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The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War

Minsk, 8 Pobediteley Ave.

Museums

Museum was for the first time opened for the visitors on October 22, 1944, when the war was still continuing. Born in the fire of the war, among the ruins, it was the first one dedicated to the history of the past war and today is the largest national repository of the wartime material and spiritual relics of the history of war during 1941-1945.

New semi-circle building stands weald behind the stela «Minsk, the Hero City». Its central façade is designed as a symbolic salute in celebration of Victory in which rays ten landmark events of the wartime are depicted – from the defence of Brest Fortress to placing the Victory flag over the Reichstag.

Artistic design of new exhibition is specific in a wide use of reconstructions. Its main aim is to create historical environment for maximum submersion of each visitor. The exposition is provided with various audio and video means of demonstrating voices, sounds, music, video materials, pictures of genuine documents and information materials.

The area of exhibition halls makes up more than 4,000 m2 presenting over 8 thousand museum objects, scientific-auxiliary and exposition materials.

The Museum funds consist of 30 collections and number more than 150 thousand of depository items: there are photographs, honors, documents, letters and personal belongings of the Great Patriotic War participants – front-line soldiers, partisans and underground activists. Two Museum collections «Handwritten journals» and «Self-made weapons» have the status of historical and cultural value of the 1st category.

The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War is one of the most visited museums in the Republic of Belarus.

Visitors are offered audio guides in Russian, Belarusian, English, German, Spanish and Chinese.

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• Distance to the airport: 41 km

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Minsk. Минск

Minsk

Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its political, economic, cultural and scientific center. It is an ancient city and dates back to the 11th century. There is one version of how it came into being. Gleb Vseslavovich took proposition of Minsk from his father and made it the capital of an independent Principality. There are certain proofs that it was a flourishing commercial center located at the crossroads of the traditional trade rout from east to west and from north to south.

Minsk is situated on the river Svisloch and occupies an area of 200 square kilometers. Its population is about 2 million people. During the Great Patriotic War Minsk was destroyed by German invaders almost completely. Minsk lay in ruins. The people of Belarus rebuilt the city. Victory Square, the Eternal Flame at the monument commemorates soldiers, underground fighters, partisans who fell in the battles for freedom f our motherland. The names of many streets of the city commemorate many heroes.

The industrial enterprises of Minsk include: the Minsk Tractor Works, Minsk Computer Works, Ball-Bearing Plant, Refrigerator Plant, Watch Factory, and others. Industrial enterprises produce tractors and automobiles, motorcycles and bicycles, TV sets, radio-sets, watches and refrigerators, electronic computers, textile, footwear, food and other goods. It is also a big traffic center with a large network of railways, roads, air lines and two Metro lines. The Minsk Metro is the newest and very beautiful. Each station has some associations with historical events of the country or reflects the peaceful efforts of the people. Minsk is also known as a city of science and students. There is the Academy of Sciences and 16 higher educational establishments there, the biggest of which are the University and the Polytechnic Academy.

The city is noted for it’s varied interesting cultural life. In Minsk there are 6 theaters, concert halls, a circus, dozens of cinemas, many places of culture, libraries, clubs. The most famous theaters are the Opera and Ballet theatre, the Yanka Kupala Theatre, the Gorky Russian Drama Theatre. Among the most interesting museums one can mention the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the Art Museum and Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas Museums. The Art Museum is a real treasure-house of fine arts.

Minsk is a city of sports. There are good recreation and sports facilities: tennis courts, playgrounds, swimming pools in various parts of the city. The main sports structures are: the Dynamo Stadium, the Palace of Sports and Water Sports Centre.

Минск

Минск является столицей Республики Беларусь, ее политическим, экономический, культурным и научным центром. Это древний город, который восходит к 11 веку. Существует версия того, как он возник. Глеб Всеславович принял предложение Минска от своего отца и сделал его столицей независимого княжества. Есть доказательства того, что это был процветающий коммерческий центр, расположенный на пересечении традиционных торговых путей с востока на запад и с севера на юг.

Минск расположен на берегу реки Свислочь и занимает площадь 200 квадратных километров. Его население составляет около 2 миллионов человек. Во время Великой Отечественной войны Минск был разрушен немецкими захватчиками почти полностью. Минск лежал в руинах. Народ Беларуси восстановили город. На Площади Победы горит Вечный огнь у памятника в память о солдатах, подпольщиках и партизан, павших в боях за свободу нашей Родины. Названия многих улиц города носят имена героев.

