St. Sofia Cathedral
596 reviews
January 12
A magnificent cathedral of a somewhat unusual appearance for Orthodoxy. It stands on a high hill, very elegant, beautiful and majestic, in the style of the Vilna (Uniansky) Baroque. Part of the building has been preserved since the 11th century, it is the oldest stone building in modern Belarus. The cathedral was Uniate for a long time, which resulted in the persecution of Uniate monks by Peter the Great in 1705 and the closure of the cathedral.
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February 23
One of the most beautiful ancient cathedrals in the republic. The exterior offers wonderful views and other interesting places. The territory is cleaned, everything is neat. Partial repairs have been made and it is possible to assess what the building was like and what has now turned out. An active fountain is installed inside, where concerts are constantly held. There is also a small museum for a very nominal fee...
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May 28
It's a wonderful place! We definitely stop by when we arrive in Belarus. We are interested in the organ music concert in advance. Great organ sound. Kind, helpful staff. Everything is wonderful, the atmosphere, the music. Excellent repair, updated paths, steps! I recommend it!
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May 5
The most beautiful cathedral, the visiting card of the city, is a must-visit. The entrance to view the exhibitions costs 6 BYN, with the possibility to go down to the basement. I was also very lucky to get to the last one (on this day).a mini concert of organ music (worth 10 BYN), which lasted 30 minutes, but it was enough to experience the full power and greatness of the instrument in skillful hands. If I remember correctly, such mini concerts take place at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to the staff, they try to seat everyone, so there is no point in taking care of tickets in advance.
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February 20
The most beautiful cathedral in Polotsk! Convenient location : near the Western Dvina , the Cadet corps , the university and other Polotsk museums within walking distance.Organ music is played on certain days and usually lasts about 30 minutes. Souvenirs are sold inside. There are many shops, I definitely recommend you to visit !!!
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May 26
St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk impresses with its beauty and atmosphere. I especially liked the concert of organ music - the sound in the walls of the cathedral is simply fascinating. A must-visit!
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September 11, 2024
A beautiful cathedral.
Tall, 50 m, slim.
There are many interesting architectural and construction solutions.
Nearby, just below the stairs, there is a delicious well-maintained spring.
It is a pity that it is used as a museum and a concert hall.
We were at the concert of organ music.
A whole hour of completely unknown works by completely unknown authors ...
As a result, the concert is very tedious, people began to leave 10 minutes after the start...
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June 24, 2024
Briefly about the main thing for those who are tired of listening to TV and the Internet:
"Now it is a museum and a concert hall of organ music.
<...> The impression is amazing - the music does not flow from the instrument, but envelops you around, thanks to the excellent acoustics of the cathedral ["The cathedral both in appearance and in interior decoration corresponds to a Catholic church, not an Orthodox church"].
You won't see this in an ordinary concert hall.
Organ music concerts in summer on Sundays."
The main thing is short:
"The place is simply magical, you feel the beauty and spirituality, the connection of the times and events of antiquity with modernity.
The nature is amazing, it emphasizes the scale of the building."
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May 5
The beautiful cathedral is the hallmark of Polotsk. Well-maintained territory around and beautiful views from the high shore. The organ music concert was great.
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September 1, 2024
The wonderful cathedral is in excellent condition. The Vilna Baroque has been completely restored. The Cathedral of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate. I am glad that the whole of Belarus has been restored from the ruins of the wars with the Fascists and Bolsheviks according to accurate drawings and plans. Low bow to all those involved. There is a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Minsk in the Cathedral. The relics of St. Sophia of Slutsk. I was upset by an assistant from the sisterhood (apparently, because she was wearing a white veil with a cross), who advocated complete order (as in hell). But at the same time, another assistant smoothed out the impression of the parishioners, who saw this, building on a ruler, and modestly, without pathos, gave her prosphora to me. It is joyful that there are still such people who correctly understand what love and service to God are.
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July 29, 2024
A great place to immerse yourself in the history of different times, the cathedral is not currently operating as a concert hall where organ music concerts take place. You can watch the development of construction and listen to the organ on Saturday and Sunday at 13 00 and 15 00. The cathedral is located on the banks of the Western Dvina River near the Borisoglebsky stone. There is a legend that there is a healing, drinking spring and an observation deck. The architecture inside the cathedral is very beautiful
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June 4, 2024
St. Sophia Cathedral on the banks of the Western Dvina River. It is not used as a place of worship. Now it is a museum and concert hall of organ music.
