Miracle of miracles

What was uniquely unveiled by the restoration of the 12th-century Saviour Transfiguration Church in Polotsk

The restoration of the temple — which is rightly regarded as spiritual and cultural heritage not only of Belarus but of the entire Orthodox world — was conducted under the patronage of the President of Belarus. It is symbolically significant that the work on this sacred site, situated on the territory of the Saviour-Euphrosyne Convent, was completed in time for the 900th anniversary of the Polotsk sanctuary. Now, anyone has a chance to share in the joyful experience of visiting the church associated with the name of our country’s heavenly patroness, Euphrosyne of Polotsk.

Saviour Transfiguration Church in Polotsk, Vitebsk Region                            

Hand of Euphrosyne herself

The Saviour Transfiguration Church was erected with the blessing of Euphrosyne of Polotsk by talented architect Joannes. According to legend, one dawn, he heard a voice coming from above instructing him to commence construction. Joannes shared this divine revelation with venerable Euphrosyne and secured her active support.
The exterior of the only essentially preserved 12th-century sanctuary in our country has undergone various changes over time. However, the temple has always reached upwards like a candle, consistently attracting pilgrims from all corners of the world. There, people turned to God and Saint Euphrosyne in sincere pleas for aid, and they were heard. Notebooks detailing the bestowed miracles are kept within the shrine. The restoration project leader, architect restorer Sergei Lalazarov from St. Petersburg, refers to the very revival of the temple, which took many years, as a miracle of miracles. He recalls his invitation to take part in the restoration in Polotsk by the recommendation of his good friend Vladimir Sarabyanov — a fine art restorer and specialist in Byzantine and ancient Russian painting, “After the passing of Vladimir Dmitrievich [Sarabyanov], I continued his work in Polotsk at the invitation of Mother Superior Evdokia, the Abbess of the Saviour-Euphrosyne Convent, and Belarus’ Ministry of Culture. I had experience with similar restoration projects in churches from the same period, so I had an idea of the nuances I would have to face. Engineering restoration work commenced at the Saviour Transfiguration Church in 2015.”
Meanwhile, the restoration of the unique frescoes of the cathedral has been underway since the 1990s, led by renowned Belarusian expert Vladimir Rakitsky. The scope of the frescoes proved so extensive that assistance was required from outside. In 2006, representatives of the Interregional Scientific Restoration Art Administration from Moscow joined the effort.
In the 19th century, the temple underwent renovations twice: in 1833 and in 1885. New scenes were created in oil paints over the old frescoes. Moscow artisans, and later Belarusian colleagues who learned from them, took on the task of delamination. It was discovered that the 12th-century frescoes cover approximately 1,000 square metres, or about 90 percent of the church’s wall space, and nearly the entire mural programme. Today, around 200 ancient Russian churches are known; yet, only 27 have preserved an intact form, with a drum and dome.
According to Sergei Lalazarov, only a part of those have frescoes, even one to three square metres covered in frescoes being a rarity, 

“Now imagine our emotions when we realised that the walls of the ancient sanctuary in Polotsk are almost completely covered in frescoes!” 

Moscow craftsmen developed a technology that allows for the detachment of oil paintings as whole compositions. It is remarkable work, unprecedented in its nature, as emphasised by Sergei Valerianovich, “Moreover, thanks to the new technology, not only did we manage to separate the oil paintings from the ancient frescoes, but also to delaminate the two paintings from the 1830s and 1880s.” 
In Belarus, the Saviour Transfiguration Church is the only 12th-century cult object preserved in its entirety, and simultaneously, the oldest stone structure. During the course of restoration, many architectural, structural, and original engineering solutions were unveiled within the interior. The hand of Euphrosyne herself is evident. It is believed that half of the fresco paintings are personal additions by the saint herself. Under her guidance, architect Joannes introduced amendments during the construction of the cathedral. For instance, decorative kokoshniks (arch-like semicircular top of the church wall) were added while constructing the dome drum, which are preserved in the attic space today. These are the first kokoshniks known in ancient Russian architecture.

Heavenly assistance

In 2011, specialists from Belrestavratsiya began to examine the structural integrity and strength of the Saviour Transfiguration Church. Subsequently, they restored the rubble stone masonry and the thin burnt brick (plinthiform brick) foundation layer with restoration compositions — a process that took several years merely for preparatory work. The major challenge lay in the unique features of the facility, as revealed by the company’s general director, Vladimir Zmuzhko, “There is, obviously, a special attitude towards this unique architectural monument. Before initiating any processes, we weighed each step carefully. We spent a long time devising a concept on either to restore the church’s architecture to its pristine 12th-century appearance with elements of Byzantine architecture or to opt for a later 19th-century variant. Ultimately, we decided to settle on the latter.” 
Belarusian restorers, particularly Vladimir Rakitsky and Yuri Malinovsky, took the initiative to study the possibility of restoring the Saviour Transfiguration Church back in the 1990s. Later, they were joined by Russian colleagues. Today, Belrestavratsiya employs a lot of masters with the requisite knowledge and experience to recreate unique objects and items. A prime example is the crafting of authentic corona lucis (or chandeliers) for the Saviour Transfiguration Church, based on the sketches of Lalazarov, the restoration project’s scientific supervisor.
Every aspect of the Saviour Transfiguration Church is a relic connected to the name of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk — the heavenly patroness and protector of Belarus. Therefore, every fragment of the church, every shard of plinthiform brick has been meticulously preserved there. The colossal effort undertaken by the team of Belarusian and Russian restorers, archaeologists, and other specialists is truly impressive! What sentiments arise when gazing at the restored sacred site? Vladimir Zmuzhko admits that he is overwhelmed with profound joy, “I have been involved in restoration for over 20 years, of which nearly 15 years I was lucky to get in touch with the Saviour Transfiguration Church. Throughout these years, I have distinctly felt the protection and intercession of venerable Euphrosyne. I believe that our work in Polotsk, which has unfolded without any significant issues at various stages, has not been without heavenly assistance.”  

FROM TEMPLE TO MUSEUM

The oil paintings applied on top of the frescoes in the Saviour Transfiguration Church have been preserved. 
During the restoration of the Polotsk shrine, almost the entire ensemble of the unique 12th-century frescoes was revealed. At the same time, the monumental oil painting of the 19th century has been preserved — its fragments were transferred to new foundations. Now they are on display in the Art Gallery, a branch of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. The project has been implemented thanks to grants from the Belarus President Foundation for the Support of Culture and Art.

By Anna Naumova

Photos by  Anton Stepanishchev