VirtualGlobetrotting: Belarus: Minsk

VirtualGlobetrotting Live View

Maly Trostenets Extermination Camp
Dania (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Dania.
Read more...
Maly Trastsianiets extermination camp, a small village on the outskirts of Minsk, Belarus, was the site of a Nazi extermination camp.
Originally built in the summer of 1941, on the site of a Soviet kolkhoz, as a concentration camp, to house Soviet prisoners of war who had been captured following the German attack on Soviet Union which commenced on June 22 of that year (known as Operation Barbarossa), the camp became a Vernichtungslager, or extermination camp, on May 10, 1942 when the first transport of Jews arrived there. While many Jews from Germany, Austria and the present-day Czech Republic met their deaths there (in most cases almost immediately upon their arrival, by being trucked to the nearby Blagovshchina (Благовщина) and Shashkovka (Шашковка) forests killing grounds and shot in the back of the neck), the primary purpose of the camp was the extermination of the substantial Jewish community of Minsk and the surrounding area. Mobile gas chambers deployed here performed a subsidiary if not insignificant function in the genocidal process.
On June 28, 1944, as the Red Army approached the region, the Nazis bombed the camp in an attempt to obliterate evidence of its existence, in conformity with the aims of the so‑called Aktion 1005. But the Soviets are said to have discovered 34 grave‑pits, some (not all) measuring as much as 50 meters in length and 3 to 4 meters in depth, located in the Blagovshchina Forest some 500 meters from the Minsk–Mogilev highway, at about the 11th‑kilometer mark (according to the special report prepared by the Soviet Extraordinary State Commission in the 1940s). No survivors of the camp are known to exist, and original estimates of the number of people killed there ranged from 200,000 to more than half a million. Yad Vashem currently estimates the number as 65,000 Jews while German historian Christian Gerlach estimates the number to be in the range of 40,000–60,000. Signage on the site indicates 206,000 were murdered there.

Residence of President of the Republic of Belarus
boothy443 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: boothy443.
Read more...

Dinamo Stadion Minsk
boothy443 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: boothy443.
Read more...
Home pitch to FC Dinamo Minsk and Belarus national football team.

Minsk-Arena
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Mil-Mi-6 helicopters
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Two Mil Mi-6 helicopters in derelict condition at an airbase near Minsk, Belarus

Kuropaty forest
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
Kurapaty (Belarusian: Курапаты) is a wooded area on the outskirts of Minsk, Belarus, in which a vast number of people were executed between 1937 and 1941 by the Soviet secret police, the NKVD.
The exact count of victims is uncertain, NKVD archives are classified in Belarus. According to various sources the number of people to have been perished in Kurapaty is estimated to be the following: up to 7,000 people (according to attorney general of Belarus Bozhelko), at least 30,000 people (according to attorney general of BSSR Tarnaŭski), up to 100,000 people (according to “Belarus” reference book), from 102,000 to 250,000 people (according to the article by Zianon Pazniak in “Litaratura i mastactva” newspaper), 250,000 people (according to Polish historian and professor of University of Wrocław Zdzisław Julian Winnicki), and more (according to the British historian Norman Davies).

Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

MiG-25, MiG-25, Su-27, Mil Mi-8 & Mil Mi-24
Rene73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Rene73.

Minsk Airport (MSQ/UMMS)
cmike77 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: cmike77.

Rail Turntable
boothy443 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: boothy443.

Government House (Minsk) and Independence Square

Minsk-Passazirsky station
Central rail station for Minsk

National Belarusian Library
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
The National Library of Belarus, founded on September 15, 1922, is a copyright library of the Republic of Belarus. It houses the largest collection of the Belarusian print and the third largest collection of books in Russian behind the Russian State Library (Moscow) and the Russian National Library (St. Petersburg).
It is now located in a new 72-metre (236 feet) high building in Minsk, Belarus. The building has 22 floors and was completed in January 2006. The building can seat about 2,000 readers and features a 500-seat conference hall. Its main architectural component has the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron. The library's new building was opened on June 16, 2006.

The Parus (tallest building in Belarus)
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.

Minsk Gazprom Headquarters (tallest building in Belarus) under construction
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.
620 ft tall upon completion. Currently on hold.

Pischalauski Castle
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
Pischalauski Castle, also spelled Pishchalauski Castle, is a castle in Minsk, Belarus. The castle is also sometimes called the Belarusian Bastille. It is a registered state architectural monument.
The castle was built in 1825. It formerly served as a prison. The architect was named Pishchala. The castle was the site of the imprisonment of Belarusian writer Yakub Kolas from 1908 to 1911.

Island of Tears
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.
A memorial set up in 1988 to commemorate Belarusian soldiers who died in the war in Afghanistan started by the USSR.

