# Monument to the Letter Ў, Polotsk > The Letter Ў monument is a small metal stele on a granite base honouring the “short U”, a Belarusian letter missing from Russian. It stands on the Skaryna Avenue boulevard, 3 minutes from Freedom Square: free, open around the clock, 10–15 minutes is plenty. It went up in 2003 for the Day of Belarusian Writing. Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument - City: [Polotsk](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk), Belarus - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 15 min - Opening hours: Open 24/7 — it stands on an open pedestrian boulevard - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, outdoors - Where: Pedestrian boulevard of Francysk Skaryna Avenue, about 3 minutes' walk east of Freedom Square - Time needed: 10–15 minutes, on the way between the Upper Castle and the avenue - Artist: Ihar Kurzhalau, a Polotsk artist — per Russian Wikipedia, Nasha Niva and vgtk.by - Payment nearby: The monument is free; for buses and cafés cash in Belarusian roubles (BYN) is safest, foreign cards work patchily - Coordinates: 55.48511, 28.77066 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **2003** — unveiled in September for the 10th Day of Belarusian Writing, held that year in Polotsk (source: Russian Wikipedia; Know Your Land (my-places.by); Nasha Niva) - **Skaryna Avenue boulevard** — the pedestrian strip of Polotsk's main central street (source: Russian Wikipedia; Know Your Land (my-places.by); Tonkosti Turizma) - **22nd** — letter of the Belarusian alphabet — the “non-syllabic U”, sounding close to an English w (source: Russian Wikipedia; Tonkosti Turizma) - **Ihar Kurzhalau** — Polotsk artist who made both the original monument and its rebuild (source: Nasha Niva; Russian Wikipedia; vgtk.by) - **“From Euphrosyne, from Skaryna, from Polotsk the world began”** — a line by the poet Ryhor Baradulin, carved in Belarusian on the stele (source: Russian Wikipedia; Nasha Niva) - **2014** — the monument was badly damaged — vandalism, careless snow clearing and weathering (source: Charter 97; Know Your Land (my-places.by); Nasha Niva) - **2016** — rebuilding finished by 1 September, paid for by the city (source: Nasha Niva (2 September 2016); Know Your Land (my-places.by)) - **Sun and moon** — Francysk Skaryna's printer's mark, set inside the letter С of the word “святло” (light) (source: Nasha Niva; Know Your Land (my-places.by)) - **Еўфрасіння, Браслаў, слоўнік** — words with Ў in different typefaces on one face of the stele (source: Nasha Niva; Know Your Land (my-places.by)) - **Only one in Belarus** — monument to this particular letter (source: Charter 97; vgtk.by) > **It's smaller than you expect** This is not a big statue on a square but a small stele standing in the middle of a boulevard — easy to walk straight past if you are looking at your phone. Look for a round base on the pedestrian part of Skaryna Avenue near Freedom Square. The point is the lettering, not the size: get close and read the faces. ## Where is the letter Ў monument? It stands **on the pedestrian boulevard of Francysk Skaryna Avenue (prospekt Skoriny)**, the main street of central Polotsk. From Freedom Square (ploshchad Svobody) it is about 3 minutes' walk east; from [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral) on the Upper Castle hill, around 10–12 minutes. In a map app search for “Letter Ў monument Polotsk”, or drop a pin on the Skaryna Avenue boulevard just east of Freedom Square. If your search keeps throwing up Ulyanovsk, that is the monument to the Russian letter Ё — a different city in a different country. The “Polotsk — Geographical Centre of Europe” marker stands on the same boulevard, and walking tours usually stop at both. That makes the Ў an easy stop on a walk between the Upper Castle, [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street) and a stroll along [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue). ## What does the letter Ў mean? Ў is **the 22nd letter of the Belarusian alphabet**, called “u nieskladovaje” — the non-syllabic U, often nicknamed the short U. It sounds much like an English w: воўк (vowk, wolf), слоўнік (slownik, dictionary), Браслаў (Braslaw). Russian has no such letter, which is why Ў has become a small symbol of the Belarusian language. Polotsk was the obvious place for it. It is usually called the oldest city in Belarus and was home to Euphrosyne of Polotsk, an early patron of learning, and Francysk Skaryna, the first Belarusian printer. In 2003 the city hosted **the 10th Day of Belarusian Writing**, the country's main festival of books and language, and the monument was made for it. It is the only monument to this letter in Belarus. Nobody travels to Polotsk just for it, but if you are curious about how Belarusian differs from Russian, it is a short and surprisingly clear lesson. ## A short history: 2003, 2014, 2016 The first version went up **in September 2003**, designed by the Polotsk artist Ihar Kurzhalau. A round slab on the base carried the alphabet and a line by the