News of the story
"On Point"
MINSK, 30 January (BelTA) - Tour guide Sofia Macharashvili talked about Euphrosyne of Polotsk in a new episode of the V Teme. Nashi [On Point. The Nation’s Pride] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
Euphrosyne of Polotsk was a great woman and an iconic figure in the history of Belarus. She stood at the origins of Belarusian statehood and national consciousness. Her name is remembered in Belarus even nearly a thousand years later, with streets and universities named in her honor. This saint is considered the patroness of the Belarusian land, especially revered among students and teachers.
Sofia Macharashvili noted that in almost every period of history, there are beacon-like figures. Euphrosyne of Polotsk is such a luminary of the Belarusian land. She had a unique destiny and mission. "It would seem that a child, a 12-year-old girl, enters a monastery, takes her vows, and begins transcribing books, prayer epics, and other texts. This is what distinguished her: a 12-year-old girl suddenly matured beyond her years. She had sisters, but it was she who refused a happy marriage and a comfortable, wealthy life. She endured many hardships,” the tour guide remarked.
She also recalled another fact from the saint's biography. “At a more mature age, she traveled on foot from her hometown of Polotsk to Jerusalem. Such a journey took months. One might ask, why? What for? Yet for her, it was crucial to touch the Holy Sepulchre and pray to Jesus there. Moreover, she founded an Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem,” Sofia Macharashvili emphasized.
According to the tour guide, anyone who appreciates history and loves their country is drawn to the greatness of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, her incredible passion, and her peacemaking feat. “If we speak of the greatness of that era, what were the lives of ordinary people like? The principality was vast, but cities were smaller, and population numbered only in the thousands. How could someone aspire and come close to something lofty and grand? Yet she did,” Sofia Macharashvili emphasized.
Sofia Macharashvili noted that in almost every period of history, there are beacon-like figures. Euphrosyne of Polotsk is such a luminary of the Belarusian land. She had a unique destiny and mission. "It would seem that a child, a 12-year-old girl, enters a monastery, takes her vows, and begins transcribing books, prayer epics, and other texts. This is what distinguished her: a 12-year-old girl suddenly matured beyond her years. She had sisters, but it was she who refused a happy marriage and a comfortable, wealthy life. She endured many hardships,” the tour guide remarked.
She also recalled another fact from the saint's biography. “At a more mature age, she traveled on foot from her hometown of Polotsk to Jerusalem. Such a journey took months. One might ask, why? What for? Yet for her, it was crucial to touch the Holy Sepulchre and pray to Jesus there. Moreover, she founded an Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem,” Sofia Macharashvili emphasized.
According to the tour guide, anyone who appreciates history and loves their country is drawn to the greatness of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, her incredible passion, and her peacemaking feat. “If we speak of the greatness of that era, what were the lives of ordinary people like? The principality was vast, but cities were smaller, and population numbered only in the thousands. How could someone aspire and come close to something lofty and grand? Yet she did,” Sofia Macharashvili emphasized.
Follow us on:
