The main pearl of the monastery complex is the Church of the Transfiguration, built during the lifetime of the great educator. It has been preserved almost in its original form without destruction or reconstruction. Since 2017 it has been rebuilt and restored. The object has the highest category in the list of historical and cultural values of Belarus and is included in the state investment program, a set of measures for the development of the Polotsk region until 2025 , explains the chairman of the Polotsk regional executive committee, Igor Markovich:
- In 2022, we managed to complete a large amount of work to remove defective plaster on the facades of the temple. Cement coatings were removed from the walls in layers, as well as defective “knock-on” plaster layers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Initially, it was supposed to remove only half of the plaster layer, but the amount of work in this direction has increased. Ruined remains of the original decor were found on the tambour: a curved brick arcade belt, demolished eyebrows above the windows… Remnants of the original paint have been preserved there.
To date, the restorers have restored the lost elements of the 19th century, preserved the vestiges of the decoration of the 12th century. Inside the temple, extensive work has been carried out to restore the dome and drum frescoes, including the window openings.
Denis Yurchak, chief specialist of the Department of Culture of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, stressed the importance of restoring not only the temple itself, but also the careful preservation of the unique wall paintings:
– It turned out that the whole building is painted from the inside. The unique 12th century frescoes were hidden behind oil paintings made later in the 18th and 19th centuries. Experienced Hermitage and Belrestoration specialists helped to carefully remove and preserve the upper layers, as well as restore the discovered miracle. The frescoes have been restored since the 1990s. Already leaked 97-98% of their area. It’s actually all the murals. Scaffolding is for work at height. Sites remained in hard-to-reach places. For example, on the choir stalls and the interior staircase of Euphrosyne’s cell. Due to the narrow passage, it is quite difficult to work there. By the way, before the staircase was accessible to tourists. And when it became clear that the entire perimeter, except for the steps, has great historical and artistic value and is covered with unique paintings, access to it was closed.
Once the restoration works are completed, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior will have the appearance of a 19th century temple on the outside and a 12th century one on the inside. This will allow you to see the evolution of a unique object over time – from the completion of the Sainte-Euphrosyne project by the builders nine centuries ago to the present day.
In total, about three million Belarusian rubles have already been spent on the restoration of the Church of the Transfiguration. These funds come from the Republican and local budgets. According to the design and estimate documentation for the current year, 1 million 680 thousand Belarusian rubles should be allocated for further general construction and restoration work. Work will be carried out both on the facades and inside the temple.
The restorers have restored the lost elements of the 19th century, preserved the vestiges of the decoration of the 12th century
Along with this, the implementation of another important project for the monastery began – the restoration of the refectory for the nuns of the monastery. It was located on the territory of the monastery and fits into the whole complex. In accordance with the project, the refectory room will have 170 seats, which will make it possible to accommodate pilgrims as well as nuns. The building will also have the necessary kitchen and ancillary facilities. As a source of funding for the preparation of project documentation, own funds and sponsorship of the monastery are provided. A number of organizations have already answered the call for help.
The monastery places high hopes in the implementation of the restoration project of the Church of the Transfiguration with the support of the Union State Standing Committee. In December 2021, State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev visited the monastery and was impressed with what he saw. He stressed the need to develop a systemic support option for the monastery. Some measures have been taken. At present, according to the letter of the Union State Standing Committee, the letter of the Executive Committee of the Polotsk District has been sent to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus and the Commissioner for Religious Affairs and to the nationalities of the Republic of Belarus in order to clarify their willingness to act as public clients of the new Union State project.
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Saint Euphrosyne, the founder of the Savior-Evfrosinevsky Convent, was born at the beginning of the 12th century in the family of Prince Georgy Vseslavich of Polotsk and Princess Sophia (the exact date of birth has not been established). She was the great-great-great-granddaughter of the holy equal to the apostles, Prince Vladimir. Before taking monastic vows, the princess bore the name Predslava. When she was 12 (the age of majority), her parents decided to marry her off. But the girl, feeling in her soul a burning desire to devote herself entirely to the service of the Lord, secretly left her parents’ house and came to the monastery.
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