Travel Guide Minsk (Мi̇нск)

Located in the centre of the country, on a plain surrounded by forests, with almost 2 million inhabitants, Minsk is the only metropolis in Belarus. Its central geographical position makes it the pulsating heart of the country and the crossroads of all exchanges. It is the political, economic, academic and cultural center of Belarus. Like the difficult history of the country, the past of Minsk is rich in events. At the crossroads between East and West, the city has been invaded, destroyed and burned several times. Heavily damaged by the Nazis during World War II, it was rebuilt after the war in record time.Today Minsk is an eclectic city that harmoniously combines a modern centre with old quarters. Its city centre, inherited from communism, is probably the most striking example of Stalinist architecture defined as "totalitarian style with elements of the Italian Renaissance" and strikes the visitor with the elegance of its buildings. In addition to its modern appearance, Minsk still retains charming pockets of the past, such as the upper town, the suburbs of Troitskoe and Rakovskoe, or the small courtyards of the two-storey buildings built by German prisoners at the end of the war. You can still find village life: laundry drying among the trees, children playing, grannies chatting on the benches. With its pleasant living environment and apparent tranquility, Minsk is a welcoming city just like its inhabitants, who are generally cordial, generous and open.Crossed from north to west by the Svislač River, Minsk boasts vast green areas that are concentrated around the banks of the river. Having remained closed in on itself for a long time, the city is slowly opening up to the outside world, to foreign investors and tourists. Don't be fooled by appearances: traditional and dynamic, conservative and post-modern, Minsk hides an effervescent cultural life to be discovered in painters' and photographers' studios, during literary evenings and alternative music concerts.