Large-scale excavations are underway near the walls of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Polotsk

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior at the Saint Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk is rightfully considered a pearl not only of East Slavic but also of world architecture. It is called so not only because of its venerable age (the church was built in the 12th century) but also because of its unique frescoes and archaeological discoveries. Excavations continue at the walls of the temple; this year they are expected to be the most extensive in the entire history of research – about 80 sq. m of 12th-century land will be unearthed and studied by specialists.

BELTA correspondents visited the monastery to learn about the archaeologists' plans for this season and to see what the church walls looked like in the 12th century. The next season of archaeological excavations has recently begun at the walls of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on the territory of the women's monastery in Polotsk. Currently, students and scientists are working on the eastern and northwestern sides of the temple. Restorers are working in parallel with archaeologists. The head of archaeological excavations, senior lecturer at the Department of History and Tourism of Polotsk State University, Alexey Kots, says that the first archaeological research of the temple began in 2015; before that, it had not been studied at all. "That year, we found out that the temple was significantly larger, and much of what was there before had been destroyed. At one time, galleries were added to the temple, and on the entrance side, there was an exonarthex (which is like a hall, but in a temple). Regular excavations have been carried out since 2017. We are preserving all the fresco fragments we find in the ground bit by bit. In 2017, we estimated that we had over 10,000 of them. We hope that over time, this puzzle will be put together," says the specialist.

Perhaps the greatest success for archaeologists was achieved last year. At a depth of about 3 meters, specialists unearthed the remains of a premise where the father of Euphrosyne of Polotsk was likely buried. Such underground structures from 10th-13th century Old Russian architecture have not been found in Eastern Europe, which confirms the individual approach in the construction of the temple commissioned by the saint. At that time, almost all stone monuments were erected above ground level. "The premise was 1.5 by 4.5 meters in size. A stone staircase led down to it, there was an altar and a special niche," adds Alexey Kots. Currently, in addition to specialists, history students from Polotsk State University are excavating near the temple walls, and architects will join them later. In July and August, young people from the Mogilev University named after A.A. Kuleshov will arrive. The most challenging part for archaeologists is carefully sifting through the soil. Of course, this is part of their work, but it is the most meticulous and responsible. Not to miss anything is of utmost importance.

This year, scientists cannot boast of very interesting finds so far. Nevertheless, several unusual items have been found, including fragments of an amphora and glass bracelets from the 12th-13th centuries. "The students were most excited by a silver American dollar from the 1920s found in the lower part of the temple wall. It is difficult to say how it got here, but it is a very interesting find. It is known that some specialists returned to the USSR from the USA in those times. The temple was being renovated then, and most likely, the coin accidentally fell into the concrete mixture," notes the archaeologist. "Next year, we plan to complete the excavations. Thus, considering the past seasons, we will fully study the area around the temple."

Together with Belarusian specialists, colleagues from Russia are also working in Polotsk. According to Yevgeny Torshin, Head of the Architectural Archaeology Department of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the uniqueness of the Transfiguration Church lies in the fact that it exhibits features of architectural style that would later be characteristic of an entire trend in ancient Russian medieval church architecture. "The church has an elongated vertical volumetric-spatial composition. The galleries that originally surrounded the current part of the temple on three sides were a surprise for us," says Yevgeny Torshin. Much has already been done in the archaeological research on the eastern facade of the temple, near the altar. Now, restorers are actively joining the work on restoring and strengthening the walls and foundation. When they started working on the apse, they discovered *lekala* (a semicircular thin fired brick).

In addition, various inscriptions covering the temple walls in many places have been discovered, shares Yevgeny Bilei, an employee of OJSC "Belrestavratsiya". Specialists removed several layers of plaster from different centuries and reached the original layer from the 12th century. Now it is possible to see what the facade looked like initially – it was golden-beige in color. If you run your finger over the plaster, it glides well – which means, according to restorers, the plaster had good hydrophobic properties. On another, later layer of plaster, straight lines are visible along the wall. Perhaps they were made so that during religious processions around the temple, it would be possible to see at what level and place the altar was located inside, in order to stop and bow. The Transfiguration Church in Polotsk is the only 12th-century monument in Belarus where fresco painting has been almost completely preserved.

In the second half of the 19th century, the church was undergoing renovation, and for some reason, the unique wall painting was simply covered with oil painting. Belarusian restorer Vladimir Rakitsky began to uncover them in 1992. Since 2006, specialists from Russia joined the work. By applying new technologies that allow for the detachment rather than washing away of later paintings, the restorers preserved the oil paintings. Today, they are exhibited in the Art Gallery of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Currently, over 90% of the unique church frescoes are uncovered. Specialists believe that the concept of the temple's painting belongs to Euphrosyne of Polotsk; it is her message to descendants, a kind of code that is yet to be deciphered.

"I have been coming to Polotsk since 2007. Much has already been done; this year I am cleaning the internal staircase that leads to the cell of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk. The fresco subjects do not yet form a coherent picture," says Larisa Pimenova, a restorer from Moscow. Every year, thousands of tourists and pilgrims travel to Polotsk to venerate the relics of the venerable saint and the restored cross of Euphrosyne. Many note the unusual atmosphere and power in these places and the church. After the restoration and excavation season, the nuns hold a liturgy once a week. "The church built by the venerable saint is our treasure. It is a great miracle that it has survived to this day. It has an extraordinary grace; entering it, you feel like you are in another dimension," believes Abbess Evdokia, the abbess of the Polotsk Holy Transfiguration Convent. "Father Vladimir from St. Petersburg visited us; he lived in the monastery of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified for three years and said that apart from Jerusalem, he had never felt such grace anywhere as in the Polotsk church, and he did not want to leave. Recently, clergy from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra visited and also expressed admiration, speaking about the special atmosphere of the Holy Transfiguration Church."

The unique 12th-century temple still awaits years of restoration, which are planned to be completed by 2024. In 2025, Belarus will celebrate the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Holy Euphrosyne Monastery. Many will want to see what scientists have found and discovered. They, in turn, say that it will not be possible to exhibit the excavations. Everything was built on a lime mortar, and it crumbles in the open air. In our climatic conditions, creating an exhibition for tourists is very problematic. For now, specialists see a way out in creating a 3D model of the temple for tourists with the original buildings.