Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street (postcard of the late 19th — early 20th century) (in the foreground on the right is the modern house No. 9 on Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street)
Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street is one of the oldest streets in Polotsk. Historical sources confirm its existence already in the second half of the 11th — beginning of the 12th century. From the 13th century the street was densely populated, served as one of the main streets in the city, it was crossed by the Dvina River to the city markets, churches, synagogues, Catholic and Orthodox monasteries were located on it, the richest and most influential citizens lived there.
The first known name of this street was Velikaya Street. In the last quarter of the 18th century (in connection with the construction of St. Pokrovskaya Church) it was renamed into Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street, in 1919 — into Lenin Street, and in 2008 the street again returned the name Nizhne-Pokrovskaya. It received its current direction in accordance with the classicist plan of Polotsk developed and approved in the late 18th century, which gave the layout of the historical center of the city the features of regularity.
House No. 9 on Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street was built in the late 19th century, it is a fine example of classicism architecture. Typical features of the classical style (majestic simplicity, austerity, laconism, lack of numerous details) were vividly embodied in the architecture of this monument.
It is known that the plot on Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street, on the territory of which the existing stone building was erected, in 1854-1860 belonged to the widow of the provincial secretary Ekaterina Khmolovskaya. The size of the historical plot was much larger compared to the present-day territory of house No. 9, and in the mid-19th century it housed an estate with two small wooden houses and numerous outbuildings.
At the end of the 19th century a two-storied administrative building was erected, which has survived to our time. At first the town bank was located here, and in the beginning of the 20th century — Polotsk district branch of the Vitebsk treasury, which had a savings bank. In the basement of the building there were safes where precious metals (gold, silver) and money were kept. It is known that at the end of the 19th century the Polotsk bank had a director Smirnov and two assistants — Shpakov and Kots, as well as correspondents, a lawyer and several watchmen. In 1910 the post of the city skarbnik (treasurer) was held by collegiate assessor N. Lyubimov.
After the October Revolution in the 1920s, the building housed the financial department of the Polotsk district executive committee, later the Polotsk district executive committee.
In the Soviet period, almost until the end of the 1970s, the building was used for administrative functions, and in the early 1980s the premises of the house No. 9, Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street, housed a sewing shop of the household services combine. In the 1990s the building was used as a production workshop of the financial and industrial company "INVIS". Today the object is privately owned.
According to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 578 of 14.05.2007, house No. 9 on Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street was included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Belarus.