St. Sofia Cathedral
530 reviews
September 11
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
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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September 1
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
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
Софийский собор на берегу Западной Двины. Он не используется как культовое сооружение. Сейчас это музей и концертный зал органной музыки.
Я два раза слушал орган в соборе. Первый раз в 1993-м. Второй раз в 2017 году. Впечатление потрясающее - музыка льётся не от инструмента, а обволакивает тебя вокруг, благодаря прекрасной акустике собора. Такого вы не увидите в обычном концертном зале. Концерты органной музыки летом по воскресеньям.
Рядом с храмом стоит «борисов камень». Из берега рядом с храмом бежит «живительный» ключ (он и 30 лет назад бежал, только не был такой обустроенный).
Софийский собор на берегу Западной Двины – знаковое историческое место. Храм, который, по словам одной из белорусских песен «плыве над Дзвiною нiбы карабель».
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July 12
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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July 28
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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October 24
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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June 8
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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September 25
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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October 6
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
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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July 8
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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May 8
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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June 30
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
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
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
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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March 16
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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July 31
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
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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June 17, 2023
Была на экскурсии от школы. Довольно неплохое расположение, можно пешком дойти до музея книгопечатания, можно полюбоваться на природу. Внешне выглядит замечательно и очень внушительно. Очень приятные экскурсоводы, говорящие, кстати, на белорусском языке, что немаловажно, готовые ответить на вопросы и рассказать побольше. Приятно обрадовали залы, расположенные как-бы под землёй. Довольно необычный способ сохранить прежнее расположение, ведь ранее как раз на той высоте и был расположен вход и так далее.
Советую посетить, желательно с экскурсоводом. Очень интересное место с особенной атмосферой.
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September 12
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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August 3
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
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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April 12
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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July 20
Very beautiful, majestic. There is peace and tranquility around. But unfortunately the temple is not functioning. It turned out to be a museum. Nevertheless, we must pay tribute to the restorers,
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September 27
Not so much a cathedral as a museum, but occasionally there are organ music concerts that are MANDATORY to visit. You can climb the small catacombs and touch the history
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September 11
I've been driving by all my life. This year (at a conscious age, probably) we decided to stop by. The wonder of the world! The architecture is very beautiful. The entrance is around 300 rubles, you can look inside. The organ plays on Saturdays, it's worth listening to. Plus Polotsk itself (the old town) is very, very beautiful. Impressive
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July 5
We were in July. I liked the cathedral. But we did not listen to the organ, but only ordered a tour. As a result, we paid 5 rubles (150 rubles in Russian) for admission from each adult, 2.5 rubles (75 rubles in Russian) for the child. They accept the Russian mir card for payment! The tour lasted 40 minutes. It was interesting to see the supporting pillars and surviving walls from the 12th century and a few finds.
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August 10
A grand Cathedral of amazing beauty!
We were on our way to the Cathedral from Mogilev. The navigator led us through the cadet corps, but this path is not the right one. There is no passage or passage to the Cathedral there. You need to focus on Nizhne - Pokrovskaya Street. Follow it to the Observation Deck, and there is a staircase that leads directly to the Cathedral.
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September 18
The temple is located on a hill next to the river. The territory is well maintained and beautiful. Beautiful view of the city.
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May 16
Unfortunately, the temple itself was closed and there were landscaping works around, but it was a very good place, we went down to the river and there were swans. Nicely
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September 10
And everything seems great, but you can visit the cathedral itself only with an excursion, and this is a certain time and there is not always a desire to bypass all the surroundings at the same time
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October 11
A beautiful historical place, a temple with a rich history in the ancient city of Polotsk. The church is no longer in operation, it is only an architectural monument. Everything inside the temple is in the Catholic manner, and the layout is basically Catholic, since the temple was Catholic and Uniate for a long time, now it has returned to the Orthodox Church. Organ concerts are regularly held here, the organ here is very good, Czech, so connoisseurs of this instrument would like it
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August 23, 2023
Красивый недействующие храм в Полоцке. Внутри располагается экспозиция музея. Собор считается старейшей каменной постройкой современной Беларуси. Собор расположен в красивом месте на берегу реки Западная Двина. Рядом находится ещё одна интересная достопримечательность - Борисов камень. Будучи в Полоцке обязателен к посещению.
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September 2
As a historical museum complex, it does not meet expectations: the complex in Lida, built literally on three preserved walls, looks more attractive to tourists.
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July 9
It is a very beautiful and monumental structure. It seems that our great-grandparents created it for something else, but not for what they are doing there now. It is recommended to visit and familiarize yourself.
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October 4
It's impressive. There is a beautiful temple on the high bank of the Western Dvina River. And Borisov stone. It's a very atmospheric place.
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July 30
A historical place with a very long history. It is better to go on a guided tour - you will learn an insane lot of interesting facts
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August 9
Everyone should visit there, it is very beautiful, soulful, the views are gorgeous. Well, you can go to the cathedral itself, it costs a penny
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August 18
Interesting enough. You can pay for the services of a tour guide or rent an audio guide. I liked the organ music concert.
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July 18
A very beautiful old cathedral in the center of Polotsk. The business card of the city. It looks grandiose with backlight on the background of the night sky.
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June 23
Polotsk is of course an ancient city, so far you can't compare it with others) It's the same story with St. Sophia Cathedral. In fact, there is only one skeleton left of it. Everything else was broken and rebuilt 3 times. Its historical value is beneficial only to the Polochans.
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September 17
To be honest, the last time was about 14 or 16 years ago. And I would not say about global changes. Some things on the territory have changed, but the cathedral has not. Everything still looks majestic! Clean, beautiful, no complaints. I definitely advise you to go. You won't regret it)
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August 9, 2023
Сам по себе собор шикарный, концерт органной музыки разочаровал, раньше как то больше было произведений Баха, а сейчас нудятина какая то единственная композиция Листа понравилась, в округе возле собора есть так же борисов камень, и прочие интересные локации, впринципе понравилось.Виды супер, Полоцк прям кишит древностями которые можно посетить все в одном месте считай. Рекомендую посетить этот уголок старины, внутри в соборе очень красивая лепнина. Так же есть музей где можно увидеть старинную кладку собора сохранившуюся с 12 века. Прекрасное место.
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August 11
The staff is very pleasant. We made a discount on family visits. They gave out a guidebook for children. Well done!
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August 25
I didn't like it at all, I was in many cities, this one is not impressive, although it doesn't look bad from the outside and they also charge a small fee to walk inside, but they don't start looking there except at the old foundation in the basement
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June 3
Extraordinary, delightful, beautiful, there are not enough epithets to describe the beauty that I saw. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get inside yet, repairs are underway.
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January 28
The birthplace of the History of Belarus. A real stone Sofia has been preserved in the basements, and through the tunnel you immediately go out to Christ. And the concert hall hosts the organ music festival "Zvany Safii". I highly recommend a visit. As well as the city of Polotsk itself. Important! Take a good company with you.
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