On October 9, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. According to preliminary estimates, over Br350 million will be required to restore the roof of St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, which was damaged by strong winds, informed Alexander Mikhalievich, Deputy Chairman of the Polotsk City Executive Committee and Head of the Emergency Response Headquarters, to a BELTA correspondent. Despite the fact that strong winds that swept over Polotsk on October 6 tore off about 300 sq.m. of roofing, specialists concluded that the entire roof needed to be replaced – which is over 600 sq.m. Preliminary estimates suggest that this will cost Br350-400 million. Currently, construction and restoration work is underway at the cathedral. The restoration project is based on the roof reconstruction project carried out in 2007 and 2010, but amendments have been made to account for increased wind loads, emphasized Alexander Mikhalievich. Polotsk construction trust No. 22 became the general contractor for the work. Builders from Vitebsk have arrived to assist their colleagues. It is planned to involve about 30 roofers in the work. "Roof reconstruction took four months, and we do not have such a reserve of time for its restoration after the disaster, so all work will have to be carried out under extremely tight deadlines," noted the head of the headquarters. St. Sophia Cathedral, as a museum of architectural history, is part of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. It is an architectural monument dating from the mid-11th to the mid-18th centuries. The museum has been open to visitors since 1987. The museum's exhibits tell about the architectural history of the oldest stone building in Belarus, its numerous reconstructions, repairs, and the latest restoration of the monument. In St. Sophia Cathedral, one can see fragments of 11th-century masonry, an almost completely preserved ancient foundation, as well as fresco paintings from the late 11th century – among the oldest in Belarus. The concert hall in St. Sophia Cathedral has been operating since 1983. It hosts the International Festival of Ancient and Modern Chamber Music and the International Organ Music Festival "Zvyany Safii" annually. -0-

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