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MINSK, BELARUS

Destination Overview

Minsk is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislac and the Nyamiha Rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region and Minsk District. Population of city about 2 millions. Time calculated GMT + 3. Minsk is famous for its Soviet architecture, with big concrete buildings and wide avenues, and many hail Minsk as the most perfect example of a Soviet city. Minsk National Airport is the main international airport in Belarus, located 42 km to the east of the capital.

Minsk is a progressive, modern and clean place. Fashionable cafes, impressive restaurants and crowded nightclubs vie for your attention, while sushi bars and art galleries have taken up residence in a city centre once totally remodelled to the tastes of Stalin. Minsk is full of fountains – There are over 100 fountains dotted around the city. They even have events where they turn on lots of fountains all at once.

Minsk’s main street – (Independence Avenue) – is over 15km long – Its main street is HUGE! It dates back to 1801 and if you visit Minsk you are sure to see it.Independence Avenue crosses Minsk radially from its center towards the North-East.You can pass many tourist attractions while walking (or driving) along it, including Independence Square, KGB headquarters, October Square, Gorky Park, Yakub Kolas Square and the National Library.

The average temperatures in Minsk vary from cold to quite nice – The average temperatures in Minsk vary quite a bit. The summers are hot (hotter than that page suggests) and can be humid. However, a lot of the wintertime is spent at least several degrees minus 0!

Attractions in Minsk

The Wooden Holy Trinity Church

The wooden Holy Trinity Church located next to the Temple-monument. It was consecrated in 2006. The Trinity Church is built of wood in a retrospective-Russian style for smaller-scale day-to-day religious rituals, in addition to the Temple.

The central volume of the temple ends with a powerful central octagonal light drum with a tented crown topped with a golden glaucus. The entrance to the temple is emphasized by a high hipped belfry.

Temple-monument of All Saints

One of the most beautiful orthodox temples in Minsk is located at the intersection of Kalinowski and All Saints streets. The temple-monument of ”All Saints in the memory of innocent victims in our Fatherland,” symbolizes all the saints of Belarus, all the fallen soldiers and innocent victims of wars. The first stone in the foundation of the Temple-monument was laid in 1991. In 2018, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill consecrated the Memorial Church of All Saints.

A capsule with land brought from burial places of seven European countries was laid into the crypt of the church. The 74 metre tall Temple has space for up to 1,200 worshipers. The icons of the Temple were painted by Moscow masters. The interior leaves a stunning impression with its rich decoration and awesome paintings.

The Minsk Arena

It is one of Europe’s biggest cultural and sports facilities, a great example of Belarusian contemporary architecture. The multipurpose centre is comprised of the arena, a skating stadium, a velodrome, and a multilevel car park. The official opening ceremony of the venue took place in January 2010 as part of the Second KHL All-Star Game, featuring the teams of Jaromir Jagr and Alexei Yashin. In May 2014 Minsk Arena hosted the World Ice Hockey Championship. This venue already holded not only various shows, big exhibitions, forums but also live music Concerts of Rammstein, Sting, Joe Cocker, Jennifer Lopez, Depeche Mode, Scorpions, Linkin Park, Elton John, Jose Carreras, and Shakira.

You can continue your journey from Minsk Arena to the recreation area Drozdy to walk in the woods or take a swim in the summertime. There are several bicycle and Segway rent facilities in the area and nice bicycle paths. For swimming in any weather, go to the nearby waterpark “Lebyazhy” on the bank of the reservoir “Drozdy”. The entertainment complex can welcome up to 2 thousand people at a time. It is the first real waterpark in Belarus, the fifth largest by size in Europe. Different forms of entertainment are combined with the latest technology and high-quality service.

The National Library of Belarus

The National Library of Belarus is the biggest library in the Republic of Belarus. The library is located in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Designed by architects Mihail Vinogradov and Viktor Kramarenko, the library’s main section is 236 feet high and features 22 levels of collections along with large conference rooms that can seat 500 people. In total, the library has 8,600,000 items available in a variety of languages and types of media.

