History of the Reserve

Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve began to form in 1967. The Act of historic-archaeological reserve appeared in 1968, on the 20^th of November Polotsk town soviet adopted the statement about the zone under protection around the Sophia Cathedral. Polotsk historical and archeological reserve became part of Vitebsk Regional museum. Nevertheless, since 1967 conditions for investigation, restoration and museufication of monuments of archaology and architecture began to appear.

Reconstruction of the Sophia Cathedral began in 1969, when the Museum of Atheism was planned to be opened. However, this museum was moved to Grodno, and reserve was given the position of the separate museum unit, and Polotsk Region museum became a part of it.

Act about Polotsk historical cultural reserve was adopted in 1990. The Act determined monuments and areas, that became part of reserve:

• Site of ancient town (6 –8^th centuries)
• Zapolotje (1 millenium B.C.)
• Upper Castle and the Sophia Cathedral (11 –18^th centuries)
• Lower Castle with rampart of Ivan the Terrible (16^th century)
• Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior with frescoes and foundations of burial vault temple (12^th century)
• The house of Peter the Great (17^th century)
• A set of buildings of the former Jesuit college with supporting wall (18^th century)
• Warm Euhrosinija church (19^th century)
• The church of the Exaltation of the Cross (19^th century)
• Complex of the Epiphany monastery with the Cathedral and Brethren School (18^th century)
• Lutheran church (1888)
• The Red Bridge (19^th century)

Zone under protection is stated as an area of 176,6 hect., zone with the house building and landscape under protection. The area of reserve makes 64,7 hect.

Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve – is a museum with all the functions, similar to museums and museum-reserves. It has national significance and Vitebsk region subardination.

Under reserve that in 2000 got the name of National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve and in 2000 got the name of Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve 11 museums work:

• Art gallery
• Children's Museum
• Museum of Local Lore
• Museum of the Belarusian Book-printing
• Museum of the History of Architecture of the Sophia Cathedral
• Museum of Traditional Manual Weaving of Poozerye
• Museum of Wartime Fame
• Museum-apartment of Hero of the Soviet Union Z.M. Tusnolobova-Marchenko
• Museum-library of Simeon of Polotsk
• Nature and Ecology Museum
• Stationare Exhibition "A walk along Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street"

Under exposition are the monuments of architecture: the Sophia Cathedral (middle 11 – 18^th centuries), Lutheran Church (1888), Brethren school (end of the 18^th century), living house in Voikova Street (19^th – beginning of the 20^th century), Peter's the Great House (1692), the Water Tower (1953). Total area of exposition of all the museums is 3707 sq.m.

In 2010, historical and cultural complex "The Field of Glory", dedicated to the history of the Polotsk fortified area (located in the village of Gomel Polotsk district), was included into National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.