On the eve of the 900th anniversary of the Savior-Euphrosyne Convent in Polotsk, work has been completed on the reconstruction of the Transfiguration Church of the monastery and the restoration of frescoes of the 12th century, which have been carried out since 2017. The Polotsk church, built during the lifetime of St. Euphrosyne, was awarded the highest category in the list of historical and cultural values of Belarus.
On January 15, 2025, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, led the consecration of the temple and the first Divine Liturgy in it after the restoration, co-served by Bishop Ignatius of Polotsk and Glubokoe. His Eminence was also assisted by Archpriest Andrei Volkov, Executive Secretary of the Department of Affairs of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, and clerics of the Polotsk diocese.
Abbess of the monastery Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk) and the sisters of the monastery prayed in the temple.
At the end of the Liturgy, the Patriarchal Exarch addressed an archpastoral address to all worshippers, in which he emphasized that "by the grace of God, the ancient church of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk has been renovated, restored and consecrated as much as possible in modern conditions; the grace of the Holy Spirit has now rested, inspiring everyone to prayer." Metropolitan Veniamin congratulated all those present on this event and wished the sisters to diligently pursue the field of monastic work.
Next, the Patriarchal Exarch celebrated a prayer of thanksgiving at Holy Cross Church on the occasion of the completion of repair and restoration work. 
Addressing the audience, Metropolitan Veniamin noted that a large team had made efforts to restore the temple. "We thank the Lord that such a thing has happened. We also express our gratitude to the President of our country for the special care of the restoration of the temple. The frescoes were restored, the architectural structures were updated so that the temple would be preserved for many years and would please people, it was evidence of how St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk took care of preserving faith and piety in our Belarusian lands," said the Patriarchal Exarch.

At the end of the prayer service, church awards were presented to all those who worked hard during the renovation and restoration work.
The bishops and distinguished guests then proceeded to the Transfiguration Cathedral, where a solemn opening ceremony took place. Natalia Kachanova, Metropolitan Veniamin, Alexander Subbotin, Igor Markovich and Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk) The red ribbon was solemnly cut, then Abbess Evdokia was given the symbolic keys to the temple. Vladyka Veniamin prayed for entry into the renovated ancient church, after which the distinguished guests proceeded inside the temple and lit candles.
After the official opening, an award ceremony was held in the assembly hall of the spiritual and educational center of the Savior-Euphrosyne Monastery for restoration artists, architects, engineers, archaeologists and all those who worked hard during the repair and restoration work.
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The Transfiguration Church is a unique monument of ancient Russian architecture, painting, and theological thought. The creation of the temple is inextricably linked with St. Euphrosyne, an outstanding personality of her time and the spiritual patroness of the Polotsk land.
The exact date of the temple's construction is unknown. It was built, presumably, in 1120-1150. According to the life of Saint Euphrosyne, the talented architect John was called by the Lord to build a stone temple in honor of the All-Merciful Savior. More than once, at dawn, he heard a voice commanding him: "O John, get up and go to the work of the Almighty Savior." Having told St. Euphrosyne about the revelation of God, John received her blessing for the construction of the Savior's Church. The temple was erected in 30 weeks. Both the beginning and the end of the construction of the church were marked by a miracle. Through the prayer of the holy abbess, the shortage of bricks needed to complete the construction of the temple was filled in one night: "... in the morning, according to God's arrangement, slabs were found in the furnace. And on the same day, the construction of the church was completed and the cross was erected."
An altar cross-ark was made for the Church of the Savior by order of St. Euphrosyne in 1161 by the master jeweler Lazar Bogsha.
As a result of the archaeological research, it turned out that only the central part of the temple of the 12th century has survived to the present day. Initially, it was twice as large, meaning that St. Euphrosyne's plan was more ambitious than many researchers had previously imagined. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of stone galleries from the 12th century with fragments of frescoes. An unexpected find turned out to be a small underground temple.
After the monastery was closed in 1961, the Transfiguration Church remained the only one operating in Polotsk and was at the disposal of the parish community. According to the memoirs of local residents, so many people came to the ancient Church of the Savior on special holidays that many of them had to pray on the porch, as well as near the church on Cathedral Square.
In the mid-1980s, the city authorities tried to arrange a museum in the church, and it was only thanks to numerous petitions from parishioners to state authorities that these plans were not implemented.
With the revival of the monastery in the 1990s, daily worship services resumed in the Transfiguration Church. In 2007, it was crowned with a gilded dome, the interior of the church is decorated with a carved iconostasis.
In 2017, a comprehensive restoration of the ancient monument began. During the restoration of monumental paintings, many frescoes dating back to the 12th century were discovered, covering 90% of the walls. The best restorers from Belarus and Russia have been working on their disclosure for several years.
The existence of the ancient fresco painting became known only in the 1920s, as for many centuries it was hidden under layers of late plasters, records, paintwork, dirt and soot. The murals were repeatedly updated and rewritten. Only in the 19th century, the temple was twice re-painted with oil paints, in 1833 and 1886.
In an interview with BelTA, experts noted that the restoration of the monument of architecture and painting was not easy. The wooden elements in the temple were significantly destroyed due to the wrong microclimate. Microbiologists were involved in the work, helping artists and restorers with the help of special equipment to identify the fungus in order to remove it before applying solutions. Oil wall paintings of the 19th century were also preserved, and now they are on display in the Polotsk Art Gallery. To preserve the frescoes, a special climate was created in the temple, which is regulated, among other things, using digital equipment.