Thanks to the academic exchange program, the students from Polessky State University specializing in Tourism and Hospitality visited Polotsk State University. The students aimed to deep their general knowledge both theoretical and practical concerning the course Tourist Guiding.
Held for 10 days, the educational program presupposed participation discussions, workshop meetings, masterclasses and a sightseeing tour. In that short period of time, Polessky students got a particular theoretical base and mastered city and country tours techniques. Another initiative intended on introducing Polotsk educational traditions began with a visit to Polotsk College, the ancient educational institution. The students got acquainted with central sightseeing of historical buildings – the mechanical head, historical costume hall, university clocks and many other things.
There is no secret that travelers always warmly remember the places they visited having been granted souvenirs. And the best souvenir is a handmade one. So, for the program being complete with the entertainments, the masterclass in souvenirs making was a nice match.
During the sight tour Along the Dvina river following the trade route from the “Varangians to the Greeks” our guest when pursuing the “Novopolotsk–Disna–Miory–Ikazn–Braslav” route felt as being tour guides. Sooner, the Polessky students began their acquaintance to the most significant architectural landmark of Miory – the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady Mary.
Afterwards the tour led the students into the heart of the National park “Braslavskie Ozera”. The Braslav city showed all the beauty and greatness that is Belarusian Poozerye. The students also visited the Braslav Regional Museum of Local History and Museum of Traditional Culture. Those places act as a perfect composition allowing to go deep into the historical and cultural heritage of the region.
Further on, our guests from Polesye have made a trip across Polotsk which is the ancient city of Belarus and Eastern Slavs. Among the sightseeing they had a look at the Upper and Lower Castles, Saint Sophia Cathedral and the defensive wall since the Livonian War. The educational traditions brought to the Polotsk land by Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Francysk Skaryna and Simeon of Polotsk were surely presented. Meanwhile the students visited Polotsk Jesuit College, a former Church of the Epiphany and monuments commemorating the Great Patriotic War. The places were many places to visit, thus all of them provided an insight into the richness of the Polotsk historical and cultural heritage. By the way, it obtains the international value. The Museum of the Belarusian Book-printing and Saint Sophia Cathedral enabled to get into the peculiarities of tour guiding in museums.
A tour to Vitebsk became the culmination of Belarusian Poozerye trip. Nowadays Vitebsk is supposed to be an art centre prolonging the traditions remained after Mark Shagal, Andrey Bembel, Sergey Selikhanov, Vladimir Korol and others. So this is one of the most ancient cities in Belarus also being rich in traditions and history. Incorporating the places of worship, monuments, sculptures, old streets, art exhibitions and museums, the city created positive impressions.
To conclude with, for many years Polotsk State University acts as a reliable partner in terms of education, science and practice, culture joint projects realization.