'Minsk' ( ; ; ), is the
capital and largest city in
Belarus, situated on the
Svislach and
Niamiha rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As the national capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is also the administrative centre of
Minsk voblast (
province) and Minsk
raion.
The earliest references to Minsk date to the
11th century (1067). In
1242, Minsk became a part of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and it received its
town privileges in
1499. From
1569, it was a capital of the
Minsk Voivodship in the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was annexed by Russia in
1793, as a consequence of the
Second Partition of Poland. From
1919–
1991, Minsk was the capital of the
Byelorussian SSR.
Geography & Climate
Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of the
Minsk Hills, a region of rolling hills running from the southwest (upper reaches of the river
Nioman) to the northeast - that is, to the Lukomskaye lake in northwestern Belarus. The average altitude above
sea level is 220 m. The geography of Minsk was formed during the two most recent
Ice Ages. The
Svislach river, which flows across the city from the northwest to the southeast, is located in the ''urstrohmtal'', an ancient river valley formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. Minsk was initially founded on the hills. However, in the
20th century, it grew to include the relatively flat plains in the southeast. The western parts of the city are the most hilly.
Satellite view
Minsk is located in the area of
mixed forests typical for most of
Belarus.
Pinewood and mixed forests are still present at the edge of the city, especially in the north and east. Some of the forests were transformed into
parks (for instance, the
Chelyuskinites Park) as the city grew.
Minsk has a moderate climate, owing to its location between the strong influence of the moist air of the
Atlantic Ocean and the dry air of the Eurasian landmass. Its weather is, however, unstable and tends to change often. The average January temperature is -6.1
Celsius (21 °F), while the average July temperature is 17.8 °C (64 °F). The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January, 1940 (-40 °C) (-40 °F) and the warmest on 29 July, 1936 (35 °C) (95 °F). The air is often moist, with
humidity levels at 80-90%, especially during the cold season. There are on average 135 humid days a year, compared with only 6 dry days. This results in frequent fogs, common in the autumn and spring. Minsk receives annual
precipitation of 646 mm (25.4 in), of which one third falls during the cold period (as
snow and
rain) and two thirds in the warm period. Throughout the year, most winds are westerly and northwesterly, bringing cool and moist air from the Atlantic.
History
Main articles: History of Minsk
The Saviour Church (1577) is part of an archaeological reservation in
Zaslavl, 23 km northwest of Minsk
Early history
The area of today's Minsk was settled by the
Early East Slavs by the
9th century. The
Svislach River valley was the settlement boundary between two
Early East Slavs tribes - the
Krivichs and
Dregovichs. By
980, the area was incorporated into the early medieval
Principality of Polatsk, one of the earliest East Slav states. Minsk was first mentioned in the name form ''Měneskъ'' (Мѣнескъ) in the
Primary Chronicle for the year
1067.
[1] 1067 is now widely accepted as the founding year of Minsk. City authorities consider the date of September 2, 1067, to be the exact founding date of the city
[2], though the town (by then fortified by wooden walls) had certainly existed for some time by then.
In the early
12th century, the
Principality of Polatsk disintegrated into smaller fiefs. The
Principality of Minsk was established by one of the
Polatsk dynasty princes. In
1129, the Principality of Minsk was annexed by
Kiev, the dominant principality of
Kievan Rus; however in 1146 the Polatsk dynasty regained control of the principality. By
1150, Minsk rivaled Polatsk as the major city in the former Principality of Polatsk. The princes of Minsk and Polatsk were engaged in years of struggle trying to unite all lands previously under the rule of Polatsk.
Lithuanian and Polish rule
Minsk escaped the
Mongol invasion of Rus in 1237-1239. However, in later years it was attacked by nomadic invaders from the
Golden Horde, who turned many principalities of disintegrated
Kievan Rus into their vassal states. Trying to avoid the
Tatar yoke, the Principality of Minsk sought protection from
Lithuania from various northern princes, who had been consolidating their power in the region. In
1242, Minsk became a part of the expanding
Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was joined peacefully and local elites enjoyed high rank in the society of the Grand Duchy. In
1413, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania and
Kingdom of Poland entered into a union. Minsk became the centre of Minsk
Voivodship (province). In
1441, the
Lithuanian prince
Kazimierz IV Jagiellon included Minsk in a list of cities enjoying certain privileges, and in
1499, during the reign of his son,
Aleksander Jagiellon, Minsk received
town privileges under
Magdeburg law. In
1569, after the
Union of Lublin, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the
Kingdom of Poland merged into a single state, the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Afterwards, a Polish community including government clerks, officers, and craftsmen settled in Minsk.
