The Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents presents a virtual exhibition «POLOTSK SOPHIA CATHEDRAL»

Erected in the mid-11th century in the Byzantine style, the temple was consecrated in the name of Hagia Sophia. To this day, St. Sophia Cathedral has been preserved in a significantly changed form; it was finally rebuilt in the 18th century in the Vilna Baroque style. It has been preserved in this form to this day.

The restoration of the cathedral was carried out by Uniate Archbishop Florian Grebnitsky. By 1750, a two-tower basilica in the Vilna Baroque style was erected on the surviving foundations of the walls, which was consecrated in honor of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. During the Patriotic War of 1812, the temple was used by French troops as a stable.

After the church council of 1839, which opened within the walls of the temple, the cathedral became Orthodox.

In 1985, an organ was built in the cathedral by the Czechoslovak organ-building company Rieger Kloss. The first concert was given on May 2, 1985 by organist Oleg Yanchenko.

In the concert hall of the St. Sophia Cathedral, festivals of ancient and modern chamber and organ music are held annually in April and November, the most famous of them is the «Zvany Safii» festival, every Sunday there are concerts of organ music performed by the soloist of the concert hall.

Such virtuoso organists as Johann Trummer (Austria), Pierre Givo (France), Veronica Weber-Gerken (Germany) have already had the honor of performing at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk.

Once a year, on June 5, on the day of remembrance of St.Euphrosyne of Polotsk, an Orthodox service is taking place. Then a procession of the cross takes place from the St. Sophia Cathedral to the Spaso-Euphrosyne Monastery.

A promotional video for the exhibition was posted on the BGAKFFD YouTube channel.

Currently, the funds of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Audio Documents contain over 30 storage units of photographic documents, about 10 storage units of fragments from television programs related to the architectural monument St. Sophia Cathedral.

1. 0-029941 Western Dvina River and St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. State Library named after. Lenin, Moscow.

2. 0-120762 The main facade of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral, a monument of ancient Russian architecture. March 2004, Vitebsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Khitrov A.

3. 0-120761 North-western facade of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral, a monument of ancient Russian architecture. 1978, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. SNRPM MK BSSR.

4. 1-016214 In the organ music concert hall of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral. 1980, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Collector Vasechko A.I.

5. 0-123232 Seal of Vsevolod Andrey (son of Yaroslav the Wise) – 11th century, kept in the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral. October 30, 1981, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Tolochko A.

6. 0-123230 Senior master of Special scientific restoration and production workshops I.A. Gordenko and modeler R.N. An 11th century architectural monument is being restored in Myadel. – vault of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral. October 30, 1981, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Tolochko A.

7. 0-120760 Eastern facade of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral, a monument of ancient Russian architecture. 1981, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. SNRPM MK BSSR.

8. 0-142888 Performance of the State Chamber Choir of the USSR Ministry of Culture at the traditional festival of ancient and modern chamber music in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. April 18, 1989, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Aleshkevich V.

9. 0-120759 Composition «Holy Trinity» of the main altar of the Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral, a monument of ancient Russian architecture. 1992, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. SNRPM MK BSSR.

10. P000150 Organist and composer from Hamburg Ernst Ulrich von Kamecke at the organ during a concert in Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral. August 1992, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Belinform, Vitchenko V.

11. 0-047368 Students of secondary school No.1 in Polotsk V. Vladessa, V. Kustov and V. Fedotenko at the model of the St. Sophia Cathedral they made. August 16, 1962, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Zhernosek K.

12. 0-132296 During the solemn liturgy in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the Polotsk diocese. September 27, 1992, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo library of the editorial office of the newspaper «Polatski Vesnik», Zhernosek K.

13. E035860 K.M. Pogorelaya, organist of the highest category of the concert hall of the St. Sophia Cathedral of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, laureate of the «Woman of the Year of the Vitebsk Region» award (portrait). March 2004, Vitebsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Khitrov A.

14. E063769 Participants of the 30th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia at a chamber concert of organ music in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. October 30, 1981, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Photo chronicle BelTA, Tolochko A.

15. E011438 View of Polotsk St. Sophia Cathedral. 2006, Polotsk. Photo library of the editorial office of the newspaper «Soviet Belarus», Ruzhechka A.

16. E022139 Interior of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. January 2010, Polotsk. Photo library of the editorial office of the newspaper «Culture», Ivanov Yu.

17. E022140 Fragment of the interior of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. January 2020, Polotsk. Photo library of the editorial office of the newspaper «Culture», Ivanov Yu.

18. E051874 View of the St. Sophia Cathedral (1044-1066) in Polotsk. June 20, 2012, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Collector Vasilenko V.A.

19. E051875 Sketch of the St. Sophia Cathedral (1044-1066) in Polotsk. June 20, 2012, region. Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Collector Vasilenko V.A.

20. E053396 Model of St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk – the first stone church on the territory of Belarus, built in the 11th century. (has survived to this day in a modified form) – an exhibit of the exhibition «City in Models», made by the creative team of the state educational institution «Secondary School No.6 of Polotsk» and presented as part of the celebration of the Day of Belarusian Literature, dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Belarusian printing, in Polotsk. September 2, 2017, region Vitebskaya, Polotsk. Collector Buevich T.V.