About Br11 billion has been invested in the restoration of the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk

November 4, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. About Br11 billion has been invested in the restoration of the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk, Alexander Zhartsov, First Deputy Director of the State Enterprise "Capital Construction Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee," told a BELTA correspondent. More than half of the work has been completed: brickwork has been done, all internal and external utility networks have been laid, window units and domes with a titanium nitride gold coating have been installed. The onset of cold weather has somewhat slowed down the builders' activities; external plastering of the facility has been completed by only 30%. In the near future, heating will be turned on in the building, which will allow for accelerating internal work and attracting additional labor. For example, if about 30 workers are currently involved in the construction, their number will increase to 60-70 people later. Approximately another Br10 billion will be required to complete all the work. The funds will be allocated for internal finishing works and landscaping of the temple grounds. Commissioning is scheduled for 2010. The customer of the facility is the State Enterprise "Capital Construction Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee," and the construction contractor is OJSC "Construction Trust No. 9 of Vitebsk." Financing is being carried out from the regional budget. Vitebsk's largest church is being built on the high bank of the Western Dvina, in the very place where an ancient church stood, built in the 18th century and destroyed in the 1930s. Architects and builders had to work extensively in archives to recreate a copy of one of Belarus's most beautiful churches. The height of the main dome of the church is about 50 m, and the two bell towers soar to almost 40 m. The dimensions of the church are 55x33 m. Even before shining in all its splendor, the cathedral has already become a dominant point of the old city, delighting Vitebsk residents with its beauty daily and invariably attracting the attention of city guests. -0-