The High Square as painted in the 1840s
By the middle of the
16th century, Minsk was an important economic and cultural centre in the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was also an important centre for the
Eastern Orthodox Church. Following the
Union of Brest, both the
Uniate church and the
Roman Catholic Church increased in influence.
In
1654, Minsk was conquered by troops of
Tsar Alexei of
Russia. Russians governed the city until
1667, when it was regained by
Jan Kasimir, King of
Poland. By the end of the Polish-Russian war, Minsk had only about 2,000 residents and just 300 houses. The second wave of devastation occurred during the
Great Northern War, when Minsk was occupied in
1708 and
1709 by the Swedish army of
Charles XII and then by the Russian army of
Peter the Great. The last decades of the Polish rule involved decline or very slow development, since Minsk had become a small provincial town of little economic or military significance. By
1790, however, it had a population of 6,500-7,000 and was slowly re-expanding to the city limits of
1654. Most of the Minsk residents at the time were
Jews and
Poles, with a minority of
Belarusians.
Russian rule
Russian Orthodox church of St. Mary Magdalene (built in 1847)
Minsk was annexed by Russia in
1793 as a consequence of the
Second Partition of Poland. In
1796, it became the centre of the Minsk
guberniya (province). All of the Polish street names were replaced by Russian, though the spelling of the city's name remained unchanged.
Throughout the
19th century, the city continued to grow and significantly improve. In the
1830s, major streets and squares of Minsk were cobbled and paved. A first public library was opened in
1836, and a fire brigade was put into operation in
1837. In
1838, the first local newspaper, ''Minskie gubernskie vedomosti'' (“Minsk province news”) went into circulation. The first theatre was established in
1844. By
1860, Minsk was an important trading city with a population of 27,000. There was a construction boom that led to the building of 2 and 3-story brick and stone houses in ''Upper Town''.
Minsk's development was boosted by improvements in transportation. In
1846, the
Moscow-
Warsaw road was laid though Minsk. In
1871, a railway link between
Moscow and
Warsaw ran via Minsk, and in
1873, a new railway from Romny in
Ukraine to the Baltic Sea port of Libava (
Liepaja) was also constructed. Thus Minsk became an important rail junction and a manufacturing hub. A municipal water supply was introduced in
1872, the telephone in
1890, the horse tram in
1892, and the first power generator in
1894. By
1900, Minsk had 58 factories employing 3,000 workers. The city also boasted theatres, cinemas, newspapers, schools and colleges, as well as numerous monasteries, churches, synagogues, and a mosque. According to the
1897 Russian census, the city had 91,494 inhabitants, with some 47,561
Jews constituting more than half of the city population.
20th century
The Jesuit collegium in 1912
In the early years of the
20th century, Minsk was a major centre for the worker's movement in
Belarus. It was also one of the major centres of the Belarusian national revival, alongside
Vilnia. However, the
First World War affected the development of Minsk tremendously. By
1915, Minsk was a battle-front city. Some factories were closed down, and residents began evacuating to the east. Minsk became the headquarters of the Western Front of the Russian army and also housed military hospitals and military supply bases.
