Title : BELARUS: Minsk Is A Wonderful Place To Visit, Beaware Parking On Pedestrian Lanes
link : BELARUS: Minsk Is A Wonderful Place To Visit, Beaware Parking On Pedestrian Lanes
BELARUS: Minsk Is A Wonderful Place To Visit, Beaware Parking On Pedestrian Lanes
Minsk is not only the capital and largest city of Belarus, it's also the capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Situated on the Svislac and Niamiha rivers, from 1919-1991 it was the capital of the former Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
The city was 80% destroyed during World War II and as such was rebuilt in the 1950s to the liking of Stalin. Large, Soviet-bloc style buildings make up a large portion of the heart of the city.
For this reason, Minsk is a wonderful place to visit for those interested in the Soviet Union. Come quickly, however, as modern apartment buildings and developments are rapidly being built in the suburbs and along desirable riverfront property.
Minsk, is the capital and largest city of Belarus, on the Svislach and the Nyamiha Rivers. As the national capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region (voblast) and Minsk raion (district).
In 2013, it had a population of 2,002,600. Minsk is the administrative capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and seat of the Executive Secretary.
Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of the Minsk Hills, a region of rolling hills running from the southwest or upper reaches of the river Nioman to the northeast that is, to Lukomskaye Lake in northwestern Belarus.
The average altitude above sea level is 220 metres (720 ft). The physical geography of Minsk was shaped over the two most recent ice ages.
The Svislach River, which flows across the city from the northwest to the southeast, is in the urstromtal, an ancient river valley formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age.
There are six smaller rivers within the city limits, all part of the Black Sea basin.
Minsk is in the area of mixed forests typical of most of Belarus. Pinewood and mixed forests border the edge of the city, especially in the north and east. Some of the forests were preserved as parks,for example, the Chelyuskinites Park as the city grew.
The city was initially built on the hills, which allowed for defensive fortifications, and the western parts of the city are the most hilly.
Minsk has a warm summer hemiboreal humid continental 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 unstable and tends to change often.
The average January temperature is −4.5 °C (23.9 °F), while the average July temperature is 18.5 °C (65.3 °F). The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January 1940, at −40 °C (−40 °F) and the warmest on 29 July 1936 at 35 °C (95 °F), and on 3 August 2014 at 35 °C (95 °F).
This results in frequent fogs, common in the autumn and spring. Minsk receives annual precipitation of 690 millimetres (27 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. Similar climatic regimes are found in Stockholm, Sweden and in Halifax, Canada.
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 Governorate.
All of the initial street names were replaced by Russian names, though the spelling of the city's name remained unchanged. It was briefly occupied by Grande Armee during French invasion of Russia in 1812.
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, Minskiye gubernskiye vedomosti or 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 through 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 or Liepaja was also constructed.
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.
Minsk was recaptured 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 the houses were reduced to rubble. In 1944, Minsk's population was reduced to a mere 50,000.
After the Second World War, 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. Construction of Minsk Metro began on 16 June 1977, and the system was opened to the public on 30 June 1984, becoming the ninth metro system in the Soviet Union.
The 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.
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 centres.
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 BeltWay has been improved.
Owing to the small size of the private sector in Belarus, most development has so far been financed by the government. In January 2008, the city government announced several projects on its official website.
Among them are the refurbishment of some streets and main avenues, the construction of more up-to-date hotels,one near the Palace of the Republic and Independence Palace on the shore of Lake Komsomolskoye, the demolition of the out-of-date Belarus hotel and the erection in the same premises of a complex consisting of sport facilities, swimming pool.
2 hotel towers and one business centre building with the help of potential foreign investors and the construction of a modern aquatic park in the outskirts of the city.
On 8 September 2007, the city of Minsk celebrated 940 years since its founding.
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.
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 the major language of Minsk, including use for administration and education both secondary and tertiary. However, since the late 1930s Russian again began gaining dominance.
A short period of Belarusian national revival in the early 1990s saw a rise in the 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 numbers of recent migrants from the rural areas use Trasyanka, a Russo-Belarusian mixed language in their everyday lives.
The most commonly used and understood foreign language in Minsk, especially among the younger generation, is English.
There are no reliable statistics on the religious affiliations of those living in Minsk, or among the population of Belarus generally. The majority of Christians belong to the Belarusian Orthodox Church, which is the exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus.
There is a significant minority approximately 20 percent of Roman Catholics.
Currently, there are approximately 30 churches of various denominations in Minsk.
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. Minsk's contributions form nearly 46% of Belarusian budget.
According to 2010 results, Minsk paid 15 trillion BYR to state budget while the whole income from all other regions was 19.9 trillion BYR.
In the period January 2013 to October 2013, 70.6% of taxes in the budget of Minsk were paid by non-state enterprises, 26.3% by state enterprises, and 1.8% by individual entrepreneurs.
