Svyato-Dukhov cathedral church
The history of the church starts from 1633-1642, when the building that was used as a cathedral church was constructed. In 1741 the building was damaged with fire that became the reason for its reconstruction. And in 1852 it was abrogated and was transported to Nesvizh. Several years later church building was given to Russian Orthodox Church and was named in honor of the Holy Ghost. Until 1922 there was a Friary.

Now the Holy Ghost church is a cathedral church in Minsk. In the iconostasis of this church there are many fine icons, among which is thaumaturgic icon of Mother of God that was discovered in Minsk in 1500.

Victory Obelisk
The obelisk on Victory square in Minsk was erected on the 4th of June in 1954 in the memory of soviet solders and partisans of Great Patriotic War.
The memorial is 38 meters high; it is crowned with victory order. Bronze high relieves on the sides of the memorial and four bronze wreaths make the composition really heroic.

Troitskoye suburb
The first settlements on the bank of the river Svisloch dates back to 12-13th centuries. The historians suppose that the name of Troitskoye suburb appeared in 15th century from the Saint Trinity church. Approximately in 14th century on the mountain there was built Ascent monastery with wooden church. In 15-17th centuries around the settlements of Troitskoye suburb, down market and Rakovsky suburb the fortress buildings were erected. The suburb itself was filled with wooden houses where workmen, tradesmen and military men lived.

Later events changed greatly the Troitskoye suburb look.
Not very big part of old Troitskoye suburb was restored in 1980s. Houses and inner yards create the atmosphere of the 1st part of 19th century, though a lot of buildings have basements and floors that date back to earlier period. Unfortunately, during the reconstruction along Communal bank a part of building of 17th century was assembled. Among the saved building there is an old synagogue where the House of Nature is situated. There are also plenty of museums, shops and cafes there.

Troitsky monastery (Bogdanovich st., 2)
In 15th century one of the first famous churches was built in Troitskoye suburb. In 1630 there was founded the Troitsky monastery. First all the buildings of the monastery except the church was wooden, but at the end of 18th century the architect F.

Cramer lifted up stone constructions. The documents say that all the buildings were decorated with frescos, but the later researches proved that the part of them is saved under the whitewash layer. The fire in 1809 damaged the monastery, but it was restored under the M. Chkhovsky guidance. After the liquidation of the church in 1839 the buildings were reconstructed into the city hospital.

Mariavitsky Monastery (Bogdanovich st.,29)
This not very visible house has a very rich history, though it is quite new. It was built in 1811 as a mariavitcky nunnery and a hospital. That project was created by architect M.Chkhovsky.

The hospital was used for looking after orphans, poor and old people. Cloistresses of St. Vikenty order looked after that people. So the hospital also has the features of medieval organization.

In 1854 the monastery was abrogated and in restored buildings the orthodox seminary became to exist. But in 1917 that seminary was closed and the buildings were used as Belarusian military school. After the II World War, in 1953, the main building was completely reconstructed and two upper floors appeared. From that time Suvorovsky college is situated there.

Troitskaya Square
Troitskaya square became to exist in 15th century and soon there was built a church where nowadays the theatre is situated. At the beginning of the 19th century the church was burned and was never restored. Till the middle of the 20th century this square had only commercial function.

In 1935-1937s the Opera and Ballet Theatre was being build there. This great building is very impressive though it is half smaller than the first project. During the II World War the whole square was surrounded by barbed wire and served as a place where the prisoners of war were kept. Later the square became a garden with lots of green trees.

Roman Catholic Church of St. Simeon and Helen
The church of St. Simeon and Helen that is known as ‘Red Church’ was built in 1908-1910s. The main contribution to its building was brought by nobleman and Judge Eduard Voinilovich. The church was named in memory of Voinilovich’s children who died at very young age.

The church that was projected by two Polish architects Tomash Poyazdersky and Vladislav Markoni became the symbol of sorrow for died children.

During the period of bolshevism there was a cinema and later – movie studio. Only recently, in 1990 the church was given its previous status. Nowadays it is opened for all believers.

Yanka Kupala Park
Yanka Kupala park was made on the right bank of the river Svisloch according to the project of the architect I. Rudenko in the middle of the 20th century. Before the war there were wooden buildings, biggest part of which was destroyed during the first days of World War II. One of the sights of the park is fountain ‘Venok’, dedicated to the ancient public holiday – Kupalle.