The
Russian Revolution had an immediate effect in Minsk. A Worker's
Soviet was established in Minsk in October of
1917, drawing much of its support from disaffected soldiers and workers. After the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, German forces occupied Minsk in February of
1918. On 25 March,
1918, Minsk was proclaimed the capital of the
Belarusian People's Republic. The republic was short-lived; in December,
1918, Minsk was taken over by the
Red Army. In January,
1919 Minsk was proclaimed the capital of
Byelorussian SSR, though later in
1919 (see
Operation Minsk) and again in
1920, the city was controlled by the
Second Polish Republic during the course of the
Polish-Bolshevik war. Under the terms of the
Peace of Riga, Minsk was handed over to the
Russian SFSR and became the capital of the
Byelorussian SSR, one of the constituent republics of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
A programme of reconstruction and development was begun in
1922. By
1924, there were 29 factories in operation; schools, museums, theatres, libraries were also established. Throughout the
1920s and the
1930s, Minsk saw rapid development with dozens of new factories being built and new schools, colleges, higher education establishments, hospitals, theatres, and cinemas being opened. During this period, Minsk was also a centre for the development of Belarusian language and culture.
Before
World War II, Minsk had had a population of 300,000 people. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June,
1941, as part of
Operation Barbarossa, Minsk immediately came under attack. The city was bombed on the first day of the invasion and was occupied by the German Army four days later. However, some factories, museums and tens of thousands of civilians had been evacuated to the east. The Germans designated Minsk the administrative centre of ''Reichskomissariat Ostland'' and treated the local population harshly. Communists and sympathisers were killed or imprisoned; thousands were forced into slave labour, both locally and after being transported to
Germany. Homes were requisitioned to house German occupying forces. Thousands starved as food was seized by the German Army and paid work was scarce. Some residents did support the Germans, especially at the beginning of the occupation, but by
1942, Minsk had become a major centre of the
Soviet partisan resistance movement against the occupation, in what is known as the ''
Great Patriotic War''. For this role, Minsk was awarded the title ''
Hero City'' in
1974.
Minsk was, however, the site of one of the largest Nazi-run
ghettos in
World War II, temporarily housing over 100,000
Jews. (See below for the external link on the
Minsk Ghetto).
Minsk was liberated by Soviet troops on 3 July, 1944, during
Operation Bagration. The city was the centre of
German resistance to the
Soviet advance and saw heavy fighting during the first half of 1944. Factories, municipal buildings, power stations, bridges, most roads and 80% of houses were reduced to rubble. In
1944, Minsk's population was reduced to a mere 50,000.
The Railway station square, an example of Stalinist Minsk
After
World War II, Minsk was rebuilt, but not reconstructed. The historical centre was replaced in the
1940s and
1950s by
Stalinist architecture, which favoured grand buildings, broad avenues and wide squares. Subsequently, the city grew rapidly as a result of massive industrialisation. Since the
1960s Minsk's population has also grown apace, reaching 1 million in
1972 and 1.5 million in
1986. This rapid population growth was primarily driven by mass migration of young, unskilled workers from rural areas of
Belarus, as well as by migration of skilled workers from other parts of the
Soviet Union. To house the expanding population, Minsk spread beyond its historical boundaries. Its surrounding villages were absorbed and rebuilt as ''mikroraions'', districts of high-density apartment housing.
Recent developments
Island of Tears, with a recently constructed memorial church
Throughout the
1990s, after the fall of Communism, the city continued to change. As the capital of a newly-independent country, Minsk quickly acquired the attributes of a major city. Embassies were opened, and a number of Soviet administrative buildings became government centers. During the early and mid-1990s, Minsk was hit by an economic crisis and many development projects were halted, resulting in high unemployment and underemployment. Since the late
1990s, there have been improvements in transport and infrastructure, and a housing boom has been underway since
2002. On the outskirts of Minsk, new ''
mikroraions'' of residential development have been built. Metro lines have been extended, and the road system (including the
Minsk ring road) has been improved. Owing to the small size of the private sector in Belarus, most development has so far been financed by the government.
On September 8, 2007, the city of Minsk celebrated 940 years since its founding.
Etymology and historical names
The
Old East Slavic name of the town was 'Мѣньскъ' (i.e. ''Měnsk'' <
Early Proto-Slavic or
Late Indo-European ''Mēnĭskŭ''), derived from a river name ''Měn'' (< ''Mēnŭ'', with the same etymology as German ''
Main''). The direct continuation of this name in Belarusian is 'Miensk' (pronounced [mʲɛnsk], according to the
Łacinka alphabet).
