SIGHTSEEING IN MINSK.

Victory Square

With its lofty obelisk and elegant surroundings it’s the most beautiful square in the Belarusian capital. In the shadow of its obelisk burns the Eternal Flame in honour of those who died in the defence of their land against foreign invaders. With the surrounding apartment buildings, the greenery of the Svislach riverside, the square and its obelisk make up a finely proportioned ensemble and one of the most impressive sights of the city.

Yanka Kupala Park is situated opposite the Circus. The main entrance of the park leads to a monumental statue of the poet Yanka Kupala cast in bronze. From the granite base grows the mystical fern-flower of happiness which is said to bloom once a year on a midsummer night. The Wreath fountain also symbolizes the old pagan tradition of fortune telling during the holiday of Kupalle.

Zamchische (site of a castle)

The only trace of the once mighty fortress founded in the 11^th century to remain is a small-sized hill. The castle had a moat and defensive mound to 10 metres high running around it. Tall wooden walls and towers stood on the ridge of the mound. For a long time the castle was the residence of dukes. Then it became the seat of the Tribunal, the highest judicial instance of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Zamchische is believed to be the original center of ancient Minsk.

Yakub Kolas Square

The Square is named after Yakub Kolas, a classic of Belarusian literature and people’s poet of Belarus. The center of the Square is occupied by a monument to Yakub Kolas (1972, sculptor Z. Azgur). He is captured in a pensive pose sitting on a stone and surrounded by characters from his books. On the left of him is Simon the Musician with his loyal friend, Ganka. On the right is the legendary old man Talash with his grandson, young scout Panas. These two groups of characters reflect two lines in Kolas’ works – lyricism and patriotism.

The St. Peter and St Paul Cathedral

Built in 1613 the “yellow church” is the oldest surviving church in Minsk. During the course of 2 centuries the cathedral was the only Orthodox church in then largely catholic Minsk. In the second half of the 18^th century the cathedral fell into despair after the fire but with the generous funding of Cathrine II of Russia the cathedral was restored to its former glory. In the 1930s the cathedral shared the fate of many other churches in Minsk – it was closed down by the Soviet authorities. During WWII the building served as a bomb shelter, and later for a long time it was used as an archive. In the 1970s the cathedral was restored. After detailed investigation it has been discovered that the cathedral walls have retained fresco paintings from the 17-19^th centuries.

Kirill and Mefodiy Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

Built in 1642 to serve Bernadine nuns, it was used as a convent for many years. In 1741 the original structure was damaged by fire but later reconstructed. The convent was liquidated in 1852 and the building was given to the Russian church for use as a monastery – but half a century later it was closed by the Bolsheviks. Today after ongoing renovations, the church is a pleasant stop.

St Simeon and St Helen Catholic Church

The history of the Red church traces back to the tragedy of the Vaynilovichs family. After the death of his 12-year old son and 18-year old daughter Edward Vaynilovich sacrificed all of his estate for the building of a new catholic church in Minsk. The church was christened in honour of St. Simeon and Helen, that were the names of the children. In 1996 a bronze sculpture of Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Belarus, was placed in front of the entrance to the Red Church.

Great Patriotic War Museum.

The full horrors of the GPW are highlighted here. The most shocking and impressive part of the exhibition is the Black Hall, devoted to the Nazi concentration camps. The museum has original gallows and a diorama of the Maly Trostenets death camp, where over 200, 000 died.

Trinity Suburb

Today under its tiled roofs there is a multitude of bars and cafes, that’s why the suburb is crowned as “the wining and the dining city”. The suburb also accommodates Belarusian Literary Museum, Maxim Bogdanovich Museum, House of Nature, National Souvenirs Gallery. In the centre of the suburb there is an Isle of Tears. In the hub of it on a small slope made up from the lumps of earth brought to this place by Belarusian mothers whose sons died during the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan stands a chapel. It is the main part of the memorial “To the children of their Motherland who died beyond its borders”.

The National Library of Belarus opened its doors in June, 2006. The library is a unique building, a gorgeous engineering and architectural construction. This is an access point to the worldwide information resources, a place for long-term preservation of past and modern scientific and cultural achievements, publications, manuscripts, electronic materials, etc. The NLB’s collection totals 8, 6 million items in over 50 languages developed both in Belarus and abroad.

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