Промышленные предприятия Минска включают: Минский тракторный завод, Минский компьютерный завод, Шарико-подшипниковый завод, завод холодильников, часовой завод и другие. Промышленные предприятия производят трактора и автомобили, мотоциклы и велосипеды, телевизоры, радиоприборы, часы и рефрижераторы, электронно-вычислительную технику, текстиль, обувь, продукты питания и другие товары. Кроме того, это большой транспортный центр с большой сетью железных и автомобильных дорог, воздушных линий и 2 линий метро. Минское Метро является самым новым и очень красивым. Каждая станция имеет некоторые ассоциации с историческими событиями в стране и отражает мирные усилия народа. Минск также известен как город науки и студенчества. Здесь находится Академия наук и 16 высших учебных заведений, самыми большими из которых являются Университет и Политехническая академия.

Минск- город спорта. В различных частях города есть хорошие рекреативные и спортивные сооружения: теннисные корты, детские площадки, плавательные бассейны. Главные спортивные структуры: Стадион «Динамо», Дворец спорта и Центр водных видов спорта.

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Minsk

Сочинение на тему «Минск» на английском языке

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Minsk

Минск

Minsk is the capital of Belarus, a big and beautiful city with rich history. It is an administrative, economic, scientific, and cultural center of the country having large population (approximately 2 million citizens), advantageous geographical position (Minsk is situated on the river Svislach, almost in the geographical center of Belarus) and political significance (for example, the headquarters of CIS is located there). Minsk is an important transport junction: its first railways were built in the 19 th century, and nowadays there are international airport and MAZ, a well-known automobile factory. Parks, gardens, and architectural monuments of various styles create the unique charm of Minsk.

Минск – столица Беларуси, большой и красивый город с богатой историей. Он является административным, экономическим, научным и культурным центром страны, имеющим крупное население (примерно 2 миллиона жителей), выгодное географическое положение (Минск находится на реке Свислочь, почти в географическом центре Беларуси) и политическую значимость (например, там расположена штаб-квартира СНГ). Минск – важный транспортный узел: первые железные дороги в нём были проложены в XIX веке, а в наши дни есть международный аэропорт и МАЗ, известный автомобильный завод. Парки, сады и архитектурные памятники разных стилей создают неповторимое очарование Минска.

Slavic tribes lived on the territory of Minsk from antiquity, but the urban settlement was founded in the 11 th century. As a part of the Ancient Rus’, Minsk was a capital of a principality and became a trading center. Hard times came with numerous wars: the city passed from one Russian prince to another, was joined to the Duchy of Lithuania, and later – to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, so Polish culture and religion (Catholicism) played a great role in Minsk as well as original ones. Afterward, as a part of Russian Empire and the USSR, Minsk grew and developed intensively. It suffered during Great Patriotic War and got the hero city status.

Славянские племена жили на территории Минска с древности, но городское поселение было основано в XI веке. В составе Древней Руси Минск был столицей княжества и стал центром торговли. Трудные времена настали с многочисленными войнами: город переходил от одного русского князя к другому, был присоединён к Княжеству Литовскому, а позднее – к Речи Посполитой (союзу Литвы и Польши), поэтому польские культура и религия (католицизм) играли в Минске такую же важную роль, как изначальные. Впоследствии, в составе Российской империи и СССР, Минск интенсивно рос и развивался. Он пострадал в ходе Великой Отечественной войны и получил статус Города-героя.

Modern Minsk has many landmarks and picturesque places: monumental baroque Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral (the 17 th century), several huge squares, the National Opera and Ballet Theater, botanical garden, and even the Museum of carriages. Besides, Minsk is famous for its delicious sweets produced by local confectionery factories.

В современном Минске много достопримечательностей и живописных мест: монументальный барочный Собор святых Петра и Павла (XVII
век), несколько колоссальных площадей, Национальный театр оперы и балета, ботанический сад и даже Музей карет. Кроме того, Минск знаменит своими вкусными сладостями, которые производят местные кондитерские фабрики.

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Museums in Belarus

National Art Museum

The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus (the State Art Gallery from 1939 till 1957, the State Art Museum from 1957 till 1993) – the largest collection of the Belarusian and foreign art within the country – is located in the centre of Minsk, at Lenin Street, 20. More than thirty thousand works of art – creating twenty miscellaneous collections and comprising two main representative ones: the one of national art and the other of monuments of art of the countries and nations of the world – can be found on exposition, at the branches of the Museum and its depositories.

The works of art, taken from the departments of fine arts of the historical museums of Minsk, Vitebsk, Mogilev and Gomel, became the foundation of the Gallery’s pictorial collection. A range of art works from their own funds and stocks were presented by the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum as well as by the Museum of Fine Arts named after Alexander Pushkin and the State Hermitage Museum. The art works of well-known Russian painters and artists of the Soviet epoch were included into the collection of the new gallery as well.

National Historical Museum

The National Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus is one of the country’s most popular museums. Its holdings house the biggest museum collection in Belarus numbering about 400,000 items. Also, the National Historical Museum structure includes 5 branches: the Museum of Belarusian Cinema History, the Museum of Contemporary Belarusian Statehood, the House Museum of First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, the Museum of Theatre and Musical Culture History of the Republic of Belarus, and the Museum of Nature and Environment of the Republic of Belarus.

