Leonidas Travel Blog

Leonidas Travel Blog

Freedom, Fun & Adventure

Minsk Belarus

Traveling in Minsk Belarus

• By Leonidas K. • 6 min read
Belarus Travel

“Minsk, The Most Difficult City To Visit In Europe” is actually the title of a Minsk vlog review I posted back in October of 2016.

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I stayed in Minsk for a total of 3 weeks in 2016 (1 week, then 2 additional weeks), and decided that it was an awesome city to visit… if you could get in.

For many years, the Visa process for many people was a headache, which prevented extensive amounts of income from tourism.

Furthermore, if you stayed for more than 5 days (even with a Visa), you needed to register with the police, which is still a good 2-3 hours of waiting in the offices, going to a bank to submit a payment, and waiting again… all the while, hoping that you completed the right documents.

But as of January 2017, most tourists can come for 5 days, without needing a visa, if they arrive through the Minsk International Airport.

As of 2018, tourists can visit for 10-days without a visa.

Minsk, Belarus Photos

Victory Square (Пло́щадь Побе́ды) in Minsk, Belarus
Victory Square (Пло́щадь Побе́ды) in Minsk, Belarus

As an interesting side note, Minsk was completely destroyed by the German army in World War 2.

Thus, everything you see in these photos was built after the war.

A lot of Minsk was built by prisoners of war as well.

Large housing complex in the center of Minsk, Belarus
Large housing complex in the center of Minsk, Belarus
Capitalism is thriving in Minsk, Belarus (an ex-communist state)
Capitalism is thriving in Minsk, Belarus (an ex-communist state)

As of 2017, Belarus attempts to offer most, if not all, of your favorite international brands, including terrible Soda drinks from Coca-Cola, and other horrendous foods for the human body like KFC, Burger King, and McDonald’s 🙂

Capitalism is working quite well here!

River-front property in Minsk, Belarus
River-front property in Minsk, Belarus
Rapid construction in Minsk, Belarus
Rapid construction in Minsk, Belarus

The amount of parks and greenery in Minsk and Belarus is incredible. Everything is incredibly well maintained.

This is a result of 99% employment in the country. Everyone is required to work, and you are charged a fee if you don’t work.

This has stirred unrest in Belarus because not everyone can find work.

National Library of Minsk
National Library of Minsk

While this Library looks great, I felt it was underused. In Toronto, the city allows Friday nights to be a clubbing night in the ‘Royal Ontario Museum’. I would recommend this happen in this museum as well.

Statue of Francysk Skaryna beside the national Library of Minsk
Statue of Francysk Skaryna beside the national Library of Minsk
Gate of Minsk (Ворота Минска) was built in the late 1940s
Gate of Minsk (Ворота Минска) was built in the late 1940s
Minsk Flag and emblem (Republic of Belarus)
Minsk Flag and emblem (Republic of Belarus)
Rooftop view of central Minsk
Rooftop view of central Minsk
Rooftop view of central Minsk
Rooftop view of central Minsk
Pushkin is the equivalent of Shakespeare for Russian Literature
Pushkin is the equivalent of Shakespeare for Russian Literature
Fishing in a small Minsk Ravine
Fishing in a small Minsk Ravine
Church of Saints Simon and Helena in Minsk
Church of Saints Simon and Helena in Minsk
Lenin overlooking central Minsk. There are 2 Lenin statues in Minsk (that I know of)
Lenin overlooking central Minsk. There are 2 Lenin statues in Minsk (that I know of)
Minsk Metro with an obvious communist symbol
Minsk Metro with an obvious communist symbol
CCCP (Communist) Vodka for tourists
CCCP (Communist) Vodka for tourists
Central Minsk
Central Minsk
Central Minsk
Central Minsk
A picture of Old Minsk, probably pre-1900s
A picture of Old Minsk, probably pre-1900s
Various Motorbike groups came to visit for the birthday of Minsk, 2019
Various Motorbike groups came to visit for the birthday of Minsk, 2019
An apartment complex representing the success of Minsk
An apartment complex representing the success of Minsk
The older soviet-style complexes of Minsk
The older soviet-style complexes of Minsk
The older soviet-style complexes of Minsk
The older soviet-style complexes of Minsk
A rooftop view, looking towards the center of Minsk
A rooftop view, looking towards the center of Minsk
A rooftop-view of Minsk
A rooftop-view of Minsk
A rooftop view of Minsk
A rooftop view of Minsk
Flags of nations that have economic and political ties with Belarus
Flags of nations that have economic and political ties with Belarus

Bonus, Belarus 2017

My friends and I rented a car and rode south through Belarus, to 2 palaces, and a war monument in the city of Brest.

The village next to Mir Castle in Belarus
The village next to Mir Castle in Belarus
The Mir Castle in Belarus. Built in the 1560s. The white part is a residence that was added in 1568.
The Mir Castle in Belarus. Built in the 1560s. The white part is a residence that was added in 1568.
The original towers and fortifications of the Mir Castle in Belarus
The original towers and fortifications of the Mir Castle in Belarus
My friend posing inside the Mir castle in Belarus
My friend posing inside the Mir castle in Belarus
The walls and architecture inside the Mir Castle in Belarus
The walls and architecture inside the Mir Castle in Belarus
A Belarus couple takes photos in the Mir Castle in Belarus
A Belarus couple takes photos in the Mir Castle in Belarus
The Shrine of Sviatapolk-Mirski next to the Mir Castle in Belarus
The Shrine of Sviatapolk-Mirski next to the Mir Castle in Belarus
The lake beside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus. The castle was built in the 1500s.
The lake beside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus. The castle was built in the 1500s.
Leonidas posing in front of the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
Leonidas posing in front of the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
The facade and Bell Tower inside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
The facade and Bell Tower inside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
Inside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
Inside the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
The pathway and belltower into the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
The pathway and belltower into the Nesvizh Castle in Belarus
Leonidas posing in front of the Brest, Belarus monument to WW2
Leonidas posing in front of the Brest, Belarus monument to WW2
A monument to the second world war in Brest, Belarus
A monument to the second world war in Brest, Belarus
Getting a few minutes to fly around in Belarus for USD
Getting a few minutes to fly around in Belarus for $50 USD

Minsk on Wikipedia

Minsk on Britannica

Minsk on Google Maps

Minsk on TripAdvisor

Far-Eastern Vladivostok, Russia Travels

The City in Siberia – Novosibirsk, Russia Photos

Vilnius, Lithuania – A Look Into Old Eastern Europe

Thanks for reading!

— Leo

Written by

Leonidas K.

Since 2010, Leonidas has been an incredible Web Developer, and amazing Digital Marketer. He is the author of various exciting case studies in digital marketing, most notably in Pay Per Call Marketing. Make sure to read the case studies to make your life so much better!

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