Minsk has a reputation of a city frozen in the Soviet past. Yes, there is a reference avenue in the style of the Stalinist empire, GUM with an wide range of nostalgic clothing and a village of tractor-builders, similar to the scenery from a film about Stakhanovites. But around the corner glass of skyscrapers sparkle, hipster quarters buzz in the center and the best Belarus casinos work and the modern art at the galleries makes you crazy.
Admire the Stalin Empire
After the WW II, Minsk was rebuilt almost from scratch, so the architects had a place to roam, and the main avenue was made an example of the Stalin Empire style. It is not surprising: all the guests from the West drove first to the “city of the Sun” Minsk, and already here they were supposed to strike the spotlight of the Soviet empire greatness. Today, Independence Avenue is in line to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and Minsk – the only one from all the cities of the former socialist countries can boast such a solid avenue’s style.
Join the library
The history of the National Library in Minsk is similar to the history of the Eiffel Tower: locals hated this design until it became a symbol of the city. During first years after the discovery of “diamond’s science”, it entered simultaneously the lists of the most beautiful and ugliest buildings in the world.
Here you will learn the word “rhombocuboctahedron” – this is the geometrical form of this building with a 23 floors height. Then, in the library museum, look at 300 handwritten and old-printed books, or at least one – the 15th century Bible of the Belarusian original printer Francysk Skaryna. And be sure to climb the glass elevator to the open observation deck to look at Minsk from a bird eye view.
Say “wah” in the art gallery “Ў”
If you are in Minsk just for a couple of hours, going to the gallery “Ў” is a necessity. Every day they come up with something amazing here! Today they write their own versions of “Bathing the Red Horse”, tomorrow they watch and discuss films about the Soviet pioneers, and the day after tomorrow they listen to the Silver Wedding cabaret band and paint on the walls with the children. In Minsk gallery of modern art, you can and should go everywhere and touch everything.
The gallery was named after the letter “Ў”, which exists only in the Belarusian language.
To calm down the impressions, sit with a mug of mulled wine or a cup of coffee at a local bar. Then visit the “logvina” booklet, where you will not only choose a fascinating modern novel for yourself, but also easily meet some Belarusian or even Swedish classic. And finally, take a look at the souvenir shop. From here you will take away cool little things to remember about the unusual Belarus: a lamp in the form of a Minsk metro carriage, beard’s oil or multi-colored ceramics with national patterns.
Go to the casino in the very center of Minsk
Yes, yes, there is a casino in Minsk! They work legally with the full support of the state and are located in the very center of the capital. The best casinos in Minsk offer the same recreational conditions as the Las Vegas ones: luxurious interiors, classic games, well-trained staff, excellent cuisine, complete privacy.
An ideal sample of the Minsk casino – Shangri La, Michael Boettcher opened the eponymous Moscow establishment here after the Russian legislation has changed. Every detail was counted, it is simply was made to surprise foreigners with its magnificence. Darren Keane, Shangri La CEO, says that more than half of the guests are foreigners.
Take pictures at the cemetery of tower cranes.
Few people can boast a selfie from a cemetery of tower cranes. That is why this is a rare place even for big cities in Minsk. The urban landscape with the atmosphere of the post-industrial apocalypse attracts stalkers of all ages. Going through the fenced and barbed wire, studded with cameras is not worth it. You can take cool pictures outside, because tower cranes look best from a distance. And the exposure is constantly updated!