Stadyen Traktor
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.
Capacity : 17,586

Minsk Automobile Plant
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.
Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ, Russian: Производственное республиканское унитарное предприятие «Минский автомобильный завод», Open JSC "Minsky Avtomobilny Zavod") is a state-run automotive manufacturer association in Belarus, one of the largest in the Eastern and Central Europe.

Belarusian State Circus

Ferris Wheel in Gorky Park (tallest ferris wheel in Belarus)

Gorky Park (Minsk)
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
Gorky Park is a public park in Minsk, Belarus. In is located near the Victory Square and the Yanka Kupala Park.

Maxim Bogdanovich Literature Museum
The Belarusian poet and journalist Maxim Bogdanovich (1891-1917) had an enormous effect on Belarusian literature, a fact reflected in the naming of several streets throughout the country in his honour. This museum, one of several in Belarus dedicated to his life, is somewhat specialised as well as lacking in any English explanations to the exhibits.

Lens Flare

Zair Azgur Museum
The award-winning, Vitebsk-born Zair Isaakovich Azgur (1908-1995) is a household name in Belarus. Azgur being one of the most celebrated Belarusian artists of the Soviet era, his busts of soldiers, the political elite and a few surprising others graced and in many cases still grace plinths throughout the former mighty empire. This little known museum, housed inside the sculptor’s former home and workshop, is a real jaw-dropper, and should feature on all itineraries to the city. A massive head of Karl Marx greets visitors, although the main reason for dropping by is the vast space on the second floor, dominated by a series of large floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with Azgur’s work. Magnificent.

Chelyuskinites Park
Chelyuskinites Park is an urban forest park in Minsk, Belarus. The park's area is 78 hectares.
The park contains an amusement park. Other attractions include a Children's Railroad, operated exclusively by teenagers, and a cinema Raduga. There is a Minsk Metro station "Park Chalyuskintsau" next to the park. The park is adjacent to the Minsk Botanical Garden.

Holy Spirit Cathedral (Minsk)
The Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk, Belarus is dedicated to the Holy Spirit. The cathedral dates back to 1633-1642, when the Bernardine monastery was built, at a time when the city was in centre of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The building was damaged by fire in 1741 and required the reconstruction of the monastery.

Troitskoye Predmestye (Trinity Suburb)
Minsk’s old town, more commonly known as Troitskoe Predmestye (Trinity Suburb, or just Trinity) after the former Trinity Church that once stood in the area, is a slight misnomer in that it dates from just three decades ago. Built between 1982 and 1985 on the site of a former settlement dating from the 12th century, Trinity does at least offer a break from the sprawling concrete of the city centre. The birthplace of the Belarusian poet and journalist Maxim Bogdanovich, the area boasts a number of decent restaurants and bars, making it worth having a look round, especially during the summer.

National Opera and Ballet of Belarus
Xeba73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Xeba73.
The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus. The current building was opened in 1939.

Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary
Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic baroque cathedral in Minsk.

Belarusian National Arts Museum
Belarusian National Arts Museum is a museum in Minsk, Belarus. It is the largest museum in the country.

Minsk
Minsk is the capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As the national capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus; it is also the administrative centre of Minsk Region (voblast) and Minsk raion (district).

Yanka Kupala Park
Yanka Kupala Park is a park in Minsk, Belarus located along Svislach river. This park is named after Yanka Kupala, one of the classics of Belarusian literature of early 20th century.

Oktyabrskaya Square
Originally functioning as a small marketplace until the first half of the 19th century, October Square is now a massive open space that effectively serves as the centre of the city where a small granite pyramid marks the spot. Most famous as a place of celebration, public events and an outdoor skating rink during the winter. Perhaps the most interesting if not bizarre story of the square is the discovery of several mammoth skeletons when the Metro line below was being built.

SAM S-300 SITE
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.

Embassy of Lithuania, Minsk
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.

Central Botanical Gardens
Taking up a considerable portion of the city’s Chelyuskintsev Park, the Central Botanical Gardens date from 1932 and feature some 9,000 different species.

Military Cemetery
First opened in 1840 and moved to its current location in 1895, the cemetery contains the war dead from countless campaigns from the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 to those who fell during the Great Patriotic War. The cemetery also contains the graves of several notable figures in Belarusian culture including that of the poet and writer Yanka Kupala (1882-1942), whose name crops up in several places around the capital.

FC Minsk Stadium
Home of FC Minsk, FC Krumkachy Minsk, and FC Isloch Minsk Raion

Minsk-1 Airport (MHP)
Minsk-1 Airport (IATA: MHP, ICAO: UMMM) is an airport located within the city limits of Minsk, Belarus, just a few kilometres south from the centre. It takes about 10 minutes by car or bus to reach the airport from the city centre. It has one 2000 m x 60 m runway, enabling aircraft of maximum weight of 63 tons to operate.

