Lukashenko recalls search for Euphrosyne's cross

In an excerpt from the interview, former presidential candidate Alexander Lukashenko said that in the early 1990s, during the first years of independence, there was active discussion about finding a Belarusian Orthodox relic—the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk. At that time, Lukashenko emphasized the need to restore the economy, adding that rare artifacts would then be found as well. 'But in a certain sense, we have found a holy relic—very quickly—in the heart of the people,' he noted. Later, he stressed that the search for religious artifacts became a symbol of the desire to restore the country's cultural heritage.

Context

The cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk is considered an important religious and cultural heritage of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.