In 1959 there was built a literature museum named after Yanka Kupala. In the new building the architects tried to reproduce the house where the writer lived. Even though the biggest part of Kupala’s private archives were spoiled with fire, the museum workers collected a big part of his writings, photos, documents, different things connected with author’s life and work.

National academic Big ballet theatre of Belarus
The theatre was established in 1933. It was based on Belarusian studio of opera and ballet. During seventy years of its existence Belarusian ballet became one of the leading ballets in Europe.

In recent fifteen years ballet troop of Big theatre visited more than 30 countries of the world and some of them even several times. During one theatrical season our troop performs about 150 performances on the main scene.

Art museum
One of the best in our country, it has collections of sculptures, graphic and paintings. There we can find works of A. Venetsianov, I. Aivazovsky, K. Brulov, V. Petrov, A. Savrasov, V. Polyonov, etc. There are plenty of Belarusian artists’ works: still-lives and portraits of I. Khrutsky, landscapes of S. Zhukovsky, works of M. Savitsky, V. Volkov, Z. Azgura, etc.

Historical museum of Great Patriotic War
It is one of the biggest museums because of the amount of historical materials that are kept there. In the museum we can find battle standards that belonged to battle troops, partisan brigades and models of weapon. The exposition contains also photos and private things of the leaders of Belarusian front – K. Rokossovsky, G. Zakharov, and I. Chernyakhovsky.

Memorial complex ‘Khatyn’
The branch of the historical museum of Great Patriotic War was opened on the 5th of July in 1969 during the celebration of 25th anniversary dedicated to the liberation of Belarus from Germans. It became the place of commemoration of people who lived in Khatyn and in other Belarusian villages that were burned by the German invaders. There is always an eternal flame there.

The mound of glory to Soviet army
It was made in order to commemorate great national exploit and cruel battles. The land brought from Brest castle, from Belarusian villages and prominent cities is mixed here. More than million people took part in the creation of the mound that was opened on the 5th of July in 1969 during the celebration of 25th anniversary dedicated to the liberation of Belarus from Germans.

The Oktyabrskaya square
It is one of the two most prominent Minsk squares – no wonder; it was projected just like that… ‘Zero kilometer’ – is a kind of memorial to the milestone that was there in the 19th century.

The first variant of the title of the square is ‘Central’. The square was projected and build in 1949-1950s. In September 1952 the memorial to I.V. Stalin was erected on the square. It was 10 meters high.

In 1957 between the central square and central garden governmental tribunes were built from which government leaders of BSSR ruled the parades and greeted demonstrations. So, the central square has got the status of the main square in Minsk. On the 3rd of November 1961 the monument to Stalin was destroyed. In 1984 the square got a new title – Oktyabrskaya and building of the Palace of the Republic began. In 1994 ‘Zero kilometer’ became to exist there.
Nowadays the square often becomes the place where the public and political meetings and concerts are held.

Palace of the Republic
Main designation of the Palace is passing mass measures, concerts, opera nights, New Year holidays with a fir-tree for kids and adults, different exhibitions, appearance of symphonic orchestras etc.

The Palace began its work on the 31 of December in 2001. It is 100 meters length and 100 meters wide, and has general square of 13 hectares. The height of the Palace is 45 meters above the ground and 20 meters under.

When planning the project there were taken into consideration and used all the new technical achievements in native and foreign practice of projecting and building the edifices of such a kind. Technological equipment allows passing public and political measures, international congresses.

The Storozhevskaya Hill
That place was named so because of the distant approaches to the Minsk Castle which were here long ago. And on this hill the defensive edifices were located.

Uptown
Uptown is the most conserved and interesting part of Minsk, it is not the oldest, though. It was given its name in the 16th century, but the territory began to people also early enough – since 12th century.

Uptown was keeping a leading role in the life of Minsk since the end of 16th century until the middle of the 20th century. Its architectural ensemble had been formed for several centuries, and it is still the example of the town building art with the features of gothic, renaissance, baroque, and classicism styles.

The central part is occupied with the huge (as it was understood in the Middle Ages) square which was founded in the middle of the 16th century. Since that time and up to the 20th century it was the main square of the city. Several times its name was changed: the High market-place, the Napoleon’s square, the Ratushnaya square, the Cathedral square, and, at last, the Independence square is its modern name.

Jesuits` monastery (The Independence Square, № 7, 9)

For the first time jesuits appeared in Minsk in 1654, when the bishop of Smolensk had presented them with two storied renaissance palace. In 1678 jesuits also bought the neighboring brick house.

