Minsk facts for kids

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Minsk

Victory Square, the central place of Minsk

Minsk or Miensk (Мінск (official spelling in Belarus), Менск; Минск ; Mińsk) is the capital and a major city of Belarus. 1.8 million people live in the city. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States. As a capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is also the capital of Minsk voblast (province) and Minsk raion. Minsk is situated by the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. The timezone in Minsk is GMT +2.

The oldest mentions of Minsk date back to the 11th century (1067). In 1326 Minsk became a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and received its town privileges in 1499. From 1569 it was a capital of the Minsk Voivodship in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was annexed by Russia in 1793 as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland. During 1919–1991 Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian SSR.

Images for kids

Minsk. A view of Svislach river
Trayetskaye Pradmestsye contains the remains of pre-WWII Minsk on the Svislach bank.
Russian Orthodox church of St. Mary Magdalene (built in 1847)
A street in central Minsk
The Jesuit Collegium in 1912.
Railway Station Square, an example of Stalinist Minsk.
German troops marching through Minsk.
Niezalezhnasti Avenue (Initial part of avenue candidates for inclusion in World Heritage Site)
Independence Square in the centre of Minsk.
Apartment buildings in Minsk.
Jewish Holocaust memorial
Raions of Minsk
Tram in Minsk.
Uruchye station in the Minsk Metro.
Electric Minsk city Stadler FLIRT trains at the railway station of Minsk-Passenger
National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus
The city hall (rebuilt in 2003) overlooks the Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary.
Faculty of Biology, Belarusian State University.
University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
Pedagogical University.
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (Russian Orthodox).
Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic).
Church of St.Joseph (formerly Uniate, currently used as an archive).
Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (Russian Orthodox).
The Red Church (Roman Catholic).
Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Russian Orthodox).
Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Roman Catholic).
Church of Holy Trinity (Saint Rochus) (Roman Catholic).
Church of All Saints (Russian Orthodox).
Church of St.Yevfrosinya of Polotsk (Russian Orthodox).
Church of St. Elizabeth Convent (Russian Orthodox)