Among the top 10 taxpayers were five oil and gas companies including two Gazprom's and one Lukoil's subsidiaries, two mobile network operators MTS and Velcom, two companies producing alcoholic beverages Minsk-Kristall and Minsk grape wines factory and one producer of tobacco goods.
In 2012, Gross Regional Product of Minsk was formed mainly by industry (26.4%), wholesale (19.9%), transportation and communications (12.3%), retail (8.6%) and construction (5.8%).
GRP of Minsk measured in rubles was nearly 120×1012 (trillions or millions of millions; BYR 120 trillion ≈ USD 12.76 billion), or 23.7% of Gross domestic product of Belarus.
Minsk is the major industrial centre of Belarus. According to 2012 statistics, Minsk-based companies produced 21.5% of electricity, 76% of trucks, 15.9% of footwear, 89.3% of television sets, 99.3% of washing machines, 30% of chocolate, 27.7% of distilled alcoholic beverages and 19.7% of tobacco goods in Belarus.
Today the city has over 250 factories and plants. Its industrial development started in the 1860s and was facilitated 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 Alexander Lukashenko'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 work 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 was discouraged, therefore much of the local industry is not highly competitive by international standards.
Major industrial employers include:
Minsk Tractor Plant – specialised in manufacturing tractors. Established in 1946 in eastern Minsk, is among major manufacturers of wheeled tractors in the CIS. Employs about 30,000 staff.
Minsk Automobile Plant – specialising in producing trucks, buses and mini-vans. Established in 1944 in south-eastern Minsk, is among major vehicle manufacturers in the CIS.
Minsk Refrigerator Plant also known as Atlant – specialised in manufacturing household goods, such as refrigerators, freezers, and recently also of washing machines. Established in 1959 in north-west of the city.
Horizont – specialised in producing TV-sets, audio and video electronics. Established in 1950 in north-central Minsk.
Official statistics quote unemployment in Minsk at 0.3%. During 2009 census 5.6% of Minsk residents of employable age called themselves unemployed.The government discourages official unemployment registration with tiny unemployment benefits (70 000 BYR ≈ $7 per month) and obligatory public works.
English is rarely spoken, and tourism is not a priority in Minsk. It would be wise to learn some key phrases in Russian which is the default language, but Belarusian may also be spoken or understood.
There are more than 400 travel agencies in Minsk, about a quarter of them provide agent activity, and most of them are tour operators.
Visa on arrival - You normally must get a visa prior to entry from the Belarussian embassy or consulate in your country. However, if travelling by plane, you may be eligible for a visa on arrival.
Obtaining a visa on arrival costs double the normal price and you must have all your paperwork in order. Detailed price list is available from the Belarus Foreign Ministry website.
If your travel is arranged with a Belarusian travel agency, the procedure may be well planned for you: the original of the tourist invitation letter will be delivered to the Minsk Airport Consulate and carry with you one passport size photo!. Sometimes the Consulate people speak several foreign languages, sometimes - none at all.
Visa-free - Since January 9, 2017, depending on your country, you might be able to enter Belarus visa-free through Minsk Airport for up to 5 days.
Visa-free entry will apply to citizens of 39 European states, including all EU countries, as well as to Brazil, Indonesia, the USA, Japan, Korea and other states.
To enter Belarus visa-free, foreigners need to have a valid passport or other travel document, a certain sum of money equivalent of 2 basic amounts, or 42 Belarusian rubles, for each day of stay, a medical insurance valid in Belarus.
Citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, Honduras, India, China, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa must also have a valid multiple visa to any EU member state or Schengen country with a mark about the entry into their territory, as well as tickets confirming leave from Minsk National airport within 5 days from the date of entry.
Visa-free travel does not apply to persons coming to Belarus with flights from Russia and intending to fly to Russia.
All flights arrive at the National Airport Minsk formerly known as Minsk-2, 37km north-east from the city. If you are applying for a visa in Minsk Airport or just landing there, it is important to know several tips about insurance, visa office and passport control
In 2014, the airport underwent a major refurbishment and has mainly lost its grim feel from the USSR period. Just before the passport control, you will find a cash machine; more are available inside the arrivals.
Approach the passport control with a smile and already filled-in landing card unless you are a Belarusian or Russian citizen.
Straight after that, you can collect your luggage and follow to the customs control. Even if you choose the green corridor, you may be stopped for questioning.
It is a routine practice and shouldn't make anyone anxious: only large sums of cash, luxury products, alcohol and cigarettes will attract the custom officers attention.
The Arrivals hall has few small kiosks with Belarusian souvenirs, alcohol, newspapers and wi-fi cards; also ATMs, currency exchange, car rentals and train/bus ticket machines,more are at the bus stop outside the airport building.
