Polotsk is one of the oldest cities in Belarus and an important cultural center. Numerous museums of Polotsk offer everyone to plunge into the world of ancient history and enrich their knowledge about the nature of their native land, lead an active public life. For example, the Belarusian night of museums in Polotsk, along with Minsk, is always very active and brings something new every year.
Museum of chivalry in Polotsk
This museum reflects the unique position of Belarus, where Slavic and Western military trends clashed. The exhibition presents a large number of dummies representing various medieval warriors, as well as genuine household items and, of course, a variety of weapons.
There are various thematic sections, such as a small torture room with genuine butchery guns. In addition, in the Museum of Polotsk, you can see the living knights and even see a duel in their performance, thanks to the active cooperation of the museum with festivals of reenactors.
Museum of Natural Ecology
This museum has a unique appearance, located in a former water tower 33 meters high.
The museum is divided into four levels, symbolizing various aspects of nature and man. It is assumed that all these levels are as if strung on the Tree of Life. The exposition has more than a thousand exhibits. The first level tells about the uniqueness of Belarus. The second level shows environmental issues in modern cities. The third level is devoted to the natural wealth of the country. And on the fourth level there is a room for showing films and conducting lectures.
Museum of Local Lore Polotsk
This museum has a huge collection of exhibits dating back to the first centuries of the city. The museum also stores ancient stone age tools found in the region. Among the exhibits of the 9th-12th centuries, a rich collection of ceramics from local red clay and plinth - a special flat brick stand out. The collection contains many blacksmith products, in particular locks and keys. The museum stores a unique mold for jewelry made of horn and is a monument of jewelry of the pre-Mongol period. Even ancient leather shoes and scabbard are present, although such items rarely survive to this day.
The museum collection is especially rich, dating back to the era of the struggle against the crusaders. This is a collection of weapons, swords and battle axes, reflecting the evolution of military affairs during the confrontation between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and German knighthood. Rare coins are available, such as denarii of Polish kings and Prague pennies.
Exhibits from the time of the Russian Empire represent a rich collection of household items, ranging from peasant to gentry. The museum stores many exhibits from the time of the war with Napoleon. Shakes, dolomans and other uniforms, as well as weapons and a rich collection of military awards are presented.
The collection of the Soviet period is also rich, where the exposition of the times of the war with fascist Germany stands out.
Museum of Belarusian Printing
This museum of Polotsk began to function in 1990 on the territory of the Epiphany Monastery. Once there was a monastery school. The museum occupies almost 1 square kilometer. By the nature of the exposition, it is unique and has no analogues in Belarus. The collection includes more than 2500 copies of books, both handwritten and printed. In addition, the museum owns an impressive collection of newspapers and magazines spanning several centuries.
In addition to the main exhibits, the museum captivates with the well-conveyed atmosphere of ancient typography.
Visitors can admire antique typography equipment and take advantage of duplicates of ancient writing instruments, such as a quill pen or an antique fountain pen.
In addition, the museum has halls where you can watch the process of creating ancient books live. You can go into the scriptory room, where the monk rewrites the book carefully outlining the letters with a quill pen. And you can go to the printing house of the 18th century sample, where the work of making books is also in full swing.
Museum of the History of Architecture of St. Sophia Cathedral
Despite the venerable age of the temple, the museum was opened here not so long ago - in 1987. This museum is located directly inside the ancient St. Sophia Cathedral, the construction of which was begun in the XI century. Subsequently, the cathedral was repeatedly supplemented with new architectural elements. The last reconstruction of the 18th century turned the church into a monument of the so-called Vilnius baroque. The museum presents fragments of the architecture of the cathedral, starting from the oldest masonry of the XI century.
The pride of the museum is the frescoes, which are one of the oldest in the country. In addition, the exhibition presents a variety of models and layouts, as well as photographs and illustrations that allow you to visualize the evolution of the ancient temple.