On February 28, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Over Br1 trillion is planned to be allocated for the formation of the cultural and historical center of Polotsk. This was announced today by the Chairman of the Polotsk City Executive Committee, Alexander Poznyak, at a meeting of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, which considered the concept of infrastructure development in the area of the Spaso-Yefrosinievsky Monastery and the St. Sophia Cathedral of Polotsk, according to a BELTA correspondent. The total area of the cultural and historical zone of Polotsk is 120 hectares, and its main attractions - the St. Sophia Cathedral and the Spaso-Yefrosinievsky Monastery - are the pearls of Belarusian culture, attracting the attention of tourists from all over the world. About 1 million people visit the city annually to get acquainted with them. "Meanwhile, the entire territory of this zone remains neglected to this day. The adjacent private sector makes a depressing impression. There is no zone for recreation and leisure. Due to the lack of a full-fledged complex of tourist services linked to these sites, tourist visits are sporadic and short-term, and Polotsk loses significant income," stated the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets. The concept of infrastructure development in the area of the Spaso-Yefrosinievsky Monastery and the St. Sophia Cathedral, which includes the restoration of the Euphrosyne of Polotsk trail along the Polota River, the creation of Patriarchal Ponds, shopping arcades, a hotel and pilgrim houses, leisure areas and catering facilities, and observation decks, will help to fundamentally change the situation. It is planned to restore defensive towers, build a business center and other facilities. "The implementation of the project will significantly increase the tourist attractiveness of Polotsk and will give a powerful impetus to the socio-economic development of the city," expressed the governor's confidence, indicating the project implementation period - two years. "It is realistic to complete all planned tasks within this time. However, everyone must make efforts for this: heads of local authorities and enterprises, citizens. Investors should be actively involved in the project implementation, and students, who can offer many interesting and worthy ideas, should be involved in the concept development," emphasized Alexander Kosinets.