Polotsk is one of the oldest cities in Belarus and an important cultural center. Numerous museums of Polotsk invite everyone to plunge into the world of ancient history and enrich their knowledge about the nature of their native land, lead an active social 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 features a large number of dummies representing various medieval warriors, as well as authentic household items and, of course, a variety of weapons.
There are various thematic sections, such as a small torture room with authentic executioner tools. In addition, in the museum of Polotsk you can see living knights and even see a duel performed by them, thanks to the active cooperation of the museum with festivals of reenactors.
Natural Ecological Museum
This museum is differentunique appearance, located in a former water tower 33 meters high.
The museum is divided into four levels, symbolizing different aspects of nature and man. It is assumed that all these levels are, as it were, strung on the Tree of Life. The exposition includes more than a thousand exhibits. The first level tells about the uniqueness of Belarus. The second level shows environmental problems in modern cities. The third level is dedicated to the natural we alth of the country. And on the fourth level there is a hall for showing films and conducting lectures.
Polotsk Museum of Local Lore
This museum has a huge collection of exhibits dating back to the first centuries of the city's existence. The museum also keeps ancient Stone Age tools found in the region. Among the exhibits of the 9th-12th centuries, there is a rich collection of ceramics made from local red clay, as well as plinfa - a special flat brick. The collection contains many blacksmith products, in particular locks and keys. The museum keeps a unique casting mold for jewelry made of horn, which is a monument of jewelry art of the pre-Mongolian period. There are even ancient leather shoes and scabbards, although such items rarely survive to this day.
The museum collection relating to the era of the struggle against the Crusaders is especially rich. This is a collection of weapons, swords and battle axes, reflecting the evolution of military art during the confrontation between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and German chivalry. There are rare coinsfor example 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 contains many exhibits from the war with Napoleon. Shakos, dolmans and other uniforms are presented, as well as weapons and a rich collection of military awards.
The collection of the Soviet period is also rich, where the exposition from the time of the war with Nazi Germany stands out.
Museum of Belarusian Typography
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 contains more than 2,500 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 a well-translated atmosphere of old typography.
Visitors can admire antique typography equipment and use replicas of ancient writing implements such as quill pen or 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 scriptorium 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, where, too,work on the production of books is 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 began in the 11th century. Subsequently, the cathedral was repeatedly supplemented with new architectural elements. The last reconstruction of the 18th century turned the temple into a monument of the so-called Vilna Baroque. The museum presents fragments of the architecture of the cathedral, starting from the most ancient masonry of the 11th century.
The pride of the museum are the frescoes, which are among 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.