The Departure hall on the third floor has a 24/7 restaurant, several cafes, souvenir shops, bank and post offices.
Free wi-fi is available at the Prime Time cafe, otherwise the whole terminal is covered by decent wi-fi from Beltelecom, an access card is required which is very cheap, available from the Belsajuzdruk newspaper kiosk in the departure hall.
Upon check-in, you will be advised on the sector number for the custom and passport control - allow 15 to 20 minutes to pass them. Several duty-free shops and bars are available just before the boarding gates.
The number of Flight connections to Minsk is constantly growing. Belavia operates regular flights to many capitals across Europe, as well as Israel and Central Asia; to major cities in Russia and Ukraine.
Other airlines, such as Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Austrian, LOT, Ukrainian International Airlines, Air Baltic, Air China and Etihad provide good connections to Minsk from across their networks.
Although low-cost airlines do not serve Minsk, most of the available carriers offer cheap tickets every now and then.
Alternatively, Vilnius has become a popular base for visiting Belarus. A train journey to Minsk takes less than three hours. Also, Moscow and Warsaw are used by some frugal travellers, but a journey time and price are much longer and higher compared to Vilnius.
Minsk National Airport is located 42 km (26 mi) to the east of the city. It opened in 1982 and the current railway station opened in 1987. It is an international airport with flights to Europe and the Middle East.
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 was expected to be closed in 2008 because of the noise pollution in the surrounding residential areas, but in the mid-2010 it is still functioning.
The land of the airport is planned to be redeveloped for residential and commercial real estate, currently branded as Minsk-City.
The airport is served by bus no. 300э running every 30-50 minutes less frequently late in the night from/to Centralny bus terminal, next to the main railway station the Minsk Pasazyrski. The bus stop is clearly visible from the main airport exit - slightly on its left.
For the timetable, see the airport website,Minsktrans website or check at the airport bus stop.
At the Centralny bus terminal, tickets are sold at the ticket office. At the airport, they can be bought from the bus driver for cash or from a ticket machine inside the bus stop shelter and by the main exit from the airport building - paid by debit/credit cards.
Price is BYN4.14 + luggage BYN0.46.
In about 30 minutes after leaving the airport by 300э, the bus stops at Urucca metro station. Ticket to this stop costs about 2/3 of the Centralny bus terminal ticket. Many passengers leave here to continue by metro and other means of public transport.
If travelling to the airport from Urucca, leave the metro station through the front exit, turn right, and find the outermost bus stop. There is a small, well-hidden plate with a timetable.
If you travel to the Autazavod area - Mahiliouskaja metro station - you may prefer taking bus 173э to Sokal suburb and changing for 112с at the same bus stop. Bus 173э, however, has a very infrequent service - see timetable.
In 2014, a train service to/from the airport was launched. The service was discontinued in April 2017 without an announced date to be resumed.
For car from the airport, there are several options. The official airport transfer service National Airport Minsk has a good reputation with short number 7373.
But the official airport transfer service has several important shortcomings: Chinese cars, non-English speaking drivers, low quality of service in general. If you looking for higher level of service you can use private transfer services like Autotransfer or Minsk Airport Transfer.
It should cost about €25-30 and transfers can be ordered in advance using online booking form. Taxis are available at the airport although drivers generally will not speak English, please have the name of your destination written in Belorussian or Russian and be prepared to pay in cash.
There's also Uber in Minsk now. If you have a cell phone, this is probably the easiest and cheapest option – a ride into town can be as cheap as €10.
The width of the train tracks is different in Poland and in Belarus, so if you choose to arrive by train please be prepared for long wheel changing. However, if you are arriving from say, Kiev, Moscow, or Lviv you need not worry about this. Plus as an added bonus, the prices are substantially cheaper from CIS countries.
The direct Sibirjak train from Berlin was withdrawn in December 2013, but Minsk can still be easily reached from other major cities including Kiev, Warsaw, Vilnius and Moscow.
There is a daily train leaving Tsentralnyi Vokzal (Central Station). It departs city around 9 pm and get you to Minsk next morning at around 8 am. Ticket fares are 1100, 1850 and 3500 UAH for different sleeping car types.
There are two options - Direct, and Cheap The Direct trip is about 10 hours. There is Two trains a day -
First departs from Central Station at 21 which arrives in Minsk around 08:00. costs about 70Euro (270 Polish Zloty) Second one departs from Gdanski train station about 16 and arrives in Minsk about 02:00, direction Moscow.
