Transfiguration Church
12th century.
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The Saint Euphrosyne Monastery is an Orthodox convent in Polotsk in northern Belarus, about 2 km from the town centre and 195 km northeast of Minsk in a straight line. It is one of the oldest and largest centres of Orthodoxy in Belarus. Princess Euphrosyne of Polotsk founded the convent in 1128 near the Church of the Transfiguration at a place called Selce, and the nuns taught young women to copy books, sing and sew. In 1161 the stone Church of the Transfiguration was built; it is the best-preserved monument of ancient Polotsk architecture. Over the centuries the convent changed hands several times, returned to the Orthodox Church in 1832 and was restored in 1840. Bright white buildings with green and grey domes fill the grounds, with a white bell tower over an arched gate and a large cathedral with several domes. Beside it the small white Church of the Transfiguration with its green dome looks simple, and tidy gardens and trees surround the buildings. Visitors walk the grounds and admire the churches from outside; modest dress and quiet are expected out of respect for the nuns. The visit pairs well with the town's St Sophia Cathedral. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Belarus, so read the current advice before any planning.
12th century.
Over the gate.
Many domes.
Polotsk, Vitebsk Region, Belarus
Modest dress.
St Sophia Cathedral.