BEL: Minsk Downtown

Minsk, Belarus

Minsk is the capital, as well as the largest city of Belarus that's dominated by monumental Stalinist architecture. Furthermore, it's the capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States comprising nine member states and two associate members. The city was approximately 80% destroyed during World War II.

The main railway station is located near a shopping centre called Galileo Mall.

Cool-looking twin buildings!

Snow-laden cars~

On the first evening, my BFF and I walked from Hampton by Hilton Minsk City Centre to Independence Square where many government buildings are located. It's advisable not to blatantly take photos of those buildings.

There's a statue of Lenin in front of the big building.

There's an underground shopping centre at the square called Stolitsa.

We continued walking in search for a restaurant to dine at.

That's the KGB headquarter! KGB has never been disbanded in Belarus.

I believe that's the first McDonald's store in a non-Baltic former Soviet republic, not counting Russia.

It's not every day that I get to see a tank monument.

The opening night of Belarusian State Circus fell on 11 February 1959, which is now celebrated as the official birthday of local contemporary circus.

At the base of the Victory Monument is an eternal flame lit by Hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Burdeinei on the 17th anniversary of the liberation of Minsk in 1961.

Here's a quick video that shows the eternal flame a bit more clearly.

It was in Minsk that my BFF and I were stopped by two army members for identity verification for the very first time in our lives. We carried our passports with us, so it wasn't a problem. Always remember to carry yours!

A kind of berries?

Way too many 'Chocobo' footprints!

The magnificent two-towered Holy Spirit Cathedral is the central cathedral of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The structure was completed in 1642.

It was consecrated only 40 years after the construction due to the invasion of the Muscovites.

The Theotokos (lit. Mother of God) icon inside the cathedral has been reported as miraculous.

There are quite a number of interesting things to see around the area.

A memorial titled 'Municipal Scales' was erected in 2014.

Welcome to the City Hall!

I'm not too sure if it's a replica or the real Governor's Carriage from the past. Probably the former?

Matryoshka dolls are a common sight in Russia, but not so much in Belarus.

Let's cross the road to go to Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary that was built under the Polish rule in 1710 as a church for the Jesuit house.

Halt! That's what it means, no?

He died on the cross to save mankind from our sins.

Having stood the test of time, the cathedral was once heavily damaged by fire in 1797.

On our second last day, the snow had pretty much melted as the temperature went up above the freezing point.

Such an elaborate engraving~

The Trade Union Palace of Culture actually houses two nightclubs.

One of the city's few KFC restaurants is in that building that features a socialist wall sculpture.

It was 57 days to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

We walked past Minsk Sports Palace, an indoor sports arena that seats close to 5,000 spectators, as well as a lovely park on our way to Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum.

Thankful for the awesome day with clear skies~

Hotel Belarus (3*) offers a nice view of the park and Svislach River.

Do see our little friends in action.

Do visit my food blog for the following restaurant reviews:
- Gurman (Belarusian)
- Kamyanitsa (Belarusian)
- Kuchmeister (Belarusian)
- Vasilki (Belarusian)
- Café Balkon (Chinese and Japanese)
- Pizza Tempo (Italian)