Throughout its history, the National Historical Museum has changed its name repeatedly. It opened in 1919 as the Minsk Regional Museum. From 1923 till 1930 the Museum was called the Belarusian State Museum and was the central museum institution of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1930, it was renamed as the Minsk Social and Historical Museum. From 1941 till 1944, it was called the Minsk Historical Museum. In 1957, the institution was restored under the name of the Byelorussian State Museum of History and Regional Studies and, in 1964, it was named the State Museum of the BSSR. In 1992, after Belarus declared independence, the Museum was renamed once again into the National Museum of History and Culture of Belarus. In 2009, the institution received its actual name.

Great Patriotic War Museum

The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War was the world’s first museum to tell the story of the bloodiest war of the 20th century, and the only one in Belarus created during the years of Nazi occupation.

Today it is one of the most important and biggest war museums in the world, along with the well-stocked museums in Moscow, Kiev, and New Orleans.

…In those terrible years Belarus lost every third resident. More than 3 million people died, including about 50,000 partisans and underground fighters. Throughout the country there were 250 death camps, including the infamous Trostenets, one of the largest after Auschwitz, Majdanek and Treblinka.

Dudutki

The Dudutki Museum is located 40 kilometers from the city of Minsk, in the Pukhovichi District, located in a picturesque place near the Ptich River, one and a half kilometers from the village of Dudichi.

Stalin Line

The Historical and Cultural Complex «Stalin’s line» is situated in 35 km from Minsk or 45 km from Minsk city center and in 6 km from the ancient town Zaslavl. «Stalin’s line» is an open air museum.

The Historical and Cultural Complex «Stalin’s line» was founded to the sixty years anniversary of the Victory of Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. It is the memorial of the year 1941 and the museum of the first days of the Great Patriotic War. The basis of the exposition is original pillboxes and park of military equipment of different years from the period of WWII and to the beginning of 90th. It is the most complete exposition in Belarus.

«Stalin’s line» is the chain of defensive installations. It is consisted of twenty three fortified regions including more than four thousand permanent weapon emplacements (pillboxes). It was a strong reinforced unit that spread to 1200 kilometers. There were some other fortified regions in Belarus. Those fortified regions formed a united defense line. Minsk’s fortified region No 63, which was 140 kilometers long included 327 pillboxes. In June 1941 at the lines of the Minsk’s fortified region started fierce fights with the offensive units of the fascist army.

Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle

Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle is an open-air museum or in other words a skansen museum. This term presupposes collecting relics of the past that are of historical and cultural value and exhibiting them out-of-doors in natural surroundings. Regional and local peculiarities gathered together in one place are demonstrating traditional folk culture of our country. Belarusian skansen has an ethnographic profile and is an object of republican importance. Landscape is a vital element in creating an exposition zone in the open-air museum.

Belarusian skansen is rather young in comparison with other museums of such kind. The idea of creating an open-air museum of folk architecture and rural lifestyle in our country first arose in 1908. It came up to a well-known Belarusian artist Ferdynand Ruszczyc but World War I and World War II made it impossible to get the idea off the ground.

Marc Chagall’s Museum

Vitebsk, the hometown of Marc Chagall, was an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the artist during his whole life. Domes of churches and old streets, miniature houses and shops with signboards, strips of wooden fences, horse-cab drivers in the streets are perpetuated in the artist’s canvases together with the famous angels and lovers in the sky.

Scientists, historians, art critics and, of course, artists from all over the world come to Vitebsk to get the feel of the city and see where one of the brightest representatives of the 20th-century avant-garde the lived and worked…

The Marc Chagall Art Center was opened in the 19th century building, depicted in his world-renown painting Above the City, in 1992. The works presented to the museum by friends from the Group of Assistance to the Chagall House-Museum in Vitebsk (Nienburg, Germany) became the first exhibits in the collection.

The museum houses the richest collection of the artist’s graphic works, including lithographs, xylographs as well as three colored aquatints donated to the museum by the artist’s daughter Ida Chagall in 1994, and 96 calligraphic etchings, representing a cycle of book illustrations, that were donated by the artist’s granddaughters Meret and Bella.

The main draw of the collection is Marc Chagall’s wonderful book illustrations. Among them is a series of sketches to Nikolai Gogol’s novel Dead Souls (1923-1925), a series of colored lithographs named The Bible (1956 and 1960) and 12 Tribes of Israel (1960)…

Brest Hero-Fortress

n September, 25 1971 the memorial complex «Brest Fortress» was opened. More than 600 veterans of the Brest garrison 1941 were present.

