At the beginning of the 20th century kerosene lanterns and lamps were the main source of street and house lighting. In 1904, the streets of Polotsk had 280 lanterns that were lighting up Vitebskaya street and the square by the Railway station.
Windproof kerosene lamps were popularly called Letuchaya Mysh (meaning a "bat"). The design was simple: kerosene was poured into a container, one end of the wick was immersed into it, the other end was clamped in a burner, designed so that the air would come from below. To provide traction and protect the flame from the wind the lamp glass was set on the burner.
By the First World War the street kerosene lighting in Polotsk had been replaced with electric lighting. However, some villagers are still using kerosene lamps.
