Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
No thanks.
AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?
5 minutes ago
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent FIlm Narrators
about 17 hours ago
The Horn & Hardart Automat was a staple of urban dining in midcentury New York City.
All Hail the Slop Bowl, Lunch of Our Ancestors
about 19 hours ago
The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” on display in Las Vegas.
The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound Changed Live Music Forever
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Belarus Polotsk St. Sophia's Cathedral

St. Sophia's Cathedral

Though it was heavily modified, fragments of the original medieval cathedral still survive.

Polotsk, Belarus

Added By
subha basu ray
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
St. Sophia, side view.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
St. Sophia, side view.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
St Sophia, facade.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
St. Sophia, interior.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
Model of the Original St. Sophia.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
Monument of Vseslav the Seer.   subha basu ray / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The beautiful St. Sophia, built on the confluence of the Dvina and the Polota Rivers, is perhaps the oldest surviving church in Belarus, in its oldest city, Polotsk.

Founded in 862, Polotsk was the premier city of the powerful Principality of Polotsk, which ruled over a vast swath of Belarus in the Middle Ages. The power and influence of the principality was at its height during the reign of Prince Vseslav the Seer. In 1044, Prince Vseslav commissioned the magnificent cathedral of St. Sophia, also known as the cathedral of Divine Wisdom.

Built by Byzantine architects, the church reputedly resembled St. Sophia in Constantinople, present-day Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. But through the centuries, it has undergone many changes, largely due to the tumultuous history of the region.

The domes of the cathedral—seven according to historians, a defining feature of Byzantine architecture—have been lost. Both the exterior, with its graceful bell towers and the richly ornate interior, are now baroque in appearance. A model of how it is believed to have looked, when it was first built, is on display in the cathedral, showing the extent of the changes.

Though much of the church has changed, fragments of its ancient masonry remain intact. Visit the church, and you’ll find some beautiful, faded frescoes, the original foundation, and the burial chamber where the remains of Vseslav and his kinsmen are believed to be interred.

St. Sophia is now a Museum of Architecture. As it has excellent acoustics, it also serves as a concert hall for chamber music that regularly hosts organ recitals on Sunday afternoons.

Related Tags

Churches Medieval Christianity Architecture Museums Music Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Outside the cathedral, near the steps leading down to the River Dvina, is a Boris stone, one of the four on Belarusian soil. The one in Polotsk reportedly weighs 70 tons! Its history and significance, even today, is shrouded in obscurity. The ancient inscriptions on it have been variously interpreted as pagan or early Christian. The locals appear to agree on one thing alone, that touching the stone and making a wish makes it come true! Another legend claims that touching the stone grants you forgiveness for your sins.

There is a monument to Vseslav the Seer in Polotsk, in a little square on the edge of town.

Community Contributors

Added By

subha basu ray

Edited By

serpent

  • serpent

Published

March 5, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.belarus.by/en/travel/belarus-life/sophia-cathedral-in-polotsk
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Sophia_Cathedral_in_Polotsk
St. Sophia's Cathedral
1 Zamkavaja vulica
Polotsk
Belarus
55.48623, 28.758656
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Geographic Center of Europe

Polotsk, Belarus

miles away

Zdravnevo

Viciebsk, Belarus

miles away

Penis-Shaped Tombstone

Višķi, Latvia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Polotsk

Polotsk

Belarus

Places 2

Nearby Places

Geographic Center of Europe

Polotsk, Belarus

miles away

Zdravnevo

Viciebsk, Belarus

miles away

Penis-Shaped Tombstone

Višķi, Latvia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Polotsk

Polotsk

Belarus

Places 2

Related Places

  • Cathedral of St. Demetrius.

    Vladimir, Russia

    Cathedral of Saint Demetrius

    Thousands of biblical and pagan images are carved into this small 12th-century church.

  • The church’s historical stained glass window.

    Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Medieval Choir Windows

    This unique medieval artwork featuring the story of the Antichrist remained lost for decades.

  • Haarlem’s Big Church.

    Haarlem, Netherlands

    Grote Kerk

    This towering church is home to a world-famous organ and a treasure trove of medieval art.

  • Delicate foliage.

    Southwell, England

    The Leaves of Southwell

    Exquisite carvings of leaves, Green Men, and the occasional dragon adorn a medieval chapter house.

  • Østerlars.

    Gudhjem, Denmark

    Østerlars Church

    The largest of Denmark's seven mysterious round churches stands on an island in the Baltic Sea.

  • Exterior of the church.

    Athens, Greece

    St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church

    A Byzantine church containing the holy remnants of three saints sits atop the site of an ancient temple.

  • Monk Bretton Priory.

    Barnsley, England

    Monk Bretton Priory

    These medieval monastery ruins are surprisingly overlooked by most tourists.

  • The Gothic church towers above the Old Town.

    Brașov, Romania

    Biserica Neagră (The Black Church)

    A fire once nearly devoured this gorgeous 14th-century Gothic cathedral.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.