Saint Euphrosyne Monastery

Spaso-Euphrosyne Monastery is a women's Orthodox monastery in Polotsk, one of the oldest and largest centers of Orthodoxy in Belarus.

History
It was founded by the holy princess Euphrosyne of Polotsk in 1125, when she settled near the Transfiguration church in Selce. Over time, the sisters of St. Euphrosyne were tonsured: the native Evdokia (in the world of Gordislav ) and the cousin Evpraksia (in the world of Zvenislav ) - the only daughter of the Polotsk prince Boris Vseslavich.

In 1161, with the zeal of St. Euphrosyne the Monk the stone Spaso-Preobrazhensky church was erected - the best preserved monument of the ancient Polotsk architecture. His builder was the architect John.

Mother Euphrosynia in 1161 donated a gilt cross to the church. This cross known as the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk hadrelics of many saints and was carved in wood from the the Life-giving Cross of Christ. The cross was carved by the local master jeweler Lazar Bogsha. Spaso-Euphrosyne Monastery is a women's Orthodox monastery in Polotsk, one of the oldest and largest centers of Orthodoxy in Belarus. In the XIII century the cross was taken from Polotsk, but again returned to the monastery Ivan the Terrible in 1563 after the successful siege of the city.

In 1580, the monastery was given to the Jesuits after the capture of Polotsk by Stephen Bathory. In 1654, returned to Orthodoxy. In 1667, again fell into the hands of the Jesuits, in charge of which remained until 1820. In 1820, the Jesuits were expelled from Polotsk, the monastery went to the treasury. In 1832 the monastery was transferred to the spiritual department and in 1840 it was restored. In 1841 the Cross of the Euphrosyne of Polotsk was returned to the Transfiguration Cathedral.

In the 1840's, the ancient monastery was ranked first-class. In the walls of the monastery the Saint Euhrosyne women's spiritual school was located. In 1847, with the Abbess of Claudia Schepanovsky, the construction of the Euphrosyne Refectory Church was started. It was opened on 5 June (23 May o.s.), 1858.

In 1897, under the abbess Yevgeniya Govorovich, a monumental five-domed Cross Exaltation Cathedral was erected, designed according to the design of architect V.F. Korshikov in the neo-Byzantine style.

In 1921 the monastery was closed, the cross requisitioned, in 1928 was transported to Minsk, in 1929 to Mogilev. In 1941, during the Great Patriotic War, the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk disappeared without a trace and has not yet been found.

´ Abbesses of the Monastery
Abbess Euphrosynia (Dekhtyaryova) (1842-1843) The Abbess Claudius (Schepanovsky) (1843-1854) Abbess Euphrosyne (Serbinovich) (1854-1878) The Abbess Evgeniya (Govorovich) (1878-1900) Abbess Olympics (1900-1903) Abbess Evfrosinia (Sladkevich) (1904-1905) Schemes of Hilarion (Black) (1905-1910) The nun Angelina (Petrochenko) (1911-1913) The Abbess Elena (Volkova) (1913-1928) (?) The Abbess Ananias (Trofimova (?) The Abbess of Eleutheria (Novikov) (194 (?) - 1959) Shihigumeniya Evfrosinia (Maksimchuk) (1991-1995) Nun Natalia (Skinner) (1995-1997) Abbess Anfisa (Sheverdyaeva) (1997-2004) Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk) (2004 - present)
 * 1) Abbess Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk († 23 May / 5 June 1173)
 * 2) Abbess Evdokia (the sister of Euphrosyne), Princess of Polotsk († c1180))
 * 3) Abbess Paraskeva (Paraskevia), Princess of Polotsk († 1239)
 * 4) Abbess of Ulyana (Ulyana) (mentioned in 1552 and 1580)
 * 5) Abbess Akilina (Oculina) († 10 / December 23, 1577)
 * 6) Abbess Natalia († late 16th century)
 * 7) The Abbess Innokentiy (Kuleshov) (1841)