Cost about 150Euro - 600 Polish Zloty To Dworzec Gdanski - Gdanski Train station you should use Metro Blue Line or First Line from Central Station, 3 stops - Direction Mlociny
But there is much cheaper way. 15-25 euro for single Ticket. You must split the trip for 3 trains/busses
First of all you must get to Belarusian Border. The border split cities, Polish city called Terespol and Belarusian city called Brest. You can buy Direct train to Terespol from Central Station or Warszawa Centralna or take a bus to Terespol from Main bus Station situated at Eastern Train Station at Warszawa Zachodnia.
Cost is about 50 Polish Zloty - 11 Euro. Maybe the best way is the train from Central station that departs at 07:00
Secondly, in Terespol there isn't possibility to walk across border, you can take a train to Brest or try to be pick-uped, and cross border by car. You have to get to Brest Central, so train is better option. Train to Brest costs 3Euro, but you have to pay in Polish Zloty.
The passport check is very long, so be in Terespol at least 40 minutes before train departs. Three trains for day, first is departing 11:25. Okey, you passed 200 km.
And the last train is from Brest to Minsk, Which costs 60 000 BYR - About 5 Euro. There are 5-8 trains a day, so easy. At ticket office ask for Kupeyny. The Belarusian trains has numbers like train no XXXX, so just write train number, ask for kupejny and give your passport.
Be aware that trains station in Brest is splited. There are Warszawska Strona or Warsaw Side and Moskevskaja Strona or Moscov Side. Train to Minsk departs from Moscow Side. it is funny that on Polish side you have to pay 11 euro for 200 km, and on Belarusian side you will pay 2-4 Euro for 400Km .
From Vilnius, Lithuania, the train takes about 2.5 hours and runs three times per day - early morning, late afternoon, evening plus there is one or two per day more expensive Kaliningrad–Moscow train at night; see timetable at Belorusian railway website.
The train from Vilnius costs around €15-20 one way if bought in Lithuania or you can buy them in advance for nearly the same price at Belorusian railway online-booking website.
You have to walk to last platform and walk through Schengen passport and customs control and than board a train with selected doors,the conductor checks your tickets. Trains are quite modern with US English voice announcing the stations and border control procedures.
If you are non-belorusian citizen you will receive from a conductor a migration card with two sides to fill out; if the conductor won't give you one, ask for bumazka.
Later, the Belorusian customs service will enter the train, asks you if you have alcohols and cigarettes above the limit and fast-check your baggage. Later the border control with big computer on the neck will came and ask you for your passport and filled bumazka or migration card.
Sometime they can ask for a insurance, letter of invitation or whatever else as everywhere in East Europe: more supporting documents prepared – better for you.
The guide will check everything, stamp your passport and migration card,please do not loose it you will need it in hotels and while leaving Belarus and wish you good luck in Belarus.
Moscow is connected with Minsk via several Belarusian Railway and Russain Railways trains daily, both daytime and overnight. Travel time varies from 8 to 10 hours please see the timetable on BCh or RZD official website.
Trains crossing the border between Russia and Belarus do not stop there for passport check, therefore an overnight train travel from Moscow to Minsk offers a good sleep in a 4-berth or 2-berth compartment.
Driving in, while possible, requires knowledge of the border system. This is a border of the European Union, so control is very strict. Crossing it can take 2 hours. They may check your bags. Without knowledge of Russian, Belarusian or Polish, this can be very hard.
There is a very long queue of cars at every border crossing. However, if you have passport, VISA and car registration papers prepared, act honest and helpful and arrive as a tourist in a personal car, the border crossing can go very smoothly and be over within 45 minutes.
Sometimes it takes 3 hours. If you will ride from Polish Side, from Warsaw, you can see the Truck queue, just pass it, and go direct to Polish City TERESPOL / BREST (Belarussian).
Be Carefull! When you are in Poland and you are 30km near border, The Customs, or Border control have this same rights as Police. Green Cars - Straz Graniczna, So drive slowly, and carefully
Use of two state languages, Belarusian and Russian, across the transport system in Minsk may pose inconvenience for visitors. Effectively, the same stop, station, street or square may be known and referred to by two names, in Belarusian and Russian.
For example, one of the metro interchange stations is known to the Russian-speaking majority, but maps and announcements in metro refer to it in Belarusian.
Transliteration of geographical names on streets, stations etc. into Latin alphabet is done from Belarusian according to the new system.
Learn it as it is used across Minsk metro and on many other signs already. Elsewhere, you will see plenty of examples of the geographical names transliterated from Russian, e.g. Loshytsa, rather than Belarusian Losyca.
Get around by using bus, tram, Metro (subway) or rent a car. All are cheap and reliable. The subway is noted for being clean and safe. All public transport in Minsk operates c. 05.30-00.30; taxis are 24/7 naturally.
A panoramic English-language map of the centre of Minsk that shows every building individually is widely available from bookshops and kiosks.