There are the ruins of the old fortress, the battlefields, the monumental sculptures presented in a unified architectural and artistic ensemble of the memorial, that perpetuated the «true story of the legendary heroes of the Brest fortress».

Gomel Palace & Park Ensemble

The Palace & Park Ensemble includes:

Pharmacy Museum

The oldest pharmacy at all times was an exemplary institution. It is still one of the best in the city. Employees of the pharmacy museum, continuing the traditions of their predecessors, try to satisfy the most demanding requirements of customers. At the same time, each visitor can not only appreciate the variety of medicines offered, but also spend time with interest and benefit, getting acquainted with the history of pharmacy business in the original atmosphere of the museum hall.

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Visit Belarus

Best travel website about Belarus

Top Things to Do in Minsk

Minsk Ultimate Guide: Top Things to See & Do in 2020

Minsk is the capital of Belarus and the largest city in the country.

During the time of its eventful history, Minsk, which is even older than Moscow, was completely burned down 18 times, and yet reborn again and again.

It has a very interesting history and an even more interesting present. Here are the reasons, why you should visit Minsk.

Interesting fact: it is not thoroughly established, but most likely the name of the city came from the Mena River, which was a tributary of the Ptich River.

In this article, we will tell you: where to go and what to see in Minsk, what sights and attractions, parks and interesting places to visit.

Why You Should Visit Minsk

For lovers of architecture and history, Minsk is where you’ll find an abundance of post-war Brutalist structures, a building style that pushes the artistic boundaries of poured concrete and mid-1900s future-forward aesthetics. These buildings are present in almost every city block.

And the cities of Belarus have stepped up to the challenge, as many of the casinos have paired up with luxury hotels to offer visitors the complete entertainment experience.

In short, Minsk is a thriving modern city where you’ll find plenty of opportunities to create unique, new memories.

Alongside the luxury casinos and mid-1900s architecture, there are plenty of other things you can see and do in Minsk.

How to Get to Minsk

The main international airport in Belarus is the Minsk National Airport, which is about 40km from the city center of Minsk itself.

From the Kastrychnitski District where the airport is located, the bus or shuttle ride to the city center can take around 40 to 50 minutes.

Check out the official website of the Minsk National Airport for the updated schedules of the buses and shuttles that can take you to different locations in or near the city center.

While there are many private taxis outside the airport, you might end up paying more than you have to if you use these services.

So if you want to use a taxi or rent a car, approach the transfer desk at the airport to arrange for more private transportation or do it online in advance here or here.

Getting Around Minsk

The public transport options in Minsk are quite well organized, comfortable, and relatively easy to navigate.

The Minsk Metro alone offers a wide variety of access points to the city, with railway lines forming a large ‘X’ that covers almost the entire city and many metro stations being located near different tourist attractions.

For the minimum price of BYN 0.65 (

$0.27), you can take the train from 5:30 in the morning all the way to 1 in the morning.

You can also opt to take any of the bus, tram, and trolleybus lines that cross the city on a daily basis, the routes for which can be found on Minsk’s official public transport website or you can use a public transportation planning app like Moovit or Yandex.Transport.

In terms of getting taxis, the best way would be to use one of the many ride-hailing apps available in Minsk today, such as NextApp, Yandex Taxi, and Uber which has partnered with Yandex to operate in the city.

You can also try the city’s taxi service, for which you only need to dial 152 or 7788 on you phone.

Also learn how to travel around Belarus to see the real country.

Best Places to Stay in Minsk

Whether you’re looking for budget or luxury accommodations, there are plenty of options to choose from when you’re in Minsk.

In our Minsk hotels guide, you can find a detailed overview of the different places where travelers can stay in the city.

The Loft Hostel is the place to go to if you’re looking for a social vibe. Using its common area where you can mingle and cook food is a good way to get to know your fellow travelers. There are also plenty of reasonably priced Airbnb accommodation options that can provide a glimpse into the actual homes of Minsk’s citizens.

If you’re looking for something more formal and have the budget to boot, there are great mid-range options where rooms come with basic hotel services and more.

Hotel Sport Time for instance is a great place for catching the local and European sports broadcasts, given that it has a sociable sports bar with Belarusian beers on tap.

Meanwhile, Hotel Yubileiny not only has three different bars but also its own casino.

For those who are looking for a truly luxurious time, more extravagant places like the Renaissance Hotel and Hotel Europe not only have their own spas, but are also serviced by multilingual staff which can make your stay significantly easier.

The best way to compare accommodation options in Bleraus is by using Booking.com website.

You can simply enter ‘Minsk’ and your dates in the field below to see the best options for you:

Prices in Minsk

Generally speaking, the prices for goods and services in the city are relatively lower compared to the rest of Europe.

At the same time, don’t be surprised if high-end restaurants, retail shops, and other establishments in or near the city center are twice as expensive than those in the city’s residential areas.