Independence Square in the centre of Minsk
In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, the pronunciation of this name in the
Ruthenian language common to the ancestors of Belarusians and Ukrainians was influenced by the pronunciation of ''
★ ě'' as ''i'' in many
Ukrainian dialects. The resulting form of the name, 'Minsk' (spelled either Минскъ or Мѣнскъ) was taken over both in Russian (modern spelling: Минск) and Polish (''Mińsk''), and under the influence especially of Russian it also became official in Belarusian. However, some Belarusian-speakers continue to use 'Miensk' (spelled Мeнск) as their preferred name for the city.
When Belarus was under
Polish rule, the names 'Mińsk Litewski' 'Minsk of [the Grand Duchy of]
Lithuania' and 'Mińsk Białoruski' 'Minsk in Belarus' were used to differentiate this place name from
Mińsk Mazowiecki 'Minsk in
Masovia'. In modern
Polish, ''Mińsk'' without an attribute is Minsk, which is about 50 times bigger than Mińsk Mazowiecki; cf.
Brest-Litovsk and
Brześć Kujawski for a similar case).
'Sources:' Max Vasmer. ''Russisches etymologisches Wörterbuch.'' Vol. 2. Heidelberg 1955. ISBN 3-533-00665-4. = Макс Фасмер. ''Этимологический словарь русского языка.'' Vol. 2. Санкт-Петербург 1996, p. 625. ISBN 5-7684-0020-6 (online version).
Demographics
Population growth
★ - census
Ethnic groups
During the first centuries of its existence, Minsk was a city with a predominantly
Early East Slavic population (the forefathers of modern-day
Belarusians). After the
1569 Polish-Lithuanian union, the city became a destination for migrating
Poles (who worked as administrators, clergy, teachers and soldiers) and
Jews (who were mainly employed in trade and as craftsmen). During the last centuries of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth many locals were
polonized and abandoned their Belarusian culture. After the
Partitions of Poland, Minsk became part of the
Russian Empire, the
Russians essentially stepping in to the leadership role enjoyed by the Poles in earlier centuries. By the end of the
19th century Minsk was undergoing increasing
russification. Many locals became
russified and claim
Russian ethnicity.
At the time of the
1897 census,
Jews were the largest ethnic group in Minsk (51.2% of the population). Other substantial ethnic groups were
Russians (25.5%),
Poles (11.4%) and
Belarusians (9%). The latter figure may be not accurate as some local
Belarusians were likely to be counted as
Russians. There was also a small traditional community of
Lipka Tatars living in Minsk for centuries.
Both
World War I and
World War II affected the demographics of the city. The Jewish community suffered catastrophic losses during the
Nazi occupation—very few survived. In the post-war years Minsk's population grew primarily as a result of rural migrants from other parts of Belarus moving to the city.
In
1959 Belarusians made up 63.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.8%), Jews (7.8%), Ukrainians (3.6%), Poles (1.1%) and
Tatars (0.4%). Migration of rural migrants from other parts of Belarus in the
1960s and
1970s changed the ethnic composition further. By
1979 Belarusians made up 68.4% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.2%), Jews (3.4%), Ukrainians (3.4%), Poles (1.2%) and
Tatars (0.2%).
According to the
1999 census, Belarusians make up 79.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups include Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (1.1%) and Jews (0.6%). The Russian and Ukrainian populations of Minsk peaked in the late
1980s (at 325,000 and 55,000 respectively). After the break-up of the
Soviet Union, many of them chose to move to their respective mother countries. The Jewish population of Minsk peaked in the early
1970s at 50,000 (according to official figures; independent estimates put the figure at 100-120,000), but then declined as a result of emigration to
Israel, the
USA and
Germany. Today there are only about 10,000 Jews living in Minsk. The traditional minorities of
Poles and
Tatars have remained at much the same size (17,000 and 3,000 respectively). There was migration of rural Poles from the western part of
Belarus to Minsk, and many
Tatars moved to Minsk from
Tatarstan.