It also has a conventional map showing more of Minsk and some tourist information. It is worth buying a copy as early on in your visit as you can because it makes getting around on foot easy and fun.
There is large network of buses, trolleybuses and trams in Minsk. Thanks to this system of more lines, there is a direct connection between many places, but the intervals are longer.
The ticket for a single trip costs 0.55 BYN (0,30 USD) while bought in advance or 0.60 BYN (0,32 USD) from a driver. Don't forget to validate your tickets after entering the bus, even when you bought them from a driver!
Timetables are available at public transport operator websites in Russian, or there is Android app in English with connection search, maps and timetables everything offline as well.
The Minsk Metro, is the most reliable transport system around Minsk. Additionally, each metro station is decorated uniquely and the oldest stations of the red, Maskouskaja line, are listed architectural landmarks.
For instance, the station at Kastrycnickaja Plosca or Kastrycnickaja Square is decorated in the theme of the Communist Revolution.
The station at Plosca Pieramohi or Pieramohi Square is decorated in a victory theme, and the Plosca Lienina or Lienin Square station includes a bust of Lenin and a host of hammer and sickle reliefs.
Plošsca Jakuba Kolasa or Jakub Kolas Sq renderes Belarusian folk themes in ceramics beautifully all over its station.
The Metro consists of two lines crossing at the very city centre, the red line runs known as Maskouskaja from the northeast to the southwest, while the blue line Autazavodskaja runs from the the west to the southeast.
All the stations have numbers for example the interchange stations, Kastrycnickaja i Kupalauskaja, are 116 and 216 - in addition to their proper names - for easier reference, they are listed on all new metro maps; however, it is a very recent innovation and the majority of locals are not aware of that yet.
Use stations' proper names if speaking to locals. Train depart every 3 min at rush hour and are almost never late. You can buy tokens at a window inside the station. One ride costs BYN0.60, but if you speak no Belarusian or Russian, just give some money and say: Metro. For those staying for a week or longer, a 10-day or a 14-day pass may be a good option.
You may also rent a car to travel around the country. Rates depend on period of hire and start from USD20 a day. There are offices of Europcar, Avis, SIXT and other rental companies.
Regional trains from Central Station are also cheap. A trip from Minsk to Gomel (5h) with a cabin for 4 cost BLR20,000 and almost never full.
National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus 20 Lienina St. (Kastrycnickaja or Kupalauskaja subway stations). Wednesdays to Mondays, 11am-7pm. Admission BLR50,000 additional fees for photography. Excellent overview of fine arts in Belarus. Many art objects are labeled in English.
The first few rooms cover 18-20 century Russian art; the most interesting part of the collection covering 16-20 century Belarusian fine arts is in the back gallery on the first floor. Until 10 July 2014, the Museum hosts Ten Centuries of Art in Belarus , the largest ever retrospective of Belarusian art (BLR30,000).
The museum has a cafe accessible only to the ticket holders. A tiny shop on the right hand from the entry has a good selection of relevant postcards, books, DVDs and other souvenirs.
Belarus National Museum of History and Culture, 12 Karla Marksa St. Admission BLR7,000. Open Th-Tu 11:00-19:00. There is plenty to see here, sadly there is only Belarusian explanation panels.
Palac Mastactva or Art Palace, Vulica Kazlova 3. Admission Free. Open Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Several exhibition spaces showing modern art, second hand books and antiques stalls.
The Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War , Victory Park. Open Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Evidently much improved since it moved a visit proved most interesting. The halls are well laid out and very modern, featuring an array of military vehicles, weapons, tales of various resistance/partisan fighters and the war for the Eastern Front,All with good labelling in both Russian and English, Eight roubles.
Mastacki Salon, Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci 12. Open M-Sa 10:00-20:00. An art gallery with local artists exhibitions and some overpriced souvenirs.
Museum Miniland, Praspiekt Niezaliezhnasci 25, Minsk.
Open. If you're only going to visit Minsk and none of the other cities in Belarus, be sure to check out the Museum Miniland. Located in the House of Labour Unions it houses 18 and growing models of famous and well-known places in Belarus.
An adult pays 14 BYN and gets access to a very interesting audio guide and of course the models themselves. 14 BYN or ±7 euro.
St Mary Magdeline Church or Tsarkva Svyatoj Maryi Magdaleny, Vulica Kisialiova 42 (Metro: Niamiha). It was built in 1847 in the Russian revival style - with a pointed octagonal bell tower over the entrance.
Saint Peter & Saint Paul Church, Vulica Rakaŭskaja 4 (Metro: Niamiha). Built in 1613 and restored in 1871, it is the oldest church in Minsk. It is very worthwhile to go inside.
Former Residence of Lee Harvey Oswald, Vulica Kamunistycnaja 4 at the bottom left apartment. Lee arrived in the Soviet Union in December 1959 willing to renounce his US citizenship and was sent to Minsk.