Minsk Sports Palace
Minsk Sports Palace is an indoor sports arena, located in Minsk, Belarus. The arena seats 4,842 spectators and opened in 1966.

Victory Square
Victory Square (Belarusian: Пло́шча Перамо́гі, Russian: Пло́щадь Побе́ды) — square in the centre of the City of Minsk located at the crossing of Independence avenue and Zakharau street. The square is located in the historic centre of Minsk nearby with the museum of the 1st Congress of RSDRP, Main offices of National State TV and Radio and City House of Marriages. A green park stretches from the Victory Square to the river of Svislach and to the entrance to the M. Gorky Park. Victory square is the key landmark of Minsk. Holiday parades go through the square. The newly married traditionally take their picutre at the square.

Mound of Glory
The Mound of Glory is a memorial complex honouring Soviet soldiers who fought during World War II, located 21 km from Minsk, Belarus on the Moscow Highway. Designed by O.Stakhovich and sculpted by A.Bembel, it was established in 1969 on the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus during Operation Bagration (1944).

D-30 Howitzers (stowed and towed)
Alkavian (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Alkavian.

Church of Saints Simon and Helena
Church of Saints Simon and Helen, also known as the Red Church is a Roman Catholic church on Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus.

Yakub Kolas Square
Yakub Kolas Square (Belarusian: Плошча Якуба Коласа) is a square in Pershamayski District of Minsk, is located on crossing of Independence Avenue, Yakub Kolas street and Vera Khoruzhaya street. The square was named in honour of the folk poet and one of the founders of the classic Belarusian literature - Yakub Kolas. The sculptures of Yakub Kolas and figures from his poems form the architectural centerpiece of the square. Lush greenery and fountains make this square an attractive landmark on a hot summer day for nearby workers, shoppers and city tourists. City underground station of the Moskovskaya line exits to the square, nearby tram stop, bus and trolley stop. Clay tiles in national style lay the vestibule of the station.

Borovaya Aircraft Museum
Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Embassy of Cuba, Minsk
nico (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: nico.

Embassy of Italy, Minsk

Aleksander Nevsky Church
Built inside the grounds of the city’s Military Cemetery to commemorate victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 and completed in 1898, this splendid little Russian Baroque church is the only religious building in the city to retain its original appearance. The interior is somewhat austere, featuring lots of black marble with inscriptions to those lost in bloody battle. In February 1938 the church was the last to be closed in the city, three years before a Luftwaffe bomb fell through the roof on June 24, 1941, landing in front of the icon of St. Nicholas but failing to explode. Another bomb during the same air raid had better luck, destroying much of the roof. Reopened by the occupying Germans soon after, the church was closed again by the Soviets who did at least spend time restoring the building.

Minsk Kart Track

Timiryazeva 65 Block D

Embassy of Poland, Minsk

Embassy of the United States, Minsk

Embassy of Vietnam, Minsk

Minsk Ice Palace
Minsk Ice Palace is an indoor sporting arena located in Minsk, Belarus. It is used to host various indoor events. The arena seats 1,823 spectators and opened in 1999.

Kalvaryja
Kalvaryja is a Catholic Calvary cemetery in Minsk, Belarus.

Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Dsjarschynskaja Hara
fin (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: fin.
Дзержинська гора (Dsjarschynskaja Hara) is the highest point of Belarus.

German Embassy

Red Army tanks exhibition
Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Mound of Glory

Belbyttechproject Building

European bison sculpture

National Library of Belarus

Maria Magdalena Church
Founded in 1847, this lovely little church with a fine octagonal bell tower and splendid dome was built on the site of an earlier wooden structure. Also on the same territory are, to the left, a small church dedicated to John the Baptist and consecrated in 1995 and, to the right, a chapel dating from 1998. Used as a film, photography and sound archive during the Soviet period, Mary Magdalena Church was the first religious building in the city to be given back to the religious community, the first service taking place on November 25, 1990.

Minsk-4 Power Plant

Minsk Velodrome

Minsk aviation museum

Direct Link

Moskvitch 400

Minsk-5 Power Plant

Polesye Stadium

Old water tower in Minsk
pak555 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pak555.

Loshitsa Manor and Park
A manor has stood in this property since the 1500s. Owned by a succession of noble families, it was inherited by Evstafy Lyubanski in the late 1800s. He initiated large-scale restructuring of the old wooden house, adding a stone guest wing to the existing building. The manor now presents an interesting asymmetrical appearance, embellished with elements of Art Nouveau architecture.

Antonov An-24RV
pak555 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pak555.

The Lazurit (tallest building in Belarus) under construction
At 138 m (453 ft), this is the tallest building in Minsk and in Belarus.

Antonov An-2
pak555 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: pak555.