I listened to the organ in the cathedral twice. The first time was in 1993. For the second time in 2017. The impression is amazing - the music does not flow from the instrument, but envelops you around, thanks to the excellent acoustics of the cathedral. You won't see this in an ordinary concert hall. Organ music concerts in summer on Sundays.
There is a "Borisov stone" next to the temple. A "life-giving" key runs from the shore next to the temple (it ran 30 years ago, but it was not so equipped).
St. Sophia Cathedral on the banks of the Western Dvina River is a landmark historical place. The temple, which, according to one of the Belarusian songs, "floats over the river niba Karabel".
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March 29
I'll start with the cons
right away, the attitude of the staff towards the visitors is terrible!!! They answer rudely, it's difficult for them to suggest anything, they are very arrogant, although they don't represent anything of themselves, the cashier, the caretakers, the supervisors, and the attitude is as if they are the architects of this cathedral. The attitude towards tourists in the city itself is terrible, and the cathedral is simply being stripped of money, for each floor separately, it is impossible to look with one eye behind the curtains, they are dragged away by force.
The expositions are also not supernatural, I would not call this cathedral a museum, yes, there are exhibits that cause some sensations, but that would be just ah and oh no, but it's as if we see the second coming of Jesus here.
The cathedral itself is beautiful, very beautiful, what it's worth going here for is an organ concert, it's great, Ksenia is a very good organist, it was great to hear Bach live, in general the cathedral is beautiful, it's worth going here more for the sake of the view of the cathedral than for what's inside, inside just for the sake of an organ concert.
If you want to go to a museum, I recommend the museum near the cathedral, which is located in the church. Thank you all and good luck!
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April 3
It's a beautiful cathedral, although it's a new building, but I recommend visiting it, it's better when there's an organ concert, it's cool.
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March 23
St. Sophia Cathedral is a beautiful, majestic cathedral located on a hill above. The Western Dvina. Being on its territory does not leave the feeling that you are touching history. It's now a museum inside. There's a fucking concert on Sundays.
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May 19
On Castle Hill near Borisov Stone, at the place where our two rivers join, stands St. Sophia Cathedral, which was restored after being destroyed during the Northern War.Organist Ksenia Pogorelaya is currently organizing organ concerts there.
Now you can see the walls and foundations of the former cathedral built in the 11th century.
Just keep your hats out of the wind in the Castle Attic!
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July 12, 2024
A cathedral of indescribable beauty. Greatness, peace, grace!!! You go down and see the history with your own eyes - ancient excavations (you can touch it). The organ is impressive! Organ music concerts are held there. Maybe some more concerts, because we've seen more pianos. And the place around the Cathedral!!!! From the hill, look at the Western Dvina! Come here!
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May 11
We attended a concert of organ music in St. Sophia Cathedral. In fact, this was almost the main purpose of the trip to Polotsk. Either the expectations were too high, or there were too many people, but the impression turned out to be blurred. As a concert hall with an organ, it did not take the first place in the personal rating. As an architectural monument, St. Sophia Cathedral is certainly unique.
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October 24, 2024
Good day.I recommend you to visit both as a shrine and as an organ music concert hall.There is a toilet, parking.The view from the hill to the park and the river is a view of the historical age-old era! I definitely recommend you to visit.Lenochka liked it
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July 28, 2024
It's a very atmospheric place. On the banks of the western Dvina River, on a high hill stands a beautiful cathedral. The cathedral offers a beautiful view of the surrounding area. It is impossible not to mention the spring with icy delicious water and the suspension bridge located near the cathedral. You don't need to talk about what is in the cathedral, you must definitely see it yourself. I definitely liked it.
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December 22, 2024
We were on an excursion from the sanatorium in Polotsk. We were absolutely amazed by the organ concert in St. Sophia Cathedral! And this is in a small town, not even a regional center! It's just unbelievable.