poet Ryhor Baradulin; the faces of the stele showed the letter itself, its place in the alphabet and everyday words that use it. By 2014 it was in a bad way, with several letters damaged. Local reports blamed vandals, careless snow clearing and the metal simply deforming over time. The city spent a long time looking for the money and even opened a charity account for donations. The rebuild was finished **by 1 September 2016**, again by Kurzhalau. Baradulin's line moved from the slab onto a face of the stele, now with the poet's name, and the big Ў on another face became a smaller italic one. ## What to look for on the stele - **The letter Ў** itself — the centrepiece, shown in italic on one face. - **Words with Ў** in different typefaces: Еўфрасіння (Euphrosyne), Браслаў (Braslaw), настаўнік (teacher), слоўнік (dictionary), дзеяслоў (verb) and more. - **Baradulin's line** “Ад Еўфрасінні, ад Скарыны, ад Полацка пачаўся свет” — “From Euphrosyne, from Skaryna, from Polotsk the world began”. - **Skaryna's mark** — a sun and moon overlapping — hidden inside the letter С of “святло” (light). - **The round granite base**, which lets you walk all the way round and photograph each face. > **Don't climb on the stele** The letters on the faces are thin and have broken before: in 2014 the whole thing had to be rebuilt. Take photos next to it, don't hang off it and don't sit children on top. Touching the letters gently is fine, but treat it as a monument the city paid to restore, not as a climbing frame. ## How to get to the letter Ў monument 1. Polotsk railway station and bus station stand side by side, east of the centre. Take a city bus or a taxi west along Skaryna Avenue (prospekt Skoriny) to Freedom Square (ploshchad Svobody) — about 10 minutes. On foot it is roughly 30–35 minutes along the same avenue. 2. From Freedom Square walk east along the pedestrian boulevard of Skaryna Avenue — the monument is about 3 minutes away, in the middle of the boulevard. 3. Coming from St Sophia Cathedral on the Upper Castle, walk up Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street to Freedom Square (7–10 minutes), then the same 3 minutes along the boulevard. 4. Pay for buses and cafés in Belarusian roubles (BYN) — the monument itself costs nothing. 5. Carry on along the boulevard to the Centre of Europe marker, or head back to the cathedral and the [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone). Only the [Euphrosyne Convent](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-euphrosyne-convent), 2.5 km north, is worth a bus or taxi. ## Is it worth it? **Yes, if you are already in central Polotsk.** It is free, on the main street, and takes 10–15 minutes. It is not worth a special trip: this is a small stele, not a museum. You will get the most out of it if you read Cyrillic or are interested in languages — the words on the stele show at a glance how Belarusian spelling differs from Russian. Otherwise, a photo and a minute spent finding the hidden Skaryna mark are enough. Children tend to like it as a puzzle: spot the letter that Russian doesn't have and try to sound out the words. It works well as a short break between the cathedral and a walk down the avenue. ## Paying in Polotsk as a foreign visitor **Carry cash in Belarusian roubles (BYN).** Visa and Mastercard issued abroad usually work at ATMs, hotels, supermarkets and chain restaurants, but small cafés, kiosks and city buses may want cash, and some banks block payments in Belarus altogether. Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard do not work. When a terminal or ATM offers a currency, choose BYN. This is unofficial and changes with sanctions, so check with your bank before you travel. Nothing is needed for the monument itself — it is free. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Looking on the Skaryna Avenue boulevard, not on a square - [ ] 10–15 minutes set aside on the walk from the Upper Castle - [ ] Map pin on Polotsk, not the Ё monument in Ulyanovsk - [ ] Some cash in BYN for the bus and a coffee - [ ] Photos next to the stele — no climbing ## Letter Ў monument, Boris Stone or Skaryna Avenue? | | Letter Ў monument | Boris Stone | Skaryna Avenue | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Modern stele about the Belarusian language | 12th-century carved boulder | Main street of the centre | | Entry | Free | Free | Free | | Where | Boulevard by Freedom Square | Beside St Sophia Cathedral | From the station to Freedom Square | | Time needed | 10–15 min | 10–15 min | 30–60 min walk | | Go for | A photo and words with Ў | A 12th-century inscription | Monuments and the boulevard | All three are free and outdoors. Short on time? Pick the Boris Stone — it is far older and sits next to the cathedral. The Ў monument is best seen in passing as you walk the avenue. ## Historic Polotsk: compare and choose Historic sights in Polotsk rated by YesGo. - [Jesuit Collegium](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-jesuit-collegium) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Courtyard