It’s a symbol of the precious knowledge stored in the books within. It was completed in 2006. It’s size and shape are unique and when the building is illuminated it steps into a class of its own. Dominating the landscape for miles around, the glowing orb has almost become more of a tourist attraction than a functional library. The second reason for visiting the library is the viewing platform on top of the building offering great views of Minsk.

Loshitsa Park

Scenic Loshitsa Park is a natural treasure and an oasis among the capital’s buildings. It is thoroughly enveloped in the spirit of antiquity, the first mention of Loshitsa was made in 16th Century. In the late 18th century, Adjutant-General Count Stanislaw Pruszynski remodelled the estate into a large residence that welcomed many outstanding historical figures like the last King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Stanislaw August Poniatowski and Russian Emperor Paul I, among the others. The last owners of the Loshitsa Estate, Eustacjusz Lubanski and his wife Jadwiga, made it even more beautiful.

The picturesque park featured exotic plants and the house was transformed into an elegant mansion where the family held theatre and poetry evenings and celebrated folk holidays. Eustacjusz Lubanski left it in 1913, after Jadwiga’s tragic death. Today the Loshitsa estate and park is one of the most beautiful places in Minsk. One can walk along the old alleys and visit the residence-museum. It’s a popular place for wedding and art photographers. With Loshitski park there is one fascinating legend, which excites the imagination and attracts tourists.

There is a perception that in the Park at midnight, at a time when the apricots are in bloom, you can see the image of Hedwig, wife of Eustache Lyubanskiy. During their marriage, between husband and wife had a falling out. At that time there were rumors that Jadwiga’s cheating on her spouse and that is carrying someone else’s child. Crushed and slandered, one day the young wife came down to the shore, swam to the boat to mid-river and drowned. For the wife it was a heavy blow. And in the place wh ere you found the body, he planted an apricot tree. This fact marked the emergence of cast during the flowering apricots. Nothing evil and bad spirit Jadwiga is not responsible. On the contrary, it is believed that it helps her lover.

In addition, in the Loshitsa Park there is an oak, which is called engagement. Come to it in the years to request a well-being in your businesses, good health and, of course, love. Say that everything is hidden near this oak comes true. Another amazing feature of the park is the fact that in this place many thousands of years ago was the border, wh ere it stopped the movement of the glacier. That is why in a green area of Loshitsa there is a variety of soils and species of plants, birds and insects.

Yanka Kupala park

Janka Kupała Park is a park in Minsk, Belarus located along Svisloch River. This park is named after Janka Kupała, one of the classics of Belarusian literature of early 20th century. Before World War II at this place there was the house of poet Janka Kupała. It is quite a large park area. It is a resting place not only for Minsk residents and guests of the capital. Nowadays the visit of this picturesque place is included in many Minsk sightseeing tours. For lovers of cycling there are special areas, the so-called cycle tracks.

Fresh air and the atmosphere of absolute peace and pacification in the heart of a great metropolis will not leave anyone indifferent. It should be noted that the whole Park area is kept in perfect cleanness and a lot of amazing rare trees give a sense of internal mental composure. It is important that the Park is unforgettably beautiful at any time of the year.One of the main attractions is the numerous squirrels you can admire there.

National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus

The National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus is located in a park in the Trinity Hill district of Minsk. Local people call it the “Opera and Ballet Theatre”. The theatre was designed by architect Iosif Langbard and opened in 1939, its grandiose style inspired by Roman amphitheatres. The building suffered from bombing in the World War II and was opened again after reconstruction in 1947. In 2009 the restoration works were completely finished under the guidance of architect Anatoly Shabalin.

The new elements include crystal chandeliers of the 1950s style, gypsum details, ceiling paintings, golden stucco work along with red velvet curtains and drapery. The interior features natural stones, marble and granite. Floors are made from nine kinds of granite and adorned by ornaments. The facade of the theatre is adorned by the sculpture of Apollo and two flying nymphs. In the park in front of the theatre, you can admire a light cascade fountain that resembles the silhouette of the theatre. If you have more time, you can visit an opera or a ballet performance. Swan Lake ballet is one of the most popular ones. You have to book tickets a few months in advance. The next part of your visit might require using the convenient and cheap Minsk public transportation.

Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary

This Jesuit church was built in the beginning of 18th century and it was visited by Russian tsars Peter the Great and Nikolay the 2nd, Swedish King Karl XII, and others. During the Soviet era the church was closed and after World War II served as the office of a sport union.

In the 1993 it was returned into the Church, and restoration artists of Belarus and Poland brought the former splendour back to the brilliant Baroque style building.

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

The Cathedral is one of the most famous churches in Minsk/ It is located in the centre of city and overlooking the Svisloch River in the historic Upper Town. The Cathedral is the most important Russian Orthodox church in the city. In the 17th century, the church building served as a Catholic Bernardine monastery.

Monastery was closed in 1922 and then converted to Orthodoxy, expanded and renovated. This church’s holiest icon is the image of the Mother of God, said to have been found by Minsk residents in 1500.

Minsk City Hall

Minsk City Hall is Grand, 19th-century classical-style government building open by appointment for public tours. It was initially wooden but after the fire in the 17th century, it was rebuilt in stone. It is the symbol of independence. In the middle of the 19th century, the tsar of Russia Nikolay- I ordered destroying the building. After the independent Belarusian state was established, the City hall was re-built from scratch and opened its doors to visitors in 2004.

There is the Museum of Minsk city under the roof of the City Hall, there is a hall for forums, meetings and VIP-persons on the first floor. Costume events, steeped in the romance of the centuries when the City Hall existed, look appropriate and beautiful; concerts of music bands add harmony of the place

Activities in Minsk

Tank riding at Stalin Line military complex

Stalin’s Line is an open-air military history museum. The complex created in the 1930’s was once an important part of the defence system along the western border of the Soviet Union. It was built to protect the USSR against attacks from its western enemies.

Tourists will be impressed by the huge collection of military equipment such as airplanes, cars, various defensive structures and weapons. Our guide will immerse you in history and tell you about the main characteristics of the weapon. You can wander through the trenches and climb into the military pillbox.

For an additional fee, you can shoot from empty weapons from mini to maxi calibres and ride by tanks.

Belarus Flying Tour

The Aviation Tour in Minsk (Belarus) is a chance of a lifetime to catch the passing era of classic aircrafts and to take joyride flights on helicopters and legendary planes, including Mi-26, An-12, Il-76, Yak-40 and others. The tour is also the perfect opportunity to discover a new country. In addition to the joyrides flights, participants can visit the most interesting sights of Minsk and Belarus.

Jeep tour in Minsk

During Jeep Tours in Minsk you will enjoy an adventurous ride with abandoned logging tracks, insuperable fords, marshy plains, the roar of motors and unknown places make your hearts beat harder! Varieties of natural obstacles are best suited for jeep tours: off-road, deep forest, swamps, etc. The duration of such tours can range from several hours to several days. As a rule, jeep tours are held from late spring to mid-autumn, sometimes in winter.

You need to wear comfortable clothes for traveling. The most interesting begins after a briefing on safety and a small run-in of the jeep – extreme off-road! The track passes on the real impassability: you should overcome marshes, puddles, abrupt ascents and descents, impenetrable wood. You will drive specially prepared SUVs like Jeep Cherokee. For security reason, you will have to use special helmets, safety belts.

Minsk Pub Crawl Tour

Such kind of tours are very popular in Europe and America. Usual duration of tour about 4 hours with English speaking Guides!! It is a bar party tour for visitors, Guided by expert of pub crawling, participants move from one bar to another, get to know each other!!

The bars and clubs we visit are located within walking distance. The routes are organized so that it won’t take more than 5-10 minutes walking between the bars. Guest will visit the most popular bar streets, 4 different bars and each bar may treat your local drink “Nastoika” – National product of the Republic of Belarus, bitter liquor “Belovezhskaya” is the original drink with a unique taste, achieved through excellent skills of JSC “MINSK KRISTALL ” specialists, and a balance of high quality ingredients used in optimal proportions.

Please Note: To get permission to enter each bar:

a. There is face control and dress code in each bar.

If you’re in a sporty clothes as well as if you drink much you may not be allowed to the bar.
All the participants must be 18 years old and more Casual style in clothes.