If you happened to visit the Belarus city of Vitebsk some 100 years ago, you could have encountered mementos of

centuries past in the city's ancient cathedrals and synagogues. Regrettably, many of them did not survive the calamitous 20th century, destroyed by the Bolsheviks during the 1920s or by the Nazis during the war.

Currently, Vitebsk is mostly known as the birthplace of famous artist Marc Chagall who was inspired by the city's picturesque streets as well as the faces of its inhabitants. Marc Chagall's house-museum occupies a two-story building located not far from the town hall square. Remarkably, all inscriptions to the paintings are written in both Russian and English.

The town hall square with its 17th century tower is a reminder that Vitebsk was once an important center of the Imperial Province Byelorussia. Suvorov street, which begins from the square, is filled with empire-style beautiful houses, which impressed Arseniev, the main character of Ivan Bunin's Nobel prize-winning novel, "The Life of Arseniev."

Another style of architecture represented in Vitebsk is cubism by Kazimir Malevich, who lived here for some years in the 1920s. Malevich is best known as the author of the "Black Suprematic Square," and arrived in Vitebsk on the assignment from Soviet authorities to take Chagall's place as the city's chief architect and decorator. It is difficult to say for whom of the two geniuses the event was more distressing, however Chagall left the city shortly afterwards.

Although neither Chagall nor Malevich belonged to the flock of painters-realists, the city art gallery, located at the town hall square, displays many pictures by realist artists. The gallery, as well as the Chagall museum, is open daily, except Monday.

On the embankment, beside the city's bridge over Western Dvina, there is the Annunciation Church, built in the 12th century and freshly restored. Nearby, there is a church featuring the northern Russia's style of architecture (like the churches of Kizhi). Incidentally, the church was built quite recently and is only an imitation. Moreover, it is not at all in harmony with the genuinely old Annunciation Church.

In Vitebsk, I stopped in Hotel Eridan which is located on Sovetskaya street in the neighborhood of the Chagall museum and the local KGB office. A suite for two costs $50 and for $75 for a luxury suite. There are not many decent hotels in Vitebsk, therefore it is better to book a suite in the Eridan beforehand (8-10-375-212-35-2456). A gluttony dinner in the hotel's restaurant costs only 150 to 200 rubles and contains ubiquitous solyanka (thick cabbage soup) and pork steak. You are supposed to pay in Belarussian rubles, however Russian rubles are usually accepted. Exchange offices are rampant in the city.

The next day, I continued my tour along the Western Dvina river, toward Polotsk, another ancient city. Uphill from the city's central street is Lenin street where the legendary Sofia Cathedral (11th century) is located, a contemporary of the Sofia cathedrals in Kiev and Novgorod. The cathedral was destroyed in the 17th century and was rebuilt as a Roman-Catholic church. After WW II, the church was made into a museum and concert hall where chamber and organ music concerts have been performed since the 1970s. The building's exceptional acoustics attract some of the most famous musicians from all over the world who come to hear how their music and voice sound in perfect conditions.

The Efrosinia Polotskaya Cathedral with its 12th century frescos, is located at the city's outskirts, and is very cozy inside. The cathedral is a part of a functioning convent with surprisingly friendly and hospitable nuns. The best way to get to the convent is to take a cab (30 rubles if you go from the Lenin street).

On the Lenin street, beside the Apparition Cathedral, is the city's best cafe, Bratina, boasting cheese salad (30 rubles), solyanka soup (25 rubles) and Polotsk patties (60 rubles).

Don't forget to wind your watch one hour back as you arrive in Belarus from Moscow.

HOW TO GET THERE:

The Moscow-Polotsk train departs from Moscow's Belarus railway terminal at 4:15 p.m. and arrives in Vitebsk at 5:30 a.m. and in Polotsk at 7 a.m. the following day.
To get back, you take the Polotsk-Moscow train departing at 4 p.m.
There is a local train from Vitebsk to Polotsk departing at 10:30 a.m.