Not gonna lie: If you had asked me a while ago if I had any desire to travel to Minsk, I would've definitively said no. But after some friends pitched it to me, and I decided to give it a try, I was quickly sold on the Belarusian capital. Maybe it was the time of year -- or the presence of a police state -- but everything was pleasantly calm and orderly. The spacious main central square, by the Palace of the Republic and the Palace of Culture, felt almost desolate (left). Although the bike paths were begging to be used for a ride, they were empty as well (right).
Tucked amid the grandiose government buildings is a cozy historical center, including a
Town Hall that could be from small-town USA (top left). The quaintness almost seems like a movie set, with a
Central Snack Hall straight out of central casting (top right). The area is so picturesque that I saw multiple brides having their wedding photos taken in the vicinity (bottom left). The old town leaks across the river to the small suburb of
Trinity Hill (bottom right).
From that cluster of candy-cotton buildings, a short bridge connects you to the brutalist movement of the more recent past, as represented by an Afghanistan war monument on the harshly named
Island of Tears (top left). Its facade is echoed on the central tower of the Parliament building, which sits on
Independence Square (top right). The metro station there is still called Lenin Square, and
a statue of him still stands nearby. Frequently the communist flourishes seem strikingly out of place, such as the
Liberation Memorial of World War II Red Army tank, whose pedestal is across from a modern apartment building (bottom left), or the harsh edges of Soviet bas-relief sculptures standing atop the capitalist branding of KFC (bottom right).
Still, this stunningly well-preserved architecture remains one of the main draws of Minsk. During my travels in the region I have seen similar obelisks surrounded by tall buildings in plazas called
Victory Square (top left). But none of them contained eternal flames honoring the country's war dead kept under constant guard (top right). And it was a little shocking to see blatant hammer-and-sickle signs, on the gate of the
House History Museum right around the corner (bottom left) -- and right across the street from the
apartment where Lee Harvey Oswald once stayed (bottom right).
What impressed me most was just the sheer diversity of the structural styles. The
National Library's central feature, a rhombicuboctahedron, draws lots of photo-op seekers, so it was a perfect place to advertise Minsk as the host of this year's
European Games (top). A couple of Metro stops away is the
Komarovsky Market, which seems to rival the bibliotheque with its lofty interior (bottom left). An equally large outdoor market was buzzing, despite the fact that it was still full-on winter (bottom right).
The country is so proud of its many historical buildings, particularly churches, that they have been replicated at the
Mini Museum. One model shows an interactive Christmas fair next to an Orthodox cathedral (top). Despite its conservative tendencies, by virtue of religious and political regulations, Belarusians know how to have a good time. Some kind of performance is on tap almost daily. At one Metro station there is a
memorial to the victims of a stampede spurred by a sudden thunderstorm at an open-air concert (bottom left). The young and hip descend upon the old warehouses of
Kastrycnickaja Street, which has become a popular artistic district (bottom right).
The cultural destination is home to quite a few innovative restaurants, but I grabbed some falafel from a nearby food shack and headed to
(top right). Later, I sampled the Russian producer's
(middle left). At
(middle right). At
Australian pale ale (bottom left). But for all-around atmosphere and tap variety the prize definitely goes to
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