Some more recent ethnic minority communities are establishing themselves in the city. The most prominent are migrants from the
Caucasus countries—
Georgians,
Armenians and
Azerbaijanis each numbering about 2,000-5,000. They began migrating to Minsk back in the
1970s, and more migrants have joined them since. Many of them are employed in the retail trade in open-air markets. There is also small but prominent
Arab community in Minsk, primarily represented by recent migrants from
Syria,
Lebanon,
Egypt,
Algeria, etc. (often graduates of Minsk universities who decide to settle in Belarus and their families). There is also a small community of
Roma people, numbering about 2,000, which is settled in suburbs of north-western and southern Minsk.
By Egas
Languages
Throughout its history Minsk has been a city of many languages. Initially most of its residents spoke
Ruthenian (which later developed into modern
Belarusian). However, after
1569 the official language was
Polish. By the end of the
18th century most residents of Minsk were Polish-speakers (or
Yiddish-speakers among the Jewish community).
Yiddish remained a major language in Minsk until the early
20th century. In the
19th century Russian became the official language and by the end of that century it had become the language of administration, schools and newspapers. The Belarusian national revival increased interest in the Belarusian language—its use has grown since the
1890s, especially among the
intelligentsia. In the
1920s and early
1930s Belarusian was major language of Minsk, including for administration and education (both secondary and tertiary). However, since the late
1930s Russian again began gaining dominance. This process accelerated after
World War II —by the mid-
1980s Minsk was almost exclusively Russian-speaking. A short period of Belarusian national revival in the early
1990s has seen a rise in numbers of
Belarusian speakers. However, in
1994 the newly elected president
Alexander Lukashenko slowly reversed this trend. Most residents of Minsk now use Russian exclusively in their everyday lives at home and at work, although
Belarusian is understood as well. Substantial number of recent migrants from the rural areas uses
Trasyanka (Russo-Belarusian pidgeon language) in their everyday lives.
The most commonly used and understood international language in Minsk, especially among the younger generation, is
English. The second widely spoken international language is
German.
French and
Spanish are understood by only a few.
Religion
There is no reliable statistics on religious affiliations in Minsk or in
Belarus. According to various estimates, between 30% to 50% of Minsk's population do not practice any
religion, while being either
atheist,
agnostic or simply
spiritual, but not attached to a particular formal religious institution. Of those Minsk residents who are religious, about 70% consider themselves to be
Russian Orthodox, 15-20% -
Roman Catholic, and about 5% -
Protestants. Most ethnic
Russians,
Ukrainians and
Belarusians from central and eastern parts of Belarus are
Russian Orthodox, while
Poles and
Belarusians from
Western Belarus are often
Roman Catholic. There are small religious communities of
Jews and
Muslims (the latter - primarily recent
migrants from countries or regions with predominantly
Muslim population, such as
Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan,
Turkey,
Syria,
Iran,
Tadjikistan, etc). Total number of religious groups registered in Minsk is 116.
Currently there are 24 churches of various denominations, another 10 are being built or reconstructed.
Government and administrative divisions
In 1938 Minsk was divided into smaller administrative units (''
raion''s, or districts) due to rapid population growth. On 17 March 1938 three districts were established:
★ Stalinski, i.e.,
Stalin district, renamed into Zavodzki (Factory/Plant district, after major tractor and automobile plants located there) in
1961
★ Varashylauski, i.e.,
Voroshilov district, renamed into Savetski (Soviet district) in
1961
★ Kahanovichski, i.e.,
Kaganovich district, renamed into Kastrychnitski (October district) in
1957
Districts
There are now 9 administrative districts:
★ Frunzenski, named after
Mikhail Frunze
★ Kastrychnitski, named after October, i.e.,
October Revolution
★ Leninski, named after
Lenin
★ Maskouski, named after
Moscow
★ Partyzanski, named after
Soviet partisans
★ Pershamayski, named after
the 1st of May
★ Savetski, or "
Soviet District"
★ Centralny, or "Central District"
★ Zavodzki, or "Factory district" (initially it included major plants,
Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) and
Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), later the Partyzanski District with MAZ was split off it)
Microraions
There are also ''
microraions'' -
bedroom community areas of housing development outside the historical centre. Many of them are named after the suburban villages swallowed by the city.
Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1613).