He changed his name to Alek and married a native woman, Marina Prusakova, with whom he had a child. The young family left for the United States on June 1, 1962.
KGB Headquarters, Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci 17. This impressive building, on one of the main shopping streets of Minsk has a facade that belies what's found within. It is somehow appropriate that in a country like Belarus, the KGB should be located in a landmark building in the centre of the capital.
If you have ten minutes to spare at the Minsk Airport, in front of the main building you will find five or six old USSR-era planes on display.
You might be willing to hire a private guide when staying in Minsk or another major Belarusian city. Please note that private guides are licensed by the National Tourism Agency - and you can check the list of their names on the official website of the Agency List of private guides in Russian.
A licensed guide in Belarus must always wear a special badge Badge of a licensed guide in Belarus.
Minskaje Mora or Minsk Sea is an artificial reservoir 5km north of the city centre. There's a free public beach, and pedal-boat and catamaran rental. Buses leave the central bus station regularly. Suburban trains go there - they leave from a special platform to the right of the central train station; no need to enter the main building, just head to the right to arrive at three little platforms (22-24) with their own ticket booths.
To get there by car, head north along the P28 and lookout for signs after Ratamka village.
Ice Skating Rink infront of the Palac Respubliki. In Winter there are crowds of people ice skating here. It is open from 8AM to 10PM, and a pair of skates should cost 3000-5000 rubles to rent.
Skiing resorts located at Silicy and Lahojsk are the most popular place to have a rest in Minsk. Located not far from the city they provide wide range of winter activities: skiing, snowboarding, skating, tubing etc.
Woven and embroided linen goods are the most typical presents Belarusians take abroad.
They can be purchased in specialist shops and any large department store. Souvenirs made of straw, wood and leather are traditional to Belarus too not Russian Matryoshka, though, as well as hand-made pottery. Womens housery Milavitsa is widely known across former USSR.
Belarusian vodka isn't as well marketed as Russian or Polish, but can easily compete with those on quality and is traditional to Belarus too; look for well-designed bottles and packaging and the price can generally be a reliable guide to its quality.
Another authentic Belarusian alcoholic drink is krambambulia - a slightly sweet herbal infusion - hard to find. The Minsk Airport has reliable duty free shops with reasonably priced Belarusian alcohol, chocolate and souvenirs.
Shop assistants, however, advise the passangers with transfers in the EU airports not to take the purchased liquids into hand luggage as they may be confiscated by the airport security.
Ragna, 4 Suchaja St. (Frunzienskaja subway station), has a very interesting selection of Belarusian traditional crafts, mostly handmade, unlikely to be found in mainstread shops.
Podzemka, Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci 43. An underground bookshop-cum-art gallery.
Suveniraja Lavka, Vulica Maksima Bahdanovica 9. A souvenir type shop with straw crafts, wooden boxes, embroidered linen & Belarusian alcohol.
Centralnaja Kniharnia, Praspiekt Niezalieznasci 19. A bookshop with posters of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka.
Lianok, 46 Praspiekt Niezalieznasci. A shop specialising in fabrics, good selection of well-manufactured linen good and souvenirs.
Caution to Vegetarians & Vegans, Meat is always on the menu. It isn't considered a meal if meat isn't a part of it but, because of a love of the potato you should be able to get vegetarian side dishes.
Sometimes borsch is made with only potato and beetroot, but be aware that borsch is sometimes cooked with meat. Some golubsty are only stuffed with rice.
If you're a vegan you will have a very hard time trying to adequately feed yourself; buying fresh produce at the numerous markets might be your best bet. Often it can be a lot easier to try and find perhaps an Indian restaurant. Pizza restaurants usually have a meat-free pizza on the menu.
Belarusian cuisine is similar to that of the rest of Eastern Europe, particularly Russian and Ukrainian. Expect heavy potato dishes, mushrooms, soups and baked meat. There's plenty of Western food available in the capital, especially Italian, French and American.
The quality varies, but has improved dramatically in recent years. Note that many local restaurants will have entertainment during nights and weekends.
Pechki-Lavochki, Main Ave. Is a great Belarusian restaurant.
Vasilki, Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci (Independence Avenue), 16, A restaurant serving traditional local cuisine. Pleasant interior in a rustic style. Breakfasts from 8am. There are also restaurants at J. Kolasa str., 37, and Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci, 89
Beze, Main ave. Viennese style cafe with a great bakery and light snacks.
Gourman, close to Grand Opera Theater. Styled as an Italian trattoria. It serves Belarusian and European cuisine.
Freski Cafe, Niezalieznasci Square. Cafe with a large choice of main dishes.
