Polotsk Women’s Spaso-Euphrosynievsky Monastery in Polotsk

Pilgrims are attracted by the Spaso-Euphrosynievsky Monastery in Polotsk: the schedule of services and rules of their performance familiarize tourists with the life of the monastery. This is a major Orthodox center in Belarus. The shrine is well known in Russia and abroad.

History of the Spaso-Euphrosynievsky Convent in Polotsk

The Polotsk Spaso-Euphrosyne Monastery was founded in the 12th century. At the age of 12, Predslava, daughter of Grand Duke Svyatoslav, settled in the monastery.
She was devout and took tonsure in honor of Euphrosinia of Alexandria.
The whole history of the Polotsk monastery is connected with her name.
In 1161, under the guidance of the saint, the construction of the Transfiguration Church began in place of the wooden Church of the Savior.
Until 1559 the patrons of the monastery were Polotsk princes (Vseslav, Vasily III).
In 1563 during the Livonian War the monastery was deserted.
6 years later representatives of the male clerical order of the Roman Church settled on its territory.
Part of the buildings were demolished.
In their place they erected a stone residence for the generals of the Jesuit Society.
In 1580 the monastery complex included 10 three-storied buildings, as well as a museum, library, dining room, theater.
In 1893 the foundation of the new Vozdvizhenskaya Church was laid on the territory of the monastery.
From 1853 to 1895 on the territory of the monastery were built:

• A 2-story mansion for the Mother Superior;
• 2 living quarters for female students of the cloister school;
• house for nuns (1876);
• bell tower, cells and bookstore (1882);
• hospital (1895)

The abode had 320.64 decimals of land.
It owned a brick factory built in 1813. Some agricultural products were sold to the local population.

In 1915, the relics of St. Euphrosyne were taken from the frontline area to Rostov.
They were placed in the Abrahamiev Epiphany nunnery.
On May 13, 1922 the commission of the Polotsk district executive committee opened the incorruptible bodily remains.
Their authenticity caused no doubts.
During the Great Patriotic War in the Polotsk monastery services were held.
From 1952 to 1955 52 nuns lived in the monastery.
After 5 years the monastery was closed.
In 1989, with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, its revival began.

Now there are 70 nuns living in the convent.
They observe the community statute, perform divine services, and recite the Psalms daily.

Since November 19, 2014 the convent has been under the administration of Metropolitan Filaret, Chairman of the Belarusian Church.
Since June 2023, the Transfiguration Church has been closed to the public due to restoration works.

Features of the monastery

Pilgrims and excursionists are attracted by the ancient monuments on the territory of the complex:

• The church-tomb of the bishops of Polotsk;
• Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Church.

Features of construction and decoration of cultural monuments on the territory of the religious monastic community:

1. Application of a clean mural technique using adhesives and primer.
2. Execution of pictorial images using mixed colors (blue, green, yellow, red).
3. Painting of the Transfiguration church on several zones: entrance, niche, upper register.

The modern Pskov monastery carries out spiritual and educational work.
Today the nuns have equipped a modern library.
They recreated the archival materials of the pre-revolutionary monastery.
There are 20,500 books in the library fund.

A fund of the Russian historian and archaeologist L. V. Alekseev (more than 2000 copies) was created at the monastery.
It is used by the clergy and the abbess.

The religious monastic community is engaged in publishing activities.
The monastery has published liturgical texts:

• “Akathists to the Most Holy Mother of God.”
• “The Life of the Martyr Constantine.”
• “St. Spyridon of Trimiphunt.”
• “Akathist of Euphrosyne of Polotsk.”

A book about the frescoes of the Transfiguration Church was published with the assistance of the scholar V. D. Sarabianov.
The monastery’s publishing house published booklets about the Monk Euphrosyne and Hegumen Nina (Boyanus).
The colorful publications are popular with pilgrims and excursionists.

The Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross houses a casket with the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk.
For icon painting the monastery uses mineral pigments: cobalt green and blue, Afghan lazurite, brown light mars and others.
The boards are made of alder or lime.
Gold leaf is applied on top of the painting layer and then covered with varnish.
The term of image execution is 14 days.
A library is opened in the premises of the Spiritual-Educational Center.
Its fund is 10 150 copies.
This is literature of spiritual and moral content:

1. Lives and works of the saints, such as the biography of the Optina elder Hieromonk Leo.
2. “Life as an example”.
   Archimandrite Alipiy (Voronov).
3. “Ways of Christian Life.”
   Metropolitan Anatoliy (Bloom) of Surozhsk.
4. “On Pride and Condemnation.”
   Archimandrite Ephrem.
5. “Monasticism is the ascent to God.”
6. “The Good Word. Spiritual Alphabet”, etc.