★ Aeradromnaya
★ Akademharadok
★ Anharskaya
★ Azyaryshcha
★ Chyrvony Bor
★ Chyzhouka
★ Drazdy
★ Drazhnya
★ Kharkauskaya
★ Kuntsaushchyna
★ Kurasoushchyna
★ Loshytsa
★ Malinauka
★ Maly Trastsyanets
★ Masyukoushchyna
★ Paudnyovy Zahad | |  A typical ''microraion''
★ Paunochny Pasyolak
★ Sierabranka
★ Shabany
★ Sokal
★ Sosny
★ Stsypyanka
★ Suhkarava
★ Syarova
★ Uruchcha
★ Uskhod
★ Uskhodni
★ Vyalikaya Slyapyanka
★ Vyasnyanka
★ Zahad
★ Zyalyony Luh |
Economy
Minsk is the economic capital of
Belarus. It has developed
industrial and
services sectors which serve the needs not only of the city, but of the entire nation.
Industry
Entry to the massive Tractor Factory
Minsk is the major industrial centre of
Belarus. The city has over 250 factories and plants. Its industrial development started in the
1860s and was facitilated by the railways built in the
1870s. However, much of the industrial infrastructure was destroyed during
World War I and especially during
World War II. After the last war the development of the city was linked to the development of industry, especially of R&D-intensive sectors (heavy emphasis of R&D intensive industries in urban development in the
USSR is known in Western geography as 'Minsk phenomenon'). Minsk was turned into a major production site for trucks, tractors, gears, optical equipment, refrigerators, television sets and radios, bicycles, motorcycles, watches, and metal-processing equipment. Outside machine-building and electronics, Minsk also had textiles, construction materials, food processing, and printing industries. During the Soviet period, development of the industries was linked to suppliers and markets within the USSR, and the break-up of the union in 1991 led to a serious economic meltdown in 1991-1994. However, since the adoption of the neo-Keynesean policies under
Aleksander Lukashenka's government in 1995, much of the gross industrial production was regained. Unlike many other cities in the CIS and
Eastern Europe Minsk was not heavily de-industrialised in the
1990s. About 40% of the labour force is still employed in the manufacturing sector. Over 70% of produced goods are exported from Belarus, especially to
Russia and other members of the
Commonwealth of Independent States. However, the recent industrial revival did not lead to updating technologies and equipment (as
FDI were discouraged), therefore much of the local industry is not highly competitive by international standards.
Transport and infrastructure
Local Transport
Minsk has an extensive public transport system. Passengers are served by 8
tramway lines, over 70
trolleybus lines, and over 100 bus lines.
Rapid Transit
A subway station
Minsk is the only city in
Belarus with an underground
metro system. Construction of the metro began in
1977, soon after the city reached over a million people and the first line with 8 stations was opened in
1984. Since then it has expanded into a two line (
Moskovskaya and
Avtozavodskaya) respectively 9.5 and 18.1 kilometres long with 9 and 14 stations. Currently a 7.9 km extension of the Moskovskaya line is under construction with 2 stations due to open in
2007 and further 3 stations in
2011. There are plans for a network with three lines totaling (based on present expansion plans) 58.3 km of track with 45 stations and 3 train depots. For this to happen the third line should cut the city on a north-south axis crossing the existing two and thus forming a typical Soviet triangle layout, construction of the third line is expected to begin in 2011 and for the first stage to be delivered in late 2010s. Some layout plans speculate on a possible fourth line running from Vyasnyanka to Serabranka micro-rayons.
As of 2007 Minsk metro had 23 stations and 27.6 km. Trains use 223 standard Russian metro-cars. On a typical day Minsk metro is used by 800,000 passengers. During peak hours trains run each 2-2.5 minutes. The metro network employs 3,200 staff.
Currentely most of the urban transport is being actively renovated and upgraded to modern standards.