So while the average price for meals is about BYN 15, prepare to spend upwards of BYN 40 to BYN 50 for your daily food budget, depending on how much you prefer restaurants over fast or street food.

Top Things to Do in Minsk

Here is a list of some of the best things to do and places to visit in Minsk.

Of course, there are many more places worth mentioning.

Check our other articles about Minsk to learn more about the city before you visit it!

Minsk Old Town

First of all, you should visit the heart of Minsk – the Old Town, walk along its streets, drink coffee in authentic restaurants of the Upper Town. There is also the country’s main orthodox cathedral and the City Hall on the Liberty Square.

In summer, many live music concerts like “Evenings at the Town Hall” are held here. There are many bars, clubs, cafes, and restaurants in the Upper Town to visit at night. Here, you can find entertainment for every taste.

Trinity Suburb

Most of the valuable architectural sights of Minsk are located in the Trinity Suburb. Now, it is a part of the old town complex and is in a state of gradual restoration.

Tourists can visit Minsk museums, exhibitions and various small restaurants with open terraces on the banks of Svisloch river. It is also a good place to buy some original souvenirs.

Check the best tours around Minsk here:

National Library

Perhaps, the most famous landmark in Minsk, and at the same time the largest information and cultural center of Belarus, is the National Library. Its dimensions are impressive. The diameter at the bottom is 180 meters, weight is 115 thousand tons.

There are two dozen reading rooms in it, where up to two thousand readers can fit at the same time. The archives of the National Library store over 8 million books. Outwardly, the library resembles a kind of glass diamond, which is also a huge advertising screen.

In the library, you can climb to the observation deck, which is open in any weather, drink coffee in a cafe and watch the city through panoramic windows from a height. Visit Minsk at least to see it.

Interesting fact: Minsk celebrates its city day on the second Saturday of September.

Botanical Garden

Address: Surganova St. 2B
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00

Travelers who can not live without nature and flowers will be delighted with Minsk Botanical Garden, which is the third largest botanical garden in the world after the ones in London and Madrid (total area – 96 hectares).

There are nine alleys in it, each of which is planted with various trees. In addition, there are regular carnivals of roses, as well as holidays in honor of rhododendrons and peonies flowering.

Over 9,000 species of different botanical samples can be found spread across the 530,000 square meters of the National Academy of Sciences’ Central Botanical Garden.

Known worldwide for its massive collection of coniferous plants, along with perennials from Pamir, Caucasia, Australia, Southern Europe, and America, the Botanical Gardens are a must-see for anyone with a love for nature.

Fountains of Minsk

Minsk is also interesting for its fountains. The city has more than a hundred of them. The oldest one was built in 1873.

It still works and is called “Boy with a Swan”. You can view the fountain in Alexander Park, in the heart of the city.

Interesting fact: England is often called the Foggy Albion, but not everyone knows that there are more foggy days in Minsk than in London (on average 67 days per year against 45 in London), thereby attracting fans of a mysterious, noir atmosphere.

Victory Square

Among the sights of Minsk, the Victory monument stands out in its size rising to the sky at 36 meters height, and the diameter of the star at the top is 6 by 6 meters.

You can see it on Independence Avenue, in the center of Minsk, avenue similar to the ones you can see in Kiev and Moscow. Here is also the eternal fire that burns in any weather, and on holidays there is a guard of honor near it.

On the Independence Square, next to the Government House, there is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, also called the Red Church, the main Catholic cathedral of Belarus.

Loshitsa Park

Romantics can enjoy the other side of the city. They can visit Minsk natural sights. For example, the park named after Yanka Kupala, where the sculptural group “Wreath” is located, which will not leave anyone indifferent.

Also worth visiting is the famous Loshitsa park, in the depths of which there are ancient apple orchards and the Prushinsky manor. Also here you can find the remains of a mill, where once a young lady hanged herself because of unhappy love.

Interesting fact: in the center of the capital is the only prison in Europe, the Pischalovsky Castle, where a practice of shooting criminals is still applied. People also call the prison Volodarka.

Lovers of science are strongly encouraged to visit the M. Tank University. It houses the famous Foucault pendulum, only about 20 pieces of which can be found in the world.

Independence Avenue

This 15-kilometer long avenue is one of the longest thoroughfares in all of Europe, and passes from the center of the city to the northeast section.

The architectural ensemble that runs along this road was built in Stalin’s Empire Style during the ‘50s, and features balustrades, flowers, and other features that are best viewed during the night when it’s all illuminated by outdoor lighting.

Independence Avenue also passes through the city’s four biggest squares, which are Independence Square, Yakub Kolas Square, Victory Square, and October Square.

