Last 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. Leaving several arcs behind, we find ourselves in front of the oldest church of Minsk - St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The church was erected in 1611-1613 and used to be the fortifying part of the city. In the 1930s the cathedral (like many other religious establishments) was closed and used as a storage for fish. Another church, opposite St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, is the St. Spirit Church, the barocco monument of the 17th century.

A large neighbouring building, "Torgovy Dom na Nemige" (Department store in Nemiga Street), offers great shopping and entertainment opportunities. Here
you can find everything you want and for decent prices. What is more, the life here never stops: while the shop closes at 23 o'clock, a casino and most restaurants work 24x7.

Just half a kilometer by walk and we get to one of the favourite places of Minsk citizens and guests - Troitsky Suburb, the place that beautifully appears at any season of year. The charm of this Minsk attraction is created due to a gathering of small houses of pinkish colour with bright tiled roofs. In a busy city of Minsk this is the spot of quietness, the vision of history. Not far from the suburb, we can find a bridge to the Island of Tears, a monument for soldiers, who died in Afghanistan war. At the Troitsky suburb you can visit the gallery of Belarusian souveniers, the House of Nature, a bookstore, Maksim Bogdanovich museum, and the museum of Belarusian history and literature.

The name of the suburb "Troitsky" takes its roots in the name of Troitsky Cathedral, established in the 14th century by the great duch Yagaylo. Today, we see no cathedral on that place, but the Theatre of Opera and Ballet instead. The theatre, built in 1936-1937, belongs to the small number of buildings that were not destroyed during the 2nd World War.

Well, I am not sure whether you are a passionate theatre-goer or not, but I suggest you book a ticket for opera staged by famous Elizaryev in advance and finish your small walking tour around Minsk feeling the beat of the Belarusian art.

Thank you so much for accompanying me, I hope this would be both useful and interesting for you!