Railway and intercity bus
The new Railway terminal
Minsk is the largest transportation hub in Belarus. It is located on the junction of
Warsaw-
Moscow railway (built in
1871) running from the south-west to the north-east of the city and
Liepaja-
Romny railway (built in
1873) running from the north-west to the south. The first railway connects Russia with Poland and Germany, the second connects Ukraine with Lithuania and Latvia. They cross at the
Minsk-''Passazhyrski'' railway station, main railway station of Minsk. The station was built in 1873 as ''Vilenski vakzal''. The initial wooden building was demolished in
1890 and rebuilt in stone. During
World War II Minsk railway station was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt in
1945-
1946 and served until
1991. The new building of Minsk-''Passazhyrski'' railway station was built in
1991-
2002. Its construction was delayed due to financial difficulties. However now Minsk boasts one of the most modern and up-to-date railway stations in the CIS. There are plans to move all suburban rail traffic from Minsk-''Passazhyrski'' to smaller stations Minsk-
''Uskhodni'' (East), Minsk-''Paudnyovy'' (South) and Minsk-''Paunochny'' (North) by 2020.
There are three intercity bus stations, linking Minsk with suburbs, other cities in
Belarus and in the neighbouring countries. Frequent schedules bus routes connect it to
Moscow,
Vilnius,
Kiev and
Warsaw.
Airports
'Minsk International Airport' is located 42 km to the east of the city. It opened in
1982 (passenger terminal - in
1987.) It is an international airport undergoing modernisation with flights to
Austria,
Cyprus,
France,
Germany,
Ireland,
Israel,
Italy,
Iran,
Poland,
Russia,
Turkey,
United Kingdom, and other countries, operated by the national carrier
Belavia and the German airline
Lufthansa as well as Austrian airline
Austrian Airlines Group.
.jpg)
Airport Minsk-1
'
Minsk-1' opened in
1933 a few kilometres to the south of the historical centre. In
1955 it became an international airport and by
1970 served over 1 million passengers a year. From
1982 it mainly served domestic routes in
Belarus and short-haul routes to
Moscow,
Kiev and
Kaliningrad. Minsk-1 is expected to be closed in 2008 because of the noise pollution in the surrounding residential areas. The land of the airport will be re-developed for residential and commercial real estate, currently branded as
Minsk-City.
Education
Minsk is the major educational centre of Belarus. It has over 500 nursery schools, 258 schools, 28 further education colleges, and 36 higher education instututions, including 12 major national universities (most specialising in certain areas of science and technology).
Major universities
★
Belarusian State University. Major Belarusian universal university, founded in 1921. In 2006 had 15 major departments (Applied Mathematics and Infoscience; Biology; Chemistry; Geography; Economics; International Relations; Journalism; History; Humanitarian Sciences; Law; Mechanics and Mathematics; Philology; Philosophy and Social Sciences; Physics; Radiophysics and Electronics). It also included 5 R&D institutes, 24 Research Centres, 114 R&D laboratories. The University employs over 2,400 lecturers and 1,000 research fellows; 1,900 of these hold Ph.D. or Dr. Sc. degrees. There are 16,000 undergraduate students at the university, as well as over 700 Ph.D. students.
★
Belarusian State University of Agricultural Technology. Specialised in agricultural technology and agricultural machinery.
★
Belarusian National Technical University. Specialised in technical disciplines.
★
Belarusian State Medical University. Specialised in Medicine and Dentistry. Since 1921 - Medicine Department of the Belarusian State University. In 1930 becomes separate as ''Belarusian Medical Institute''. In 2000 upgraded to university level. Currently has 6 departments.
★
Belarusian State Economic University. Specialised in Finance and Economics. Founded in 1933 as ''Belarusian Institute for National Economy''. Upgraded to university level in 1992.
★
Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. Specialised in cultural studies, visual and performing arts.
★
Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University. Specialised in teacher training for secondary schools.
★
Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. Specialised in IT and radioelectronic technologies. Established in 1964 as ''Minsk Institute for Radioelectronics''.
★
Belarusian State University of Physical Training. Specialised in sports, coaches and PT teachers training.
★
Belarusian State Technological University. Specialised in chemical and pharmaceutical technology, in printing and forestry. Founded in 1930 as ''Forestry Institute'' in
Homel. In 1941 evacuated to Sverdlovsk, now
Yekaterinburg. Returned to Gomel in 1944, but in 1946 relocated to Minsk as ''Belarusian Institute of Technology''. Upgraded to university level in 1993. Currently has 9 departments.