Excursion service of the monastery

At the Spaso-Euphrosynievsky Monastery, pilgrims and tourists are introduced to the life of the monastery.
The main task of the Orthodox guides is to familiarize them with the Orthodox faith.

Tourists can see relics (Euphrosyne’s cross and heavy chains), familiarize themselves with the temple architecture.
Orthodox guides tell the history of the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross, built in 1893. They familiarize visitors with church holidays and traditions.
Before starting the tour of the shrine, the guide informs tourists about church etiquette:

• the rules of behavior in the temple;
• the appearance of a Christian;
• religious gesture (sign of the cross), etc.

During the tour of the Spaso-Euphrosynievsky Monastery visitors get acquainted with the items of the church household (sacred liturgical vessels).

Schedule of services in the monastery

The internal structure and life of the novices of the Polotsk Monastery is determined by the monastic Statutes.
At 4:00 in the church begins the midnight vigil, dedicated to the Last Judgment.
It is celebrated once a day.
It is divided into daily, Saturday, Sunday and Easter.

The daily cycle of divine services includes:

• It’s the ninth hour;
• evening service;
• Vespers;
• Matins;
• liturgy.

Monday through Friday services are held at the monastery:

On Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy is celebrated in St. Euphrosyne’s Church.
All-Night Vigil is held in the Vozdvizhensky Cathedral from 17:00 to 19:00.
At 22:20 the Sunday midnight vigil begins.
On holidays and weekends the Early Divine Liturgy is at 6:30.

From 8:20 to 9:30 in the Vozdvizhensky Cathedral a prayer service to St. Euphrosyne with the reading of the Akathist is celebrated.
Church hymns are sung with the blessing of the Abbess.
After the Divine Liturgy the faithful partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Daily services at the monastery:

1. Statutory services (daily circle).
2. Memorial services – requiem services for the individual deceased and Ecumenical Parents’ Saturdays.
3. The reading of the Psalms in Old Slavonic.

The abbess takes part in the services.
She reads prayers, directs the choir on the choir choir, and confesses penitents.

General

The nuns pray together with the pilgrims.
The Gospel is read in Slavonic and Russian.
Pilgrims confess before the evening service.
The monastery has a liturgical statute.
The monastery follows the “liturgical instructions”: daily in honor of the holy martyrs there is a six-hour service or all-night vigil.
The reading and singing are soft, extended, audible.
Pilgrims hear every word of the text.
The Abbess delivers a sermon after the Sunday liturgy.
She addresses the nuns and pilgrims.

The special night service lasts from 18:00 to 19:00.
At 22:00 the Jesus Prayer is recited.

For the week

The following services are held during Holy Week before Easter:

1. Great Monday.
   Topics of readings: “The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers”, “The Curse of the Barren Fig Tree”, etc.
2. Great Tuesday.
   The prophecy of the Last Judgment sounds.
3. On Holy Wednesday, the betrayal of Judas is remembered.
4. Holy Thursday is famous for the remembrance of the Last Supper.
   The 12 Passion Gospels are sung at the evening service.
5. Friday is a day of mourning and strict fasting.
   No liturgy is served.
   At 14:00 the Shroud is brought out.
   In the evening hours the Rite of Burial is celebrated.
6. On Great Saturday there is a liturgy and the blessing of Easter cakes.
7. On Holy Week (after Easter) there are no sad chants in the monastery.
   The royal gates are open.
   The service begins with a song of praise and the Psalter is read.
   At the Divine Liturgy the Paschal Canon is sounded.
   The Psalter is not read for the week.
   On Saturday of Easter week the bread (artos) consecrated for Easter is distributed.

The weeks of Lent have their own names:

1. The triumph of Orthodoxy.
2. St. Gregory Palamas.
   St. Gregory Palamas.
3. Stations of the Cross.
4. St. John the Ledger.
5. St. Mary of Egypt.
6. Vayah Week (the entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem).
7. Holy Week.

In the 1st week from Monday to Thursday the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read.
On Friday they pray to the martyr Theodore of Tyrone.
On the 2nd week of Great Lent, St. Gregory Palamas is commemorated in the monastery.
On the 3rd week of Lent the monastery celebrates the rite of carrying the Holy Cross to the middle of the church.
At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts all the faithful receive Holy Communion.
On the 4th Sunday the Monk St. John the Venerable is commemorated.
On the 6th Sunday of Lent a great feast is celebrated – the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem.
The liturgy commemorates the resurrection of St. Lazarus.