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June 8, 2024
Of course, the history of this unique temple is impressive. It was built in the XI century. In the middle of the XVIII century, it was thoroughly rebuilt in the style of the Vilna Baroque. Fragments of masonry and an almost completely preserved ancient foundation have survived from the temple of the XI century. It was built as an Orthodox cathedral. In 1596 it was transferred to the Uniate Church. From 1642 to 1667 it was Orthodox, then it was transferred back to the Uniates. During the Northern War, by order of Peter I, the cathedral was used as an ammunition depot, after the explosion in 1710 it was significantly destroyed. In 1924, the church was closed and a museum of local lore was placed in it. During the period of German occupation from 1942 to July 1944, it was active, and then it was closed again. It now houses a museum and a concert hall. The bright Baroque interior has been preserved . We arrived exactly at the opening at 10 o'clock (opening time on the official website of the museum). However, we were asked to wait an hour because there was a rehearsal going on. An hour later, they were very reluctantly allowed in (the ticket cost is 5 rubles). Most likely, the museum and the official website of the museum live in different dimensions. But don't worry, the place is amazingly beautiful
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January 5
It's a good place. It's a very beautiful cathedral. The old foundation and some parts of it have been preserved. There is a museum inside, there is something to see.
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June 17, 2023
I was on a field trip from school. The location is quite good, you can walk to the museum of printing, you can admire the nature. Externally it looks wonderful and very impressive. Very pleasant guides, speaking, by the way, in Belarusian, which is important, ready to answer questions and tell more. The halls, located as if underground, were pleasantly pleased. A rather unusual way to keep the same location, because earlier the entrance was located at that height, and so on.
I advise you to visit, preferably with a guide. A very interesting place with a special atmosphere.
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April 8
A cozy, quiet and authentic place for the revelation of the soul...However, it's quite crowded on weekends.
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January 23
Of course, you should visit here when visiting Polotsk. And preferably with an excursion, or even better - with an organ concert.
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April 20
The majestic cathedral.
I really enjoyed the organ music concert.
In general, the place is specific!
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September 25, 2024
A landmark historical Christian place of the country. It is a must for all guests of the ancient Belarusian city of Polotsk, the cradle of our statehood, so to speak.
Thanks to the state and the people of the city, everything was put in proper order, a very blissful place where you want to return neither once nor twice.
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May 8, 2024
The famous Polotsk Cathedral impresses with its architecture and location. The architectural style differs from the usual one for Orthodox churches, but let's not forget that the Jesuits had fun here for a long time. It turned out to be a mix. The place is very beautiful. Beautiful view of the river. There is also an ancient Boris stone. There was a Rogneda tower somewhere here. The place breathes history. From this place it is convenient to walk along the boulevard and see all the sights
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October 6, 2024
An impressive structure. Services are not held in the former Basilica Major church now. The temple works mainly as a concert venue. Organ music concerts are held here. I recommend a visit, good acoustics. But the wooden benches are too hard for a 40-minute concert.
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August 29, 2024
A beautiful place and a wonderful cathedral! It's a pity that it's inactive! The view is wonderful! There are many good museums nearby. You can walk to them. The walk will be pleasant.
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May 14
It's a good place. A magnificent organ. A great place to walk just to visit.
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March 16, 2024
St. Sophia Cathedral is located slightly off the beaten path - at the end of Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street (formerly Lenin Street), which is actually the embankment of the Western Dvina. There are a lot of interesting things on the same street, and it is worth walking from end to end, which I did on both visits. But from the center it is not very convenient to go to the cathedral, it is easier to find a way from Sofia to the main square than vice versa.
This is a typical Belarusian temple in the style of the Vilna Baroque. It was built in 1738-50 by Johann Glaubitz himself, and Sofia is considered his masterpiece. The previous building was destroyed in the Northern War, but it was not the original one either. The cathedral was heavily rebuilt for the first time in the 15th century, becoming a fortress temple. In 1596, the cathedral was handed over to the Uniates, and in 1602 it was destroyed by fire and restored by 1618 by the Uniate bishop Josaphat Kuntsevich (later killed by rebels in Vitebsk, as he went a little too far in planting Greek Catholicism). That is, by the time of the Northern War, Polotsk Sofia was no longer an ancient Russian temple.
In 1705, Russian troops entered allied Polotsk, and a conflict occurred in the cathedral between Peter and the Basilan monks. Poles say that the drunken brute Petrishche got drunk, broke into the cathedral, tried to abuse the relics of Kuntsevich and personally killed the monks who stood up for the shrine. Our people say that Peter just came to the cathedral and asked the Basilians whose relics they were, to which they replied: this is Josaphat Kuntsevich, who was killed by heretics (that is, Orthodox). Peter got angry and ordered the monks to be arrested, they resisted and were killed during the arrest. The documents only say that the cause of the conflict was Peter's anger, provoked by the daring act of the monks.