Stolitsa Underground Mall

Address: Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci (Independence Avenue) 3-2
Opening hours: 10:00-22:00

Underneath Independence Square, you’ll find one of the most popular yet earliest shopping destinations in all of Minsk. Over 100 shops, retail outlets, cafes, restaurants, and other establishments await in this 75,000 square-meter underground mall.

While there are plenty of other malls and markets around the city, there’s arguably no better place to buy souvenirs inside of Minsk than in Stolitsa.

Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre

Address: Plošča Paryžskaj Kamuny 1 (Paris Commune Square 1)

The Opera and Ballet Theatre in Minsk can be found in the Trinity Hill district of the city of Minsk, and has been an important cultural center since it was founded in 1933.

Although the national theater’s current operating hours are uncertain, it still plans to hold a variety of ballet, opera, and other theatrical performances later in the year, including classic shows such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and the theatrical adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.

Tickets range from just BYN 13 (

$5,3) for regular seats to around BYN 60 (

$25) for deluxe seats inside the theater.

Gorky Park (Central Park)

Address: Frunze St. 2
Opening hours: 11:00-17:00

Originally called Governor’s Garden when it was first established in 1805, Gorky Park is the most centrally located of Minsk’s various clean and green public spaces.

The arched entrance gate to the park from the Victory Square side is a sight to behold and has become Gorky Park’s trademark. Its more than 28 hectares are home to 60 different species of trees, an amusement park and The tallest Ferris wheel in all of Belarus. A nice place to relax and get a good view of the city lights at night.

The Red Yard

Address: Revaliucyjnaja St. 7
Opening hours: open 24 hours

Although it can’t yet be considered an official Minsk landmark, The Red Yard is a well-known venue among the city’s art and music lovers. Parties, live musical performances, academic cultural lectures, and art exhibits are just some of the events you can expect to see here.

Check out the speakeasy Embargo Bar inside the compound for a taste of sophisticated Belarusian mixology in a cozy, art-filled location.

Oktyabrskaya Street (October Street)

Located in the outskirts of Minsk, Oktyabrskaya Street is a former industrial district with abandoned factories that has been transformed into the city’s largest permanent mural exhibit.

Trendy bars and cafes can be found everywhere in the area as well. It’s another fantastic place to meet and greet Minsk’s creative and rebellious artists.

Solidarity at the House of Fashion

Address: Nemiga Street

Located at the House of Fashion which itself is a historic structure, “Solidarity” is a gigantic relief sculpture by Anatol’ Yafimovich Arcimovich.

It’s easily one of the most impressive extant monuments from Minsk’s Soviet Union Era. And it represents the proletariat struggle that made the Russian revolution possible.

Museums

Traditional Belarusian culture is alive and well in Minsk’s many different museums.

The Museum of Alivaria Beer lets you take a trip through the operations of brewing company Alivaria, an educational tour that ends with sampling the many local varieties of beer.

Meanwhile, the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus is the place to go for a more traditional and historic museum experience.

And if you’re looking for something more unique, Belarus Mini is a large exhibit of miniaturized Belarusian landmarks, a good way to take a country-wide tour in the course of an afternoon.

Activities to Try

You might be surprised at the activities you can try out in Minsk. For instance, the longest bike path in Minsk is 27 kilometers long, a near-continuous northwest to southeast path that will take you through the entire city via the route of the Śvisłač river.

You can also sign up for a Soviet or communist tour offered by many of Minsk’s local tour companies for an up close and personal experience with the city’s Soviet era.

You might also be surprised to know that apart from football which is popular across Europe, Minsk is also home to a huge hockey fanbase.

The local team is called Hockey Club Dinamo Minsk, and they play in the Continental Hockey League. Their fans are often more than willing to show you a thing or two on the ice rink.

Best Restaurants

Not surprisingly, Minsk is also home to more than several of the best restaurants in Europe. Complete with medieval stone walls and stained glass windows, Kamyanitsa is the place to go if you’re looking to sample the national culinary delights of Belarus.

For something that’s less traditional, Chekhov which is a cafe-living-room concept restaurant offers modern fare with the added amenities of billiards tables, chess, a piano, and a highly sociable atmosphere.

And if you’re in need of the best cup of coffee you can find in the city, look no further than CoffeeBerry.

Best Bars

Much like any modern metropolis in Europe, Minsk’s nightlife is very much alive and kicking.

A unique place called SAD is a perpetually warm and cozy spot no matter what the season is outside, where dance parties are powered by vinyl-only DJs and a highly selective wine selection.

For beer aficionados, Staromestny Pivovar is a brewing institution where you can sample Bavarian dark wheat ale, ginger beer, ruby beer, and many other local and European varieties.

If you’re a British visitor looking for a touch of home, Pinta is a traditional English pub that offers a wide range of cocktails.

Tip: As a general tip, if you’re looking for a good bar in Minsk, check the Zybitskaya, Revaliutsyjnaya streets and surrounding areas.

