Polotsk Jesuit Collegium
Полацкі езуіцкі калегіум
A Jesuit college founded in 1580 by Polish King Stephen Báthory. Its 18th-century classicist complex was once a major school in Eastern Europe and now houses a university and galleries.
The college was founded in 1580, after the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth recaptured Polotsk. In 1812 it was upgraded to the Polotsk Jesuit Collegium, one of the most important institutions of higher learning in Eastern Europe at the time. The 18th-century main building and inner courtyard are in the Classicist style, and the bell tower and arcades are well preserved. Today it is part of Polotsk State University, and some rooms house an art gallery and historical exhibitions. It stands between the Upper Town and the city center, beside Freedom Square, so it can be visited on the way to St. Sophia Cathedral.
Opening hours
Exterior open all day; gallery approx. 10:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Museum of Belarusian Book Printing
- Epiphany Cathedral, Polotsk
- Red Bridge, Polotsk
- Saint Sophia Cathedral, Polotsk
- Monument to the Letter Ў
- Boris Stone
- Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street
- Museum of Medieval Knighthood