MINSK
Minsk, the Capital of Belarus
Belarus Cities - MINSK

Virgin_Maria_Catholic_Cathedral_in_MinskMinsk_center_1

MINSK or Menesk, as the chronicles called Minsk in the year 1067, was founded on the banks of the Svislach River and the Niamiha River at the end of the 11th century as a result of movement from an older settlement (16 km from the present-day Minsk) on the Menka River, to which the city owns its name. Originally, it was a wooden fortress close to the Prince's yard that was enclosed with earthen walls and houses of townsmen, built over the territory within the walls. In the 12th century, with the first stone temple erected there, Minsk became the center of apanage principality separated from the Polatsk Land where the foundations of Belarusian statehood were laid.
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25 Famous Sculptures and Statues in Minsk, Belarus
Belarus Cities - MINSK
Minsk tourist attractions: Archangel Michael

1. Archangel Michael

A four-and-a-half-meter sculpture of Michael Archangel piercing a great snake was placed in front of the Red (because of red bricks) Cathedral (Catholic church of St. Simeon and St. Helen) in 1996. The building of the Church was finished in 1905 by Polish architect Tomash Poyazdersky, who made it in gothic and romantic style. The red bricks had been transported right from Poland. After the revolution of 1917, the State Polish theater occupied the church. Later, in Soviet times, it was used as the Cinema House. In 1990 during the Perestroika years, the building was given back to the Catholic church. In 1996 the bronze sculpture of the Angel created by Igor Golubev appeared. Michael Archangel is a traditional guarding angel of Belarus.

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Minsk Attractions - Minsk Sightseeing on a Walking Tour 2
Belarus Cities - MINSK

Minsk Sightseeing Tour Part 2

Belarus_Minsk_Troitsky_suburb3Last time we finished the story about the walking tour around Minsk in one of the restaurants, offering national cuisine of Belarus. After having something delicious, we keep on walking and notice a two-storey building in the Rakovskaya Street that was a Sunday school in 1901-1906 organized by Ekaterina Izmaylovich, socialist revolutionary terrorist, who was later executed. In another building (number 17) in this street there was a sinagogue.

This part of Minsk has seen some truly devastating times under the nazi occupation. The region belonged to the largest ghetto of Europe, with 39 streets besieged by the German soldiers, and more than a hundred Jews taken prisoners. The Nazi thought that 1.5 square meter is enough for one person, that is why one small flat turned into home for 25-30 people. Only 13 Ghetto prisoners survived till the liberation of Minsk.
Minsk travel places tour
 
Minsk Attractions - Minsk Sightseeing on a Walking Tour
Belarus Cities - MINSK

Spring is in the air, more sunny days evoke the most positive emotions and impressions. Why not take a walk around Minsk and learn about the unknown (maybe not so much talked about) Minsk attractions? We decided to discover more interesting Minsk places and give our comprehensive coverage and view of the walking tours in a series of blog posts!

Minsk Sightseeing Tour Part 1

I welcome you at the beginning of our first virtual tour around Minsk places. The starting point of the itinerary will be the crossing of Pobediteley Avenue and Menlnikaite Street, the region of the city, where about a 100 years ago the Tatars resided, thus the part was called the Tatar Sloboda. However, the first place we are going to visit is connected with another nation, the Jews. The memorial sight "Yama" (the hole) is situated right on the place, where the Nazi shot 5000 Jews from Minsk Ghetto, including 200 children from an orphan house on the 2nd of March, 1942.

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We'll return to the Ghetto tragedy later, when we get to Rakovskiy Trinity. And now we will go up to the Yubileinaya Square, which received its name in 1826 in the honour of 1500th anniversary of Vselenskiy Sobor that stated the symbols and dogmas of Christianity. It is surprising that during the Soviet times no one considered the name of the square politically incorrect. The Yubileynaya Square remains the only one that hasn't been renamed since the 19th century.

Then we take a turning to the Rakovskaya Street. Just a dozen steps further and we find ourselves at an old Trinity that appeared in the 11th century. The street had been famous for craftsmen who lived there, as well as several sinagogues that were open before the revolution. After the revolution these churches were turned into cinemas and a House of pioneers.

Belarus Minsk places tour