Visit Minsk Now!

Why should you visit Belarus? President Alexander Lukashenko is known as the “last dictator of Europe”. He has been in power since 1994, winning four elections. He rules the country with a totalitarian-Stalinist fist. Minsk, the capital, at first appearance is a pleasant and relaxed city. This initial impression belies a darker reality. Dissent is not allowed, not even in its mildest form. After walking for a day in the city, you will note there is not trash, graffiti or even homeless or beggars. There are rules against jaywalking, swearing, public drinking, or photographing government buildings. Planned public gatherings of over three people need to be approved. The KGB is alive and well and nourishes the police state. Political activists are jailed. With that mind, Minsk still can be an interesting place to visit.

Communist Kitsch

Marx and Engels streets wind its way through the city. A giant Lenin statue lords over Independence Square. The KGB headquarters, the secret police, has hid itself in plain site on the main thoroughfare, Independence Avenue. The hammer and sickle discordantly competes with McDonalds. Young Pioneers goosestep in front of Victory Square. The city is in a time warp to the communist past.

Independence Square

Lenin in Independence Square

Marching in Victory Square

The Soviet hammer and sickle

Eminently Walkable

I spent my four days in Minsk primarily on foot. The city in the pleasant weather of summer is eminently walkable. There were a couple of occasions where I took a taxi or the metro. The former should be avoided and the latter enjoyed. The several taxis I took seemed to be shady in their pricing, adding in additional seemingly unwarranted fees onto the meter. The metro is classic Soviet, which is a positive attribute. Fast, clean, and cheap. This two-line metro is straight forward to use. The city with the aid of a map (strongly suggested) is easy to explore. Broad sidewalks, green parks, and a river snakes through the city.