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Many people, visiting Minsk for the first time, say that their soul has rest here.
It's an accurate, clean and quiet city. The city of wide spaces, silent cosy parks
and singing birds. It's a city without bustle and vanities, without haste and
race. It is slightly sluggish, slightly sleepy, but always fresh and romantic.
Minsk is a capital of the country. The city with almost a thousand-year history.
The first mention of the city appears in 1067 in the well-known old Russian epos
"The story about Igor's regiment ". There was a bloody fight on the
river Nemiga between princes Yaroslaviches of Kiev and prince Vseslav of Polotsk
that year. Unfortunately, during nine centuries of its existence the ancient city
on the river Svisloch was seven times plundered, destroyed and burnt. The last
war destroyed the city to the ground. But every time, like a fantastic bird Phoenix,
it was born out of ashes, rebuilt up and expanded again. If you look on the modern
architecture of the city it will be difficult to say something about its history,
may be only about its soviet period. But some centuries ago you could compare
Minsk if not to Paris and Prague, but to Warsaw and Vilnius definitely.
At the end of the XVIII century there were 11 Catholic monasteries, 4 uniat churches
and 3 monasteries, an orthodox and catholic cathedral in the city. Minsk was divided
into the upper town, the present liberty square, and the Lower town, the present
Nemiga Street, Rakovskoe suburb and Masherov Avenue. Appearing in the center of
a present Liberty Square, the ex-Cathedral Square, a pair of centuries back, we
would have seen monumental buildings of
Uniat and Catholic monasteries, feudal palaces, citizens’ houses. The tiny
streets, running up in sides, turning and twisting, sometimes created a strange
and bizarre drawing. There was a magnificent park with a Town hall in the center
of the square. This park was a place of walks for the upper-class people, city
dandies and fashionable women, intelligency and merchants, who came to the city
looking for goods of the Guest hall, which building is standing on the square
nowadays. Till recently many artists placed their easels and sold their works
there. It was possible to get interesting authentic souvenirs and various pleasant
knickknacks there. The Square is on its repair now, but soon Minsk inhabitants
could touch the history of their own city and see a part of the beauty that pleased
guests and visitors some centuries ago.
The main orthodox Cathedral of the city, built in the first half of the XVII cent.,
is placed not far from the Liberty Square. Standing close to the Cathedrals entrance
it is possible to see tremendous picture of the Upper town divided into two parts
by the river Svisloch. Perhaps, it is one of the most beautiful views of the city,
which is attractive both in the afternoon and in the evening. It is easy to see
the Rakovskoe suburb and the Catherine’s church built in the beginning of
the XVII cent., which serves as original “gates” to the suburb. It's
a very cosy and pleasant restored corner of Minsk. Appearing here you can forget
about the rush and pace, and feel yourself in the ancient Minsk, touching its
mysteries and secrets. You can stay and have a snack here, enjoying original Belorussian
food with its mochanka, dranikis and many potato dishes.
On the right side of the suburb the Masherov avenue is stretched. It’s one
of the citizens’ favorite streets. Once there was an ancient castle of the
XI century here. Many ancient crafts, ruins of the XII century temple and tens
of the houses’ basements were found here during the excavation. It was a
proof that Minsk had already being big trading and cultural center of the Polotsk
princedom those times. Nowadays, Masherov avenue is a place of various shops,
trading centers, cafes, cinema and the Palace of sports. Some meters farther,
behind the Palace of sports, there is a lovely and pleasant park for citizens’
walks and rest.
On the right coast of the River Svisloch the Trinity suburb is settled Down. Walking
down the small paved streets you can feel yourself in ancient times, enjoying
multi-colored houses and tiny shops and caves. It's an interesting fact, that
once the houses of Minsk, as well as the houses of other European cities, didn’t
have numbers and the address could have been like this: such a street, the yellow
house on the right of a corner. It was a reason why houses of those times were
multi-colored.
Near the Trinity suburb there is a pride of Minsk - the Big Opera and Ballet Theatre.
All visitors coming to the capital, by all means visit this theatre which is glorified
for the delightful ballet far outside the country. It's interesting that this
place, ex-Trinity Mountain, was a place for the biggest city market.
Close to the theatre there is one more place beloved by the citizens – the
big and marvelous park which is adjoined to the river Svisloch from two sides.
This place of rest, pedestrian and water walks on boats and catamarans, picnics
and various holidays.
Speaking about Minsk it's impossible but mention its main artery - Francisk Skorina
avenue, named in honor of the first Belorussian book-printer. It's the long string,
which is going through almost all city center, rarely being cut by the big and
modern squares. The avenue is a favorite place of youth and lovers. It's an original
business and cultural vein of the city, with many shops, offices, restaurants,
theatres and concert halls, exhibitions and galleries. You can hear cars rustling,
trams tinkling and all the sounds of a modern capital life here.
The face of Minsk is modern and young. The city amazes visitors with cleanliness
and accuracy, with abundance of the green piercing streets and squares. But the
main sight of the city is a friendliness and hospitality of its citizens. Therefore
the impression about the city is always pleasant and kind. People say, that it
is always desirable to come back to Minsk again to feel its romanticism and spontaneity.
Once the actress the Russian film said, that Minsk is a city of love. Probably,
it's close to truth!
Text and photo (c) 2003 Green Expo.
Use without permission is forbidden.
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