At that very time the first Roman Catholic Church of brick had already existed, though it was not very large. The real rise of Minsk jesuits began in 1699, when they started to rebuild their residence into the gorgeous complex, and the first edifice they raised was the building of new school. In 1700-1710s the new huge Roman Catholic Church was raised. And four years later jesuits` residence in Minsk was given the status of college, and that proved out the quality of education. Up to the 1747 building of the college edifice had been finished. In 1749 the detached building of pharmacy and the row of other buildings were raised there.

In 1773, after the abrogation of jesuits` order, on that base was opened the secondary school. In twenty years, after the Russian conquering, the school was used as the governor palace. It preserved, but in 1968 was rebuilt.

The Maryinskiy Roman Catholic Church still exists, and even nowadays it is the biggest in our city.

Downtown
The centre of the city after it had been removed to a new place was situated on the bank of the river Svisloch between the Nemiga street and the Winners prospect. In fact this prospect crosses the oldest part of modern Minsk – former castle.
Before the last war there was a district with narrow medieval streets and trading square of Down market-place that someday was formed near the entrance of the castle. The destruction of this most ancient part of Minsk began during the years of war and continued till the 70s of 20th century. And for 30 years already there are only the wasteland and the entrance into Metropolitan railway on the place of the ancient centre, where before the war there were two and three-stored stone buildings of 17-18 centuries.

The town hall of Minsk
The edifice of town hall of Minsk was built in first decades of the 16 century and was made of wood. Archaeologists still haven’t found its remains, but it was situated on the place of nowadays City town hall – on the Independence square, former Cathedral square.

Stone building replaced the wooden one in 1582, and it stood at that very place but in the centre of the square. After the fire in 1640 town hall was rebuilt so that it got more expressive architectural look. The building also outlived the terrible for Belarus war with Moskoviya in years 1654-1667, when every second inhabitant of The Great Princedom of Lithuania died. Moscow tsar Aleksey Mikhaylovich Romanov, who ordered his archers and retainers to burn and kill everybody and everything, to people’s surprise, had mercy on the town hall. Moscow waywode Yakovlev, reporting to the tsar from Minsk, mentioned the town hall as nice, stately building of stone.

Bohemian Tanner, who visited Minsk in 1678 also declared the town hall the main embellishment of the square. In 1774 the building of town hall that had already come into decay was restored on citizen’s money. But after the adjunction of The Great Princedom of Lithuania to Russia, the town hall was used as court hall, guard-house, police office, archive, musical school and even theatre.

In 1857 the building of the town hall was brought down because "its existence reminded people of ancient customs and about The Magdeburg Right". It was the order of Nikolay I and he personally managed to bring the building down.

It was restored only in 2004, at the same time the restoration was being conducted in record breaking time: in September of 2002 representatives of the government laid the foundation of the building, and at the beginning of 2004 the town hall was already built. In the big exposition hall under the glass...the model of historical centre of Minsk of the beginning of 19th century will be placed. At the basement of the town hall the reserved elements of a stove pavement and brickwork are exposed. All of these exhibits are gathered during digging up the historical part of the city.

The Tears Island
On the 3rd of August in 1996 was opened the monument "To Sons of the Motherland who died out of its boundaries".
In front of the monument there is the boulder-stone with the bronze icon of the Mother of God and text, that explains the theme of the monument. This boulder-stone was placed on the island as a pledged stone in 1988.

The monument looks like a church, based on the project of the original look of Efrosiniya Polotskaya Cathedral, as it was in XI century.
Inside of the monument there are four altars with engraved names of 771 soldiers who were lost in Afghanistan. Light ruby symbolizes blood of Christ and blood of dead soldiers.

There is a Holy place in the centre of the Church. The Afghanistan soil that is washed off with the blood of our soldiers is put into the ground there, and also the soil from their graves.

There is a capsule with the list of those who was lost and advertisement to the descendants right here. Metal strings, that sound when the wind is blowing, are strengthened to five bells.

Bells of Memory toll for souls of lost Belarusian soldiers.
Boulder-stones with the names of Afghanistan provinces, where soviet troops led their fighting actions, are also situated on the island. Planned as the memorial to soldiers, who had died in Afghanistan (there are about 30 thousand of Belarusian people and natives of the republic participated in the war), it became the memorial to all the sons and daughters of Belarus, who were lost in battles of all the times.