Across the river is Zadvinye, now an almost unremarkable area. But there was a border between the two sections of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1772-93) along the Dvina, and Polotsk was a provincial city in 1776-96. Zadvinye remained Lithuanian, and I think its inhabitants felt about the same as the current inhabitants of the Far East, looking across the Amur at the growing Heihe and Fuyuan. However, their fears were short-lived - soon Vilnius, Grodno and Kamenets-Podolsky were under Russia, and a little later Warsaw itself.
Very nice beach. It is very convenient and safe to play with children. The river is very clean, there is almost no garbage. I recommend this beach to everyone.