Further, either in the cathedral itself, or in one of the nearby buildings, a powder magazine was set up, which soon exploded. Now hardly anyone can say for sure how authentic the temple destroyed by this explosion was, and how recoverable its ruins were.
Anyway, since the 11th century, only the right (if you face the entrance) apse has survived.
Now the cathedral has a museum with a paid entrance. The lobby is separated from the hall by thick curtains, and the hall is very majestic.
But there are no altars, which stood not only in the apse, but also at each pillar.
There is a basement with the remains of 11th century masonry under the cathedral hall.
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May 8
The coolest museum, must-visit. A tragic story, one of those that reveal "why we are not loved."
I recommend.
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July 8, 2024
It is impressive, beautiful and majestic. We attended an organ music concert that takes place every Sunday. It lasts for an hour. Also near the cathedral there is a beautiful view of the river, the Western Dvina.
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June 30, 2024
You can walk in the surroundings for a long time, and from any point the cathedral is beautiful. I especially like it in the evening from the road to St. Petersburg - the illuminated cathedral seems to float in the clouds. Thanks to the museum staff who preserve the shrine.
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September 6, 2024
Sofia Polotskaya is an incredible beauty, the place itself is so beautiful, it seems to hover over the Western Dvina, the high bank, the temple itself is now an organ hall, you can enjoy organic music, everything is very beautiful, a place that has been prayed for centuries.
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October 12, 2024
The cathedral is a historically iconic place, which is studied in all textbooks related to history and culture!
Now there is a museum and an organ hall.
Entrance is paid.
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June 29, 2024
Polotsk is the oldest city in Belarus. It can be safely called an open-air museum. St. Sophia Cathedral is one of the main attractions, known for its architecture and centuries-old history.
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November 6, 2024
The cathedral is really very beautiful! It's definitely worth a look inside if you're in the city. And what a view of the river opens from there... It's just a miracle! The beauty is incredible, especially at sunset. I highly recommend you to visit!
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July 31, 2024
A beautiful place in Polotsk, unfortunately not much has been preserved from the original St. Sophia Cathedral. A small museum, there is a concert hall. It's beautiful all around. And a squalid toilet for one stall is shared.
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October 11, 2024
A very cozy place🤍 in addition to the spirit of the history and beauty of this landmark, you can also enjoy the organ concert, which is held every weekend.
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April 12, 2024
As soon as I have the opportunity, I definitely visit St. Sophia Cathedral. This is a museum, organ music concerts are held there on Sundays. Ksenia Pogorelaya performs most often, but sometimes other performers come. The museum has a souvenir sales department. The cathedral itself and the place around it have a powerful energy. I recommend.
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September 12, 2024
It is beautiful, this year the territory has been improved more, it has become even better! You will be in Polotsk, I advise you to visit. And there is also a "suspended" pedestrian bridge across the river nearby.
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May 4
Beautiful views, a cathedral in the Cossack style, the river Canvases (if you believe it, they went from the Varangians to the Greeks)
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April 14
In addition to the tour, we managed to get to the organ music concert. Fascinating.
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February 25
The scope of the cathedral is impressive even on the approach to it!!! Sincerely, beautifully and with faith
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August 3, 2024
The beautiful cathedral, the place itself is the source of the history of Belarus. Very well maintained territory and a wonderful observation deck on the river.It's a pity the cathedral is not open all the time, I would like to get inside
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July 26, 2024
The first stone temple on the territory of Belarus. It was built in the 11th century, and was thoroughly rebuilt centuries later. From the original temple of the 11th century, only the ancient foundation, fragments of masonry and partially frescoed paintings have survived to the present day. The history of the monument can be found in the cathedral museum.
St. Sophia Cathedral of Polotsk, a field of temples of the same name appeared in Kiev and Veliky Novgorod, all of them were built in the image of St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople according to the Byzantine canons. Over the course of several centuries, the cathedral was destroyed, rebuilt and completely changed its original appearance in the 18th century, when it was rebuilt in the style of the Vilna Baroque, characteristic of that time. Organ music concerts are regularly held within the walls of the cathedral. I highly recommend it, the organ in the temple sounds luxurious, voluminous and unforgettable.
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August 23, 2023
A beautiful inactive temple in Polotsk. The museum's exposition is located inside. The cathedral is considered to be the oldest stone building in modern Belarus. The cathedral is located in a beautiful location on the banks of the Western Dvina River. There is another interesting attraction nearby - Borisov stone. Being in Polotsk is mandatory to visit.
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