Taj, vulica Brylieuskaja, 2. Wonderful North Indian restaurant. Vegetarians will find heaven. There should be an English menu available also. Vegetarian dishes start from around BR6,000 and mains from BR12,000. Open Noon-Midnight.
Tiflis, vulica Talbuchina 3. Quite solid Georgian food – get the classics here, including khachpuri, walnut salads and hearty soups, along with a variety of meat dishes. Around 20 BYN.
National Food, Trinity Suburb. Not the restaurant's real name but this place has "National Food" on the front in big English letters so should be easy to find. It has a large menu of traditional food available in English, including a couple of vegetarian options. Mains BR20,000 to BR30,000. The food really sticks to your ribs. They also sell honey-flavoured kvass.
News Cafe, Vulitsa Karla Marksa 34. Across from the UK embassy and a must try in Minsk. Order the El-Capone – wonderful veal.
McDonald's, at corner of Pr. Niezalieznasci and Vul. Lienina / corner of Vul. Niamiha and Vul. Ramanaŭskaja Slabada. The two prominent McDonald's restaurants in downtown Minsk are clear signs that Belarus has in fact changed a lot since the end of the cold war. There are also Sbarro, KFC and other Western chains aplenty in town.
A typical drink is Kefir, which is a sort of sour milk, similar to yogurt.
Krambambulia is a traditional medieval alcohol drink which you can buy in most stores or order in a restaurant. It's a pretty strong drink but its taste is much softer than vodka.
London, Pr. Niezalieznasci close to KGB headquarters, on the other side of the street. This friendly little cafe, in the shadow of the KGB headquarters, offers a wide range of teas, free wi-fi, seating outdoors with heaters and a small cozy room upstairs where it's possible to sit and talk in a relatively private setting.
Golden Coffee Cafe, Pr. Niezalieznasci, 18. 7a - 2a. This cafe is on the main strip of Minsk and one of the few that has both an outside and inside patio. The food is exquisite and they provide free wifi until 18:00 when it automatically goes off. Moderate.
Grand Cafe, Lenin Str., 2. 12-12. A high end restaurant on lovely Lenin Street. Great food and arguably the best service in Minsk. Try the roasted duck or Salmon with asparagus. They offer a no smoking section, menu' is in English and most of the servers speak good English, too. Making a reservation is recommended, especially on weekends.
Please note that a foreign guest must get registered with the local police department - Department for Citizenship and Migration within 5 business days. This means that you can arrive in Belarus on Tuesday and leave on Sunday without the registration stamp.
Most hotels process the registration automatically upon check-in while many apartment rentals might be reluctant to provide registration. Check if the rental service offers registration service and at what price.
Marx hostel, 8-99 Karla Marksa str., Minsk if you are going from the railroad station: go by Kirava str. than turn left on Valadarskaha str. till you reach K. Marksa str. From Kupalaŭskaja subway station: just go down by K. Marksa str. untill building #8. Remember: entrance to the hostel is from the side of building closer to building #10. Outside door code: 3+8. Cheap,quiet,central location.
Minsk Hostel of the International Relations Center, Karalia Str., 12. Unfairly overlooked by international tourism, this Minsk Hostel of the International Relations Center (Belarus Ministry of Education) is a well-located block of budget rooms that has few matches in budget quality/rate category. The hostel can only be booked by telephone. No English-speaking personnel.
Hostel Traveler, Haladzieda str. Opened in May 2012. Away from the center but in a fully-renovated house. Spacious rooms and facilities. English is spoken. Check the website of the hostel for more information.
Riverside Hostel, Staravilenskaja str. 14,. The Riverside Hostel is so named because it is situated on the left bank of the river Svislac in Trajeckaje Pramiescie, which is the most famous tourist area of Minsk.
The hostel has a spacious living room, kitchen, rooms for four and six people, and a double. Free wi-fi is available everywhere. The hostel occupies two floors of a three-floored building. Check the website of the hostel for more information.
EasyFlat Hostel, Aeradromnaja str. 40, app. 14. Stay in the city center enjoying calm and cozy atmosphere. Attractive price, comfort and high quality – this combination is to be found in hostel $15.
On the web you can find a lot of cheap offers to rent a flat. Average price is about 50 USD for the night. There is also a good rental service provided. They rent rooms in good quality in the center of Minsk. They also provide assistance for Visas.
You might receive a call to your hotel room late at night offering a massage. To avoid being woken up it is worth unplugging your phone.
40 Let Pobedy (40 Years of Victory), Azgura, 3. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. Nice rooms, decent location. No internet, few English speaking receptionists. $45/shared room.
Hotel Belarus, Staražoŭskaja, 15-201. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. Great location, clean Soviet hotel with very old school interior. Great indoor pool/hot tub and a gym, cost $10 extra. Free wifi in lobby. €35/single.
