The Museum of architecture of St. Sophia Cathedral is the Church built on the site of the dynamited ancient St. Sophia Cathedral.In the year of the baptism of Rus were laid three of St. Sophia Cathedral in three major Russian cities – Kiev, Novgorod, Polotsk. In 1596 the Church was handed over to the Uniates and rebuilt. He became the temple-fortress. After the fire in 1602, the Church was restored by order of Bishop Jehoshaphat Kuntsevich. By the beginning of the Northern war the Church was rebuilt so much Uniates that bore little resemblance to the original Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia.

In this Church housed the relics of Josaphat Kuntsevich. This Bishop was canonized by Catholics and is considered a Saint, whereas for the Orthodox he is an enemy and persecutor of the faith. It differed unyielding disposition, and strength forced the entire city to abandon Orthodoxy, for which, as a result of a riot in Vitebsk, and he was killed.

In 1705 the Russian army led by Tsar Peter the great came to Polotsk. Peter, as a person very curious, decided to explore the city. Saw a majestic temple, learned that he was the Saint Sophia Cathedral and decided to visit it. At the time it was a Basilian Church. The king asked the monks, whose relics are kept in their temple. Knowing that these are relics of Josaphat Kuntsevich, "slain by the heretics, he got mad and wanted to destroy the monastery, but the monks began to fight for her, not allowing Royal servants, for that while trying to arrest were killed. The temple was later blown up by order of Peter I. After the explosion, survived only right ASP.

A new temple on the site of the former was built already in a Catholic style "Vilnius Baroque. This majestic building is now the Museum of St. Sophia Cathedral and the concert hall of organ music. The Museum exposition is located in the basement. It demonstrates discovered by archaeologists the ancient masonry of the original temple and many other archaeological finds.

Every summer these ancient walls festivals reconstruction. From all over the country and from abroad come young guys in an old knight armor to fight an almost knightly tournaments. There are medieval festivals and ethnic music, exhibition and sale of crafts.