Belarusian Orthodox Church. 1025th anniversary of Polotsk diocese

On October 26, 2017 the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus will issue the souvenir sheet “Belarusian Orthodox Church. 1025^th anniversary of Polotsk diocese”.

 

Artist: Tatyana Dolskaya. Design: Yauheniya Biadonik. Printing: offset. Colour: full colour. Paper: chalk-surfaced, gummed. Perforation: frame 12. There are 3 stamps in the souvenir sheet. Size of the stamps: 25x28 mm. Face value of each stamp: P. Size of the souvenir sheet: 120x100 mm, figured dies cutting. While printing the souvenir sheet they used the technology of thermal stamping by mat metalized foil of gold colour and relief stamping. Print quantity: 20.000 souvenir sheets.

 

The souvenir sheet was printed at the Republican Unitary Enterprise “Bobruisk Integrated Printing House named after A. T.  Nepogodin”.

 

The Polotsk Diocese dates back to the year 992 when the first episcopal chair was established in White Rus.

 

Chronicle mention of the first Orthodox Polotsk temple of the Blessed Virgin dates from 1007. In the middle of the 11^th century the fourth in the Christian world St. Sophia Cathedral was built in Polotsk. From here the great-granddaughter of Prince Vladimir — Princess Predislava — St. Euphrosyne, Mother Superior of Polotsk, began her righteous path.

 

The Polotsk Diocese experienced its flourishing in the 14^th — 16^th centuries, then Uniatism at the end of the 16^th century, and the restoration of the diocese from the middle of the 19^th century. It endured the cessation of its existence by the beginning of the World War II, but in the year of its 1000th anniversary (1992) it received its independence. Its borders were defined within 10 administrative districts of the Vitebsk region and the cities of Polotsk and Novopolotsk.

 

The project was prepared in cooperation with the Belarusian Orthodox Church and the Minsk Ecclesiastical Academy named after St. Cyril of Turov.

The image on the FDC depicts St. Sophia Cathedral of the 11^th century in Polotsk, reconstructed by G.Shtyhov.

 

 

Face value “P” is equal to the air-mail tariff of a letter up to 20 gram abroad.

 

A special cancellation on FDC will be carried out on the stamp issuing day at the post office No.15 of Polotsk, Vitebsk region.

The images do not reproduce the exact specifications of the project.