WHAT TO SEE IN MINSK

Just in front of our apartment (you can see it from the window) there is the Palace of the Republic is a large cultural and business center in Belarus. It was built in 1985. The palace has an auditorium with 2700 seats, and it is an excellent place for big concerts and events.

The National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus is located in a park in the Trinity Banlieu of the city of Minsk. Local people call it the “Opierny Teatr” (Belarusian) or the “Opera and Ballet Theatre”. It opened on 15 May 1933 but it first did not have its own venue for presentations at the Belarusian Drama Theatre building until 1938.

Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary is a Roman Catholic baroque cathedral in Minsk. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev.

It was built under the Polish rule in 1710 as a church for the Jesuit house. In 1793, after the Russian conquest of Belarusian part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Jesuit order was banned and the church got a local status. Soon, after creation of the Minsk diocese, the church became the local cathedral.

The Cathedral was heavily damaged in a fire in 1797, but was later fully renewed. In 1869, the Minsk diocese was liquidated and the church got a parafial status. In November 1917, the diocese was restored; Zygmunt Lazinski was appointed as a bishop.

In 1920, Lazinski was arrested by Soviet authorities, the cathedral was closed down in 1934.

During the Second World War, the Germans allowed the cathedral to function again, but after the war it was again closed down by the Soviets. In 1951, the cathedral’s bell towers were intentionally destroyed by Soviet artillery and the building itself was given to the Spartak sports society.

In the beginning of the 1990s, religious services started again. In 1993, the building was given back to the Roman Catholics; by 1997 it was renewed.

In 2005, the church was given a new organ manufactured in Austria. Around the same time, the frescoes created in the 18th century were also restored.

The State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Belarus is the oldest puppet theater of the republic. Repertoire: performances for children, evening performances. Belarusian State Puppet Theater is famous in many european countries.

The National Library of Belarus is an attractive landmark of Belarus. Today the library is more than a rich collection of books. It is a multipurpose center that combines high technologies, ultramodern design and unusual architecture.

Minsk Arena is the main indoor arena in Minsk, Belarus.

Along the main arena,the Minsk-Arena complex includes four venues which are the arena itself (hosting 15,000 spectators), a cycling track (hosting 2,000 spectators), a skating stadium (3,000 spectators) and a multilevel parking structure.

It was also the venue for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010.

The Kilometre Zero, located on the picturesque Octiabrskaya Square ( you can see it just from the window of our apartment in the center of Minsk) is a cult sign that denotes the zero kilometer of all roads in the country. It was installed in 1998, during the complete reconstruction of the town square. The monument was made of granite. It has the shape of a pyramid, which symbolizes eternity.

The Minsk Town Hall is administrative building in the central part of Minsk, in the High Market, was built in 1600. There were clocks on the town hall tower, which was a great value for that time.

Prior to the abolition of the Magdeburg Law for Minsk by the Russian authorities (May 14, 1795), in the town hall were held meetings of the Minsk self-government body — the magistrate or council.

Its construction in Minsk ended in 1642. The Baroque 3-nave basilica is of interest for its matchless exterior, the immortal relics of St. Sophia of Slutsk and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God (Minsk). The image in the XV century. thrown by the Tatars into the Dnieper river, was raised from the bottom of the river on August 31 of 1500, and then never left the Belarusian capital.

Aliaksandraŭski Garden Square, or also called Alexander Square is a cultural resting place for guests and residents of the city of Minsk. One of the brightest attractions of the park is a fountain called “A boy with a swan” . The square itself adjoins the theater of Yanka Kupala.