In the entire world history, it is hard to imagine a more courageous and, at the same time, romantic character than a medieval knight. In shiny, polished armor on horseback, he was always ready to protect the weak and defend the honor of the beauty. We sincerely wish this tale was real, but none of us lived in the Middle Ages and never knew a knight. Nevertheless, a modern traveler has an excellent opportunity to learn about this historical period, see chivalric halls, and touch the real shields and swords of the legendary warriors without a time machine or moving halfway around the world. In one of the oldest cities of Belarus, there is a small private museum that has definitely seen many brave knights.

The Museum of Medieval Knighthood was opened in Polotsk by a descendant of the ancient Rurik dynasty and has long been famous outside the country. The owner sometimes works as a guide and gives fascinating excursions. Besides, the museum is a permanent participant in knight tournaments and festivals. Annually, it supports the European Museum Night, the only night in a year when museums open the doors for the whole day.

The permanent exhibition is located in three halls designed as a Medieval castle. It allows getting in the atmosphere of traditional chivalric culture. Here, helmets and armor, bows and arrows, spears and crossbows, and excellently preserved edged weapons of those times are displayed.

The torture chamber is of particular interest. It is a stone torture room where you can see terrifying tools of executioners and a skeleton in chains, the symbol of a moment frozen in time. There is another symbolic object, an ancient icon, the only thing that gave prisoners vague hope. By the way, this rare icon was presented to the museum by a citizen of Polotsk, a passionate admirer of chivalric culture.