Things to do near Minsk

Minsk is not the only interesting place to visit in Belarus. You don’t need to go far to see more of the popular tourist attractions like the following ones:

Stalin Line

Address: Highway Minsk-Molodechno P28, Minsk District
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00

Perhaps the most grandiose of the many war-era defense museums near Minsk, the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex is named after a network of heavy fortifications found in the former western border of the now-defunct Soviet Union.

Many of the bunkers, armaments, and battle dugouts can still be found here, left extant as a reminder of Belarus and Russia’s turbulent past.

Strochitsy (Ozertso)

Address: Minsk District
Opening hours: 24 hours

Also known as the Belarusian State Museum of Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage, Strochitsy is a large, open-air museum featuring architectural and cultural elements from the 17th to the 20th century.

It has almost 40 different objects from the ethnographic regions of the Dnieper Region, Central Belarus, and Poozerye, all gathered into one location.

This includes the Pokrovskaya Church of the 18th century, a blacksmith’s shop, a bathhouse, and even different houses of poor and well-off peasants from the featured time periods. Apart from the buildings featured, Strochitsy-Ozertso is also the site of regular folk festivals.

Silichi Ski Resort

Address: Logoisk District
Opening hours: 9:00-17:30

First opened in 2005, this ski resort is easily one of the best in all of Belarus. The resort has three different skiing routes that are around 2.5 kilometers each, a daily capacity of 1,000 skiers, a four-chair elevator, hotel accommodation, ski equipment rental, and enough parking for 500 cars.

In short, even during peak skiing season, it’ll be relatively easy to find a place to stay and ski here.

Mound of Glory

Address: Moscow Highway
Opening hours: 24 hours

This work by Soviet sculptor Andrej Biembieĺ commemorates a key point in Operation Bagration, in which the Belarusian Soviets successfully liquidate a German detachment.

True to its name, the impressive and towering 70.6-meter structure sits on a symmetrical hill, making it highly visible from kilometers away. If you’re planning a visit, make sure to wear comfortable shoes as the top of the monument is quite the uphill hike.

These are just some of the places and experiences you can find in and around the Belarusian capital city of Minsk.

If you’re planning a visit, keep this guide handy – not just so you won’t get lost, but also to make the most out of your visit to this marvelous city.

Minsk is a very interesting city and our article cannot enlist all the reasons to visit Minsk in just a short article.

A good way to plan your trip around Minsk is by using Cruncho app:

Источник

 Today it is one of the most important and biggest war museums in the world, along with the well-stocked museums in Moscow, Kiev, and New Orleans. …In those terrible years Belarus lost every third resident. More than 3 million people died, including about 50,000 partisans and underground fighters. Throughout the country there were 250 death camps, including the infamous Trostenets, one of the largest after Auschwitz, Majdanek and Treblinka… The collection of the world’s first museum of the Great Patriotic War was founded in June 1942 when no one could predict how long the war would last…

Future exhibits were sent directly from the frontlines to the special republican commission which was set up to collect the documents and materials about the Great Patriotic War. The commission was working out from Moscow where it was evacuated to during the war. Among the museum’s first assets were the chronicles about the partisan movement, printed and handwritten books, handmade weapons… For nearly six months there was gap in the frontline near Vitebsk, the so-called Vitebsk Gate. Valuable items, material evidence of the atrocities of the enemy were brought through it to Moscow and were put on display in the State History Museum.

In November 1942 the Muscovites saw an impressive exposition titled as “Belarus lives, Belarus is fighting, Belarus will remain Soviet.” It stayed open until August 1944 when it was moved to the liberated Minsk. The museum, the guardian of the memory about the courage and tragedy of the Belarusian people, was given one of the few intact buildings in the destructed and looted Minsk. It opened to the public on 22 October 1944.

The first expositions about the weapons of the partisans and military print media grew bigger with new rarities. Already in 1944 the museum workers explored the place of the Trostenets death camp. In 1949, they participated in the first excavations in the heroic Brest Fortress… In 1966, the museum moved to a building specially built for it in the central square of Minsk (now Oktyabrskaya Square). A unique open-air exposition of military equipment and weapons was opened in 1977 next to the museum.

Over decades of research into the Great Patriotic War the museum’s collection has grown many times: even now it gains 700—800 priceless rarities every year. In the 21st century upon the initiative of the Belarus president plans were made to create new premises for the museum that will boast more exhibition space and modern technologies to tell and demonstrate more facts about the tragic war…

The current premises of the museum are impressive not only due to their scale but also symbolism that reflects major milestones of the history of 1941-1945. The composition represents four main blocks to match the number of years of the war and the army fronts that took part in Belarus’ liberation. The museum has dedicated over 3,000m2 to over 8,000 exhibits that tell the story of the Great Patriotic War. There are about 145,000 rarities in the museum’s storage. They were collected during military operations in Eastern Europe and Germany and were presented by embassies of various countries in time of peace.

