Archaeologists Have Announced A Sensational Discovery In A Princely Chapel In The Vitebsk Region

• 31.08.2026, 12:08

It dates back to 1612.

In the Vitebsk Region, archaeologists have discovered a new 17th-century architectural site, along with previously unknown examples of monumental painting, reports the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

The excavations took place near the village of Novoye Sokolino in the Tolochin District. During the work, scientists used a new aerial photography technique, which allowed them to create a more accurate map of the discovered site.

Archaeologists discovered the remains of the family chapel-crypt of the Drutsky-Sokolinsky princes, built after 1612. The structure was small—approximately 5×6 meters—but very solid: the walls were up to 1.5 meters thick, and it was topped by a steep roof made of heavy roof tiles. The masonry displays features characteristic of the Renaissance period.

However, researchers were unable to find parallel walls that would allow them to fully reconstruct the building’s original layout. This led researchers to conclude that the structure’s appearance may have changed over time. According to one theory, the chapel was converted into the Church of the Holy Spirit in the 18th century.

The main discovery of the excavations was the preserved fragments of wall paintings. They feature an ornament executed in red ochre and black pigments—a color combination traditional to the art of this region.

Prior to the current excavations, nothing was known about such decoration in the Sokolino Chapel, so scholars regard the discovery as a new monument of monumental painting.