★
Minsk State Linguistic University. Specialised in foreign languages. Founded in 1948 as ''Minsk Institute for Foreign Languages''. In 2006 had 8 departments. Major focus on English, French, German and Spanish.
★
Andrei Sakharov International State Environmental University. Specialised in environmental sciences. Established in 1992 with the support from the
United Nations. Focus on study and research of radio-ecological consequences of the
Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster in 1986, which heavily affected
Belarus.
Culture and religion
Minsk is the major cultural centre of
Belarus. Its first theatres and libraries were established in the middle of the
19th century. Now it has 11 theatres and 16 museums. There are 20 cinemas and 139 libraries.
Churches
★ The Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is actually the former church of the
Bernardine convent. It was built in the simplified
Baroque style in 1642-87 and went through renovations in 1741-46 and 1869.
★ The Cathedral of the Virgin was built by the Jesuits as their monastery church in 1700-10, restored in 1951 and 1997; it overlooks the recently restored 18th-century city hall, located on the other side of the Independence Square;
★ Two other historic churches are the cathedral of St. Joseph, formerly affiliated with the Bernardine monastery, built in 1644-52 and repaired in 1983, and the fortified church of Sts. Peter and Paul, originally built in the 1620s and recently restored, complete with its flanking twin towers.
★ The impressive Neo-Romanesque Roman Catholic cathedral of Sts. Simeon and Helene was built in 1906-10, immediately after religious freedoms were proclaimed in Imperial Russia and the tsar allowed dissidents to build their churches;
★ The largest church built in the Russian imperial period of the town's history is dedicated to St.
Mary Magdalene;
★ Many Orthodox churches were built after the dissolution of the USSR in a variety of styles, although most remain true to the Neo-Russian idiom. A good example is St. Elisabeth's Convent, founded in 1999.
Theatres
Major theatres are:
★
National Academic Big Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus
★ Belarusian Musical Comedy Theatre
★
Maxim Gorky National Drama Theatre (performances in
Russian)
★
Yanka Kupala National Drama Theatre (performances in
Belarusian)
Museums
The city hall (rebuilt in 2003) overlooks the Cathedral of the Virgin.
Major museums include:
★ Belarusian
Great Patriotic War Museum
★ Belarusian National Arts Museum
★ Belarusian National History and Culture Museum
★ Belarusian Nature and Environment Museum
★ Ethnography and Folklore Museum
★
Maksim Bahdanovich Literary Museum
★ Old Belarusian History Museum
★
Yanka Kupala Literary Museum
Recreation areas
★
Chelyuskinites Park
★
Children's Railroad
★
Gorky Park (Minsk)
★
Forest Park
★
Yanka Kupala Park
Sport
★
FC Dinamo Minsk
★
FC MTZ-RIPO
★
FC Minsk
★
FC Lokomotiv Minsk
Sister cities
Minsk maintains cultural links to a number of
twin cities in various countries:
★ '
Abu Dhabi',
UAE (since 2006)
★ '
Ankara',
Turkey (since 2006)
★ '
Bangalore',
India (since 1982)
★ '
Beijing',
People's Republic of China
★ '
Belo Horizonte',
Brazil (since 1987)
★ '
Caracas',
Venezuela (since 2006)
★ '
Changchun',
People's Republic of China
★ '
Detroit',
USA
★ '
Eindhoven',
Netherlands (since 1995)
★ '
Havana',
Cuba (since 2005)
★ '
Kathmandu',
Nepal
★ '
Lodz',
Poland
★ '
Lyon',
France
★ '
Murmansk',
Russia (since 1995)
★ '
Nottingham',
UK (since 1957)
★ '
Novosibirsk',
Russia
★ '
Odessa',
Ukraine
★ '
Potsdam',
Germany
★ '
Sendai',
Japan (since 1972)
★ '
Tehran',
Iran (since 2006)
★ '
Yerevan',
Armenia
External links
★
MinskVisitor.com - accommodation, visa support and transfer service in Minsk
★
WikiSatellite view of Minsk at WikiMapia
★
Minsk City Executive Committee
★
Photos on Radzima.org
★
Photos on Globus.tut.by
★
Dmitry Bartalevich's photos of Minsk
.jpg)
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