Museum of local lore Polotsk – one of the most interesting local history museums of Belarus. It was founded in 1919. The location for the Museum, the Bolsheviks defined the St. Sophia Cathedral. Nationalized the Church was transferred to the ownership of the Museum. In 1926 he held a Grand opening.

Before the war there was a lot of work – were assembled collection of ancient weapons, ancient books and ancient manuscripts. Unfortunately, during the great Patriotic war almost all the exhibits were lost. In 1948 the Museum was opened in a former Lutheran Church – a monument of architecture of XIX century, built in the Gothic revival style.

In 1967 established the national Polotsk historical and cultural Museum-reserve. The Museum includes in its composition. In 1985, the Museum-reserve became an independent organization. Now the total exhibition area is 550 square meters, the Museum has more than 2000 exhibits.

The Museum houses a large and interesting collection of archaeological finds that were discovered during the excavations of Mesolithic sites on the West of the farm. Visitors can see made by ancestors of the stone age flint knives, arrowheads, scrapers, and mammoth ivory.

Interesting ethnographic exhibition Area of the Belarusian house of the late XIX — early XX century" shows peasant life, traditional clothing, jewelry, shoes, everyday utensils.

A special place in the Museum's collection is dedicated to the war of 1812. Here are the uniforms of Russian and French army, weapons, military equipment, copies of paintings of battle scenes and portraits of generals.

The interesting exhibition devoted to the two world wars that raged over the Polotsk – First and Second. Updated collection shows the development with the impartial point of view, as they actually occurred.