The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk has reopened its doors to visitors

July 20, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk has reopened its doors to tourists, Olga Borodich, Director of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, told a BELTA correspondent. In mid-June, the reconstruction of the roof began in the church-museum. Due to this, excursions were suspended for the safety of visitors. Now, after a month-long break, visitor access inside has been resumed. However, the number of excursions is limited, as work on the roof is still ongoing, Olga Borodich added. It is not yet possible to listen to the famous organ of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, but already in the autumn, the architectural monument will fully resume its activities both as a museum and as a concert hall, the director assured. The restoration project of the Saint Sophia Cathedral is designed for three years and includes the replacement of the rafter system, carpentry work on the replacement of window units, repair of the facade and blind area. Funding is provided from the republican budget. The Saint Sophia Cathedral is an architectural monument of the mid-11th - mid-18th centuries. Built on the high bank of the Western Dvina, it is one of the earliest churches of Kievan Rus', along with the Saint Sophia Cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod, and the oldest stone building in the territory of modern Belarus. The Polotsk church has been rebuilt several times. In the 15th century, it acquired the features of a fortress church, and in the 18th century, under the influence of Vilna Baroque, the appearance of the Orthodox church was completely changed. Currently, only small fragments of the apse part and foundation remain from the 11th-century church. The Saint Sophia Cathedral has existed as a museum since 1987. The exhibition area is 870 sq.m. The museum exhibits tell about the history of architecture, numerous rebuildings, repairs, and the last restoration of the monument, which took place in the late 1960s. The concert hall in the Saint Sophia Cathedral was opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 304. Festivals of ancient and modern chamber and organ music are held annually in April and November in the concert hall of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, and organ music concerts are held every Sunday.