Hotel Orbita Praspiekt Puškina 39, a clean 208 room hotel with friendly but boring staff. There is a supermarket next door and Cash Exchange in the hotel lobby. The airport and train terminal are about 6km away. It is in the western part of Minsk not far from the Republican Exhibition Centre. it is near Pushkinskaya metro Station
Minsk Vacation Apartments and Vacation apartments for rent in central Minsk. Near major railway stations. 1-3 room flats. Rates: €30-200.
Apartments Service Minsk Comfortable apartments for short term stay. Studio, 1-bedroom, 2 bedrooms. Location in the center. Prices 50-170 euro.
Flats for rent,Furnished modern apartments for living in Minsk. Short-term rental of lodgings.
Apartments for Rent in Minsk Furnished apartments for rent in Minsk. Short and long term apartment rentals in Minsk, Belarus.
Planeta, Praspiekt Pieramozcau, 31. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. They have great services all within the hotel. Internet cafe is open till 8PM. Casino is open 24h.
Hotel Europe , Internacyjanalnaja str., 28. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 12:00. Exclusive five-star hotel situated in the historical and cultural heart of Minsk, at the intersection of Lienin Street and Internacyjanalnaja Street.
The beautiful 7-storey atrium-type building is carried out in Modern Style of early XX century. Late departure (till 11PM (24.00) is charged with 50% of the room rate. From €265.
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kirava Str., 13. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. 5 star international hotel in the heart of Minsk. The hotel, with its unique architecture, is opposite the Minsk Dynamo Stadium and within walking distance from the Minsk Niezalieznasci Square.
Renaissance Minsk Hotel, Dzerzhinsky Avenue 1 E Minsk 220036 Belarus. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. 5 star international hotel in the heart of Minsk.Whether you are traveling in Minsk on business or leisure, Renaissance Minsk Hotel is an ideal place in Minsk to stay. Hotel is located on one of the main transport highway in close proximity to the city center.
Minsk is a very safe and clean city especially compared to neighbouring capital cities like Kiev or Moscow. Unlike most Central and Eastern European cities, there are very few homeless and drunkards wandering the streets.
Although locals might insist otherwise, Minsk is a city where you really must go out of your way to find trouble, even at night. If you are in need of assistance, there is a strong police presence in the city centre. However, their ability to speak English in most cases will be severely limited.
Be careful when photographing government buildings and the monument to Lenin at Independence Square. While you might be observed and kindly ushered away from the monument, photographing government buildings can lead to trouble with authorities and even arrest.
Be mindful of what you are photographing.
While not seen as frequently as in Kiev, be aware of cars or delivery trucks moving on sidewalks. In some areas of Minsk parking is limited forcing drivers to manoeuvre and park their vehicles onto pedestrian lanes.
Lake Narac is the largest lake in Belarus, located about 160 km north of Minsk.
Brest is a regional capital on the border with Poland and is rich with history from both the Soviet times and before. You can see a Brest Hero Fortress, perhaps the most impressive Soviet monument ever built. You can get there by train (~20 daily trains running from Minsk) at $5-20.
It takes 3-4 hrs by train. There are also overnight trains.
Hrodna is a border town in north-west Belarus, near 46 Kuznica-Bialostocka in Poland.
Mir is a Medieval castle about 85 km from Minsk. It once belonged to the Radziwill family, one of the noble families of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During WW2 it was used as a Ghetto by the Nazis for the local Jewish population.
Inside the castle is a museum containing artefacts from its history, including exhibits from Jewish life in the Ghetto and in the nearby village.
Nesvizh Castle or Niasvizh Castle is a residential castle of the Radziwill family which is located in Nesvizh, a town 30 km from Mir castle. In 1994, the castle complex was designated the national historical and cultural reserve. In 2005 the castle complex was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Minsk has the highest crime rate in Belarus – 193.5 crimes per 10,000 citizens.20–25% of all serious crimes in Belarus, 55% of bribes and 67% of mobile phone thefts are committed in Minsk.However, attorney general Grigory Vasilevich stated that homicide rate in Minsk in 2008 was "relatively fine".
Crime rate grew significantly in 2009 and 2010:for example, number of corruption crimes grew by 36% in 2009 alone.Crime detection level varies from 13% in burglary to 92% in homicide with an average 40.1%.
Many dwellers are concerned for their safety at night and the strongest concern was expressed by residents of Chizhovka and Shabany microdistricts both in Zavodski District.
The SIZO-1 detention center, IK-1 general prison, and the KGB special jail called "Amerikanka" are all located in Minsk.
Alexander Lukashenko's rivals in the 2010 presidential election were imprisoned in the KGB jail along with other prominent politicians and civil activists. Ales Michalevic, who was kept in this jail, accused the KGB of using torture.
Tourism Observer
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