free, gallery 5 BYN - [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Monument to the Letter Ў](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7 - [Epiphany Cathedral and Printing Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-epiphany-cathedral) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Church free, museum 8 BYN - [1812 War Memorial on Freedom Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-1812-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Geographical Centre of Europe Monument](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-centre-of-europe) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 8 BYN, concession 4 BYN - [Convent of St Euphrosyne](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-euphrosyne-convent) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry to the grounds ## Old Polotsk in half a day St Sophia Cathedral and the Boris Stone on the Upper Castle, Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street, the letter Ў and a walk down Skaryna Avenue — all on foot. YesGo sets the timings and walks. 1. [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 8 BYN, concession 4 BYN 2. [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 3. [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7 4. [Monument to the Letter Ў](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 5. [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Tips - Try reading the words aloud — настаўнік, слоўнік, дзеяслоў — and you will hear the Ў as a soft w. - Hunt for Skaryna's sun-and-moon mark inside the word “святло”; most people miss it. - Combine it with a stroll down Skaryna Avenue and the Centre of Europe marker on the same boulevard. - If you are short of Cyrillic, photograph the faces and read them later with a translation app. - Belarus entry rules depend on your passport and route — check them before booking. ## Questions ### Where is the letter Ў monument in Polotsk? On the pedestrian boulevard of Francysk Skaryna Avenue, about 3 minutes' walk east of Freedom Square and 10–12 minutes from St Sophia Cathedral. ### Is it free? Yes. It stands on an open boulevard, with no ticket and no opening hours. ### What does Ў mean? It is the 22nd letter of the Belarusian alphabet, the non-syllabic U, pronounced much like an English w — as in Браслаў (Braslaw). Russian has no such letter. ### When was the monument built? In September 2003, for the 10th Day of Belarusian Writing held in Polotsk. After damage in 2014 it was rebuilt in 2016. ### Who made it? Ihar Kurzhalau, an artist from Polotsk. He designed both the original and the 2016 rebuild. ### What is written on it? Words containing Ў in different typefaces, such as Еўфрасіння and слоўнік, and a line by the poet Ryhor Baradulin: “From Euphrosyne, from Skaryna, from Polotsk the world began”. ### How long do I need? 10–15 minutes. It fits neatly into a walk between the Upper Castle and Skaryna Avenue. ### Is it worth visiting? As a quick stop in the centre, yes — it is free and right on the main street. It is not worth a separate trip on its own. ### How do I get there from the train station? Take a city bus or taxi west along Skaryna Avenue to Freedom Square (about 10 minutes), then walk 3 minutes east along the boulevard. Walking the whole way takes 30–35 minutes. ## How we checked The monument has no official website: it is outdoors and free. The year is checked against Russian Wikipedia, Wikidata, Nasha Niva, Know Your Land and vgtk.by — all give 2003, not 2004; the exact September day varies between sources, so we give only the month. The artist is named by Russian Wikipedia, Nasha Niva and vgtk.by. The 2014 damage and its causes come from Charter 97 and Know Your Land, the rebuild finished by 1 September 2016 from Nasha Niva. Sources disagree on the material — Russian Wikipedia says bronze, Charter 97 a silumin base to be replaced with cast iron, vgtk.by granite — and agree only on the granite base, so we simply call the stele metal. We found “the only one in Belarus”, not “the only one in the world”, so we don't claim the latter. The Centre of Europe marker on the same boulevard comes from walking-tour descriptions; one guide puts a marker near Lake Sho instead, so we give no distance to it. The walk from the station follows the city's layout; we give no bus numbers. Card acceptance for foreign visitors is unofficial and based on travel-money guides. There is no English Wikipedia article. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia, article “Pamyatnik bukve Ў” (Monument to the letter Ў) - Wikidata, Q18907668 - Nasha Niva, article on the monument's reconstruction, 2 September 2016 - Know Your Land (my-places.by), page on the Ў monument in Polotsk - Charter 97, article on the restoration fund, 7 April 2016 - Vitebsk State Technological College (vgtk.by), Vitebsk region sights - Tonkosti Turizma (tonkosti.ru), page on the Ў monument - Sputnik8 walking-tour descriptions for Polotsk — position of the Centre of Europe marker --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.