Minsk Favorite Tips by HORSCHECK Top 5 Page for this destination

Minsk by night

Favorite thing: Most sights in Minsk's city centre are beautifully illuminated at night. Especially a stroll along the wide Independence Avenue (Nezavisimosti Prospekt) between Independence Square (Ploschad Nezavisimosti) and October Square (Ploschad Oktyabrskaya) is highly recommended after the sun has set.

Besides other sights, also the area around the Freedom Square (Ploschad Svobody) with the Town Hall, the Roman Catholic Maryinsky Cathedral and the five-starred Hotel Europe should be visited at night.

Unfortunately we missed to check out the National Library of Belarus by night, when its facade can be illuminated by more than 4600 LEDs with dynamic light scenes.

Yanka Kupala Park and Museum

Favorite thing: One of the green lungs of Minsk's city centre is the large Yanka Kupala Park. It is home to the Yanka Kupala State Literary Museum as well as a bronze statue of the Belarusian poet. The statue was errected in 1972.

As we took a break in the park on a bench in front of the Yanka Kupala State Literary Museum, we spontaneously decided to check out the museum.

Admission for the two of us was less than 7000 BYR (less than 1 Euro, 2011). The museum consists of several rooms with personal things and documents of the famous Belarusian poet. Most of the decriptions are in Belarusian/Russian only, but each room had a short introduction in English.

Directions:
The Yanka Kupala Park is situated north of the Gorky Park. Both parks can be found between the October Square (Ploschad Oktyabrskaya) and the Victory Square (Ploschad Pobedy).

Address: Yanka Kupala State Literary Museum, ul. Yanka Kupala 4a, Minsk

Buildings on Independence Avenue

Favorite thing: The main thoroughfare of Minsk is the wide Independence Avenue (Nezavisimosti Prospekt). After the massive destructions of WWII, most of the buildings and the layout of the street were completely newly designed in Soviet style.

The street is home to many of Minsk's main sights; most of which are described in the "Things to do" section. Still there are quite a few more buildings well worth seeing.

Many of the large Soviet style blocks are apartment buildings dating back to the 1950s. A clear example is the building at number 23, which is home to one of the first Mc Donalds restaurants of Belarus.

Hotel Minsk at number 11 was the first 4 star hotel in Belarus. It was built in 1958 in Stalin classicism, but underwent several reconstructions. The last one ended in 2002.

At number 10, just opposite to the Hotel Minsk the impressive General Post Office can be found. It was completed in 1953. On the main facade an interesting world time clock as well as a concrete Soviet symbol can be seen.

A yellow neoclassical building with large columns at number 17 is home to the Belarusian Secret Police KGB. It was constructed between 1945 and 1947 after designs of the architects M. Parusnikov and G. Badanov.

The main building of the Academy of Sciences at number 66 was errected between 1932 and 1939. Later other parts were added to the complex.

Gorky Park and Ferris wheel

Favorite thing: Gorky Park is Minsk's oldest city park. It was established as Governor's Garden in 1800 and then during the Soviet times it was renamed into "Park of Culture and Recreation Maksim Gorky".

The park is very popular for family strolls on sundays. Among many other things it is also home to an amusement park with a 56 metre tall Ferris Wheel. We enjoyed a ride on the ferris whell, which offers panoramic views of the park and the surrounding region.

Directions:
Gorky Park is situated on the left bank of the Svisloch River. The main entrance can be found just next to the Victory Square. The next metro stop is Victory Square (Ploschad Pobedy).

Victory Square

Favorite thing: The elliptical Victory Square (Ploschad Pobedy) is dominated by 40 m tall Obelisk, which commemorates the Soviet soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War (WWII). It was unveiled on the 3rd July 1954, the 10th anniversairy of the liberation of Minsk.

The base of the obelisk is decorated with typical Soviet bronze reliefs. Since 1961 an eternal flame burns in front of the monument.

Apart from that, the 12 Soviet Hero Cities are immortalized in granite stones on the sides of the square. The buildings around the square are fine examples of the 1950s Soviet architecture.

Directions:
The Victory Square is located on Independence Avenue (Nezavisimosti prospekt), just east of the parks Yanka Kupala and Gorky. The metro stop Victory Square (Ploschad Pobedy) is situated just underneath the square.

Railway Station Square

Favorite thing: Probably my favourite square in Minsk is the hustling and bustling Railway Station Square (Ploschad Privaksalnaya). The square is dominated by two massive Stalinist granite buildings, which are known as the City Gates.

The buildings were constucted between 1947 and 1953 after designs of the Russian architect Boris Rubanenko. The large clock on one of the towers has a dial face diameter of more than 3,5 metres. At the end of WWII the clock was taken as a miltary trophy by Soviet soldiers from Germany.

The towers of the buildings are topped by 4 sculptures representing the worker, the farmer, the engineer and the soldier. They were originally made of concrete but later replaced by cast metal ones.

On the other side of the square the modern railway station building (Minsk Passazhirsky) can be found. It was built between 1991 and 2002, although the history of the train station dates back to 1873 when a wooden structure served as train station.

Directions:
The Railway Station Square (Ploschad Privaksalnaya) is situated south of the Independence Square (Ploschad Nezavisimosti). The nearest metro stop is Ploschad Lenina.

Jakub Kolas Square

Favorite thing: The Jakub Kolas Square (Ploschad Yakuba Kolasa) is another large and busy square in Minsk. It was named after the Belarusian poet after his death in 1956.

Since November 1972 the square is home to a sculpture of the poet as well as two sculptures with scenes from his books.

The square is surrounded by many granite Stalinist buildings, the Belarusian State Philharmonia and the Museum of Olympic Glory.

Directions:
The Jakub Kolas Square is located on Independence Avenue (Nezavisimosti prospekt), just east of the Victory Square. The nearest metro stop is Ploschad Yakuba Kolasa.

Trinity Suburb

Favorite thing: Minsk's Trinity Suburb (Troitskoye Predmestye) is also known as the old town of Minsk. The history of this part of the city dates back to the 12th century, when the first settlement with wooden buildings appeared here.

The current two- and three-storey houses were only built in the middle of the 1980s, but together with the cobbled streets they give a good idea about the atmosphere in the town a century ago. Nowadays these buildings are home to popular cafes and restaurants.

At the south eastern end of the Trinity Suburb a statue of Jazep Drozdovich (1888 -1954) can be found. He was a famous Belarusian artist.

Directions:
The Trinity Suburb is situated on the left bank of the Svisloch river, just between the streets ul. Maxima Bogdanovicha and ul. Starovilenskaya