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Minsk is one of the most little-known capitals of Europe, although it ranks 10th in terms of population among European cities. This city was completely destroyed during the WWII and its center was restored in a very interesting style of architecture known as the Soviet Empire. I drove along the main street of the city, Independence Avenue, and recorded this video about this interesting city.
Independence Avenue - the main street of Minsk,
The avenue goes from the center to the northeast
This is the longest street in Belarus.
The length is 15 km. Width varies from 48 to 70 meters.
The history of the avenue began in 1801 as a bypass road.
Over the past two centuries, the street has grown,
it has become the central street of the city
and has changed its name 12 times!
This avenue has been rebuilt many times.
The avenue acquired its present appearance after the Second World War.
when the city was rebuilt from ruins.
The avenue was designed in a style that has many names -
Soviet imperialist style, Soviet neoclassicism,
but the most famous name for the style of the center of Minsk is
Stalin's Empire style.
Researchers associate the style with the ancient Palladian style
named after the Italian architect of the 16th century
Andrea Palladio, whose ideas became the basis of the style.
This is truly a stunning masterpiece of the
Soviet Stalinist Empire style that has survived as an
integral ensemble,
which is unique for the former USSR.
Construction of the central part of the main street of the capital
began in 1945 and was carried out in two stages,
1945-1950s
and 1950-1960s.
The architects planned to create a 9 km
long avenue in this style
However, they were able to realize only 3 km
to the Victory Square inclusive.
The death of Stalin in 1953 ruined these plans
and the coming period of the struggle against excesses
led to a change in the style of building in Minsk.
Now we are passing Oktyabrskaya Square.
On this square there was a monument to Stalin.
On the right you see the building of the Minsk circus
This is the first circus in the USSR that had its own building.
On the left there is a park named after the poet Yanka Kupala
Now we are approaching Victory Square
The 38 meters monument was built in 1954
in honour of the soldiers of the Soviet Army
and partisans of Belarus.
This square ends the period of the Stalinist Empire