned to museumify the excavations in Polotsk? - Museumification of archaeological excavations is a common practice. An ordinary person is curious to see the remains of some structures. For example, in Brest, you can see the remains of wooden architecture. However, there are few such places in Polotsk. What can be museumified are the remains of churches. Some 12th-century cathedrals have survived to our days to a height of 2-3 meters. They are currently underground, but if they are uncovered and put in order, a unique complex will be created where you can see an authentic building, examine walls with fresco paintings, and step on the ancient floor. By the way, the fresco paintings on these walls have been preserved in their original form. And there are many such treasures. On the territory of the Transfiguration Monastery of Saint Euphrosyne, there is a unique church - the tomb of Polotsk bishops. It is currently underground, but if it is uncovered, it can be exhibited. On the territory of the Saints Boris and Gleb Monastery, there are the remains of four churches. All these are areas for prospective museumification. - Museumification is probably an expensive undertaking? - Of course, it involves colossal material costs, but they should be considered investments, as this is something that can attract tourists. So far, Polotsk has only one ancient church. But here you can see the planigraphy of churches, exhibit found objects in the museumified excavation sites. Finally, you can recreate the city of Rogvolod. The museumification of the settlement is even in the plans of the Ministry of Architecture and Construction, but the issue requires a comprehensive approach: planned excavations are necessary. But I am sure we will definitely come to this. - Will the work of the archaeological expedition continue this summer? - For the summer, the plans are to continue excavations in the historical part of the city. We have three promising directions. In cooperation with the Polotsk Diocese, we will conduct excavations near the Epiphany Church. The diocese has information that church utensils were hidden there in the 1920s. In parallel, we will try to solve a number of scientific problems and explore the territory of the monastery. According to archival data, the most famous Orthodox Polotsk burghers, with whose money this temple was built, were buried there. There is a unique opportunity to restore the names of these people. It is not about exhuming remains, but about studying the history of the church, Polotsk, and paying tribute to these people. - Modern Polotsk is characterized by a reverent attitude towards its past. Monuments to famous countrymen are appearing, historical objects are being restored. And you, as a historian, as a resident of the city, how do you assess what is happening in the city now? - Even Catherine II, when she was in Polotsk, noted its rich architectural heritage. Unfortunately, a large part was lost, not only in the turbulent 20th century, but much earlier. Historians enthusiastically note the colossal work of local authorities in reviving and restoring lost architectural treasures. The authorities and the public have outlined a long-term plan for recreating the ancient appearance of the city. Of course, this is not a matter of one day, but the task has been set and will undoubtedly be solved. A monument to the Heroes of the War of 1812 has appeared. And this is a unique object, it did not just stand in the city for no reason, it was connected to the St. Nicholas Cathedral, to the central streets of the city. The Euphrosyne Monastery and its churches are being revived. Unfortunately, few monuments of even the 18th century have survived in the city, let alone the 12th. But if we manage to recreate even a small part, not thoughtlessly, but in accordance with the needs of the modern city, then we can get a real pearl of Belarusian architecture. A distinctive feature of Polotsk from other ancient cities is that the historical landscape has been preserved here. We can, even without having monuments before our eyes, imagine the place where they were, show the remains of ramparts. We can find ourselves in the same natural environment where our ancestors lived. Tourist routes can be laid along these landscapes. - Denis Vladimirovich, you have already proposed a tourist route, and what else can historians do for the development of Polotsk? - The role of historians and archaeologists is to help, to facilitate the accumulation of information about the ancient city, and it is the duty of contemporaries to use it wisely. We are not just digging in the ground, but setting tasks that contribute to the education of a modern citizen. Our era is unique. Never before has the issue of preserving and multiplying historical and cultural heritage been raised at the state level. Previously, people did not think about the value of ancient architecture; they did what they needed at a given time. For example, our Transfiguration Church of the Monastery of Saint Euphrosyne - how many layers are there, under which unique 12th-century frescoes are hidden. And our task is not only to preserve ancient painting but also to protect later ones - 16th-18th centuries, and to pass them on to descendants. And this applies not only to frescoes. Diana KURILO, BELTA.-0-