The exhibits are divided into 28 collections and showcased in ten themed halls:

– World and the war;

– World before and in the first years of World War II;

– Road of the war;

– Beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Defense in Belarus in summer 1941. The battle of Smolensk. The battle of Moscow of 1941-1942;

– Turning point of the war. The Soviet home front;

– Nazi occupation regime on the territory of Belarus in 1941-1944;

– Partisan movement and anti-fascist underground resistance in Belarus. Participation of Soviet people in European resistance movements of 1941-1945;

– Liberation of Belarus. The defeat of the Nazi Germany, its allies, and the militarist Japan;

– Belarus after the liberation. The years 1944-1950. Memory of the war;

– Heirs of the Great Victory.

The most interesting exhibits include:

• Collection of 27,000 documents (combat reports, orders, diaries, journals of military operations, soldiers’ performance evaluation reports, and others);
• Letter of German Sixth Army Commander General Friedrich Paulus of 19 September 1942.
• Collection of drawings (over 3,000 sketches, cartoons, and mini posters) and paintings (around 500 watercolor and pastel paintings);
• Flags of military units and partisan detachments;
• Military uniforms and civilian clothing of the USSR, Germany, Italy, the USA, Czechoslovakia, and France;
• Personal belongings of famous people born in Belarus (Marshals of the Soviet Union Ivan Yakubovsky, Vasily Sokolovsky, Stepan Krasovsky…).

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The museum hospitably opens its doors to everyone who is interested in the history of the Great Patriotic and World War II. It is the largest national repository of the material and spiritual monuments of military history.

Created among the ruins and ashes in newly-freed Minsk in October 1944, has been carrying out and continues to carry out its high mission of commemorating the Great Victory over the fascism during the whole time of its existence.

The magnificent museum building was erected in a symbolic place of the Belarusian capital – next to the stela “Minsk – the hero city” and is included in the museum and park complex “Victory”.

The architecture of the building impresses by its scale and symbolism. The monumentality and modern technology are harmoniously combined in it. Non-standard spatial and architectural techniques and imaginative solutions create the feeling of the greatest tragedy and at the same time immerse the visitor in an atmosphere of courage and achievement.

The area of 10 expositions halls makes up 4,200 square meters presenting over 8 thousand of exposition materials. The museum funds consist of 30 collections and number in more than 150 thousands of depository items: these are photographs, documents, letters and personal belongings of the Great Patriotic War participants.

The museum is the most visited one in Belarus. He was and always will be a place of the live national memory.

The museum is located in the center of Minsk by the address: Pobediteley Ave, 8. Buses: № 1, 29, 44, 69, 73, 91, 136, 163 – till the “Museum of the Great Patriotic War” bus stop.

Working hours:

Tu, We, Fr, Sa, Su: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. (the ticket office is opened till 5.30 p.m.).

Th: 12.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. (the ticket office is opened till 7.30 p.m.).

Mo: day off.

Excursions order: +375(29)144-07-92 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp), +375(17)203-07-92.

Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War
The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War is a state cultural institution of the Republic of Belarus, the world’s first museum of the history of the Great Patriotic War, has the largest collection of artifacts on the history of the Great Patriotic War.
On the area of more than 3000 m2, you can see over 8 thousand exhibits that tell about the history of the Great Patriotic War. The funds contain about 145 thousand rarities collected during the hostilities in Eastern Europe and Germany, as well as transferred by the embassies of different countries in peacetime.
Military rarities comprise 28 collections and are exhibited in 10 thematic sections:
• «Peace and War»;
• «The World before and in the first years of the Second World War»;
• «Road of War»;
• «The beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Defensive battles in Belarus in the summer of 1941. Smolensk Battle. Moscow Battle in 1941-1942»;
• «A radical change in the war course. Soviet rear»;
• «Nazi occupation regime on the Belarusian territory in 1941-1944»;
• «Partisan movement and anti-fascist struggle in Belarus. Participation of Soviet people in the European Resistance movement in 1941-1945»;
• «Liberation of Belarus. Defeat of Nazi Germany, its allies and militaristic Japan»;
• «Belarus after liberation. 1944-1950. Memory of the war»;
• «Heirs of the Great Victory».
The magnificent Victory Hall ends the exposition. It’s decorated in the form of a glass dome of the Berlin Reichstag, over which Soviet soldiers hoisted the Victory Banner in 1945.
Nowadays, the Belarusian flag waves over the museum, and inside a drawn stork (the symbol of Belarus) on a stained-glass window adorns its transparent dome. You can relish a magnificent panorama of the city and a picturesque view of the Svisloch River and Victory Park.