Belarus – Minsk

My Minsk travel summary:

Visited: July 2024

Duration of visit: 4 days (total Belarus: 8 days)

Capital city: Minsk

Population: 9.2 million (2024)

Minsk travel blog reading time: 8 minutes

• Cosmopolitan Minsk: Soviet architecture, parks, culture, and nightlife.
• Local couchsurfer showing me Minsk’s favorite spots.
• Food tasting and free wandering.
• Almost finished homeless after the night party.
• Long way home – crossing the border to Lithuania.

Despite being placed on the red list of no-travel destinations in 2024 due to the war in Ukraine, Belarus turned out to be fascinating and secure. The locals welcomed me warmly throughout my visit.

In this article I describe the following topics of my Belarus – Minsk travel adventure: Minsk landmarks, the Great Patriotic War Museum, food tasting, free wandering with a couchsurfer, and the long way home.

More articles about my Belarus travel adventures are available here:

My Belarus travel adventure continued with a comfortable and affordable train ride from Grodno to Minsk. I shared a sleeper compartment with three passengers, enjoyed good air conditioning, and had access to food and drink service.

Minsk-Pasažyrski railway station is enormous, well-organized, clean and offers all amenities, which are adequately signalized. I deposited my small backpack in a cloakroom and walked out through the main entrance to face imposing Vorota Minska towers in front of me.

I quickly discovered that the capital offers many exciting things to do and fascinating places to visit. A long walk along Babrujskaja Street led me to downtown landmarks, including Independence Square, the National Assembly of Belarus, and Minsk City Hall.

The Independence Square hosted major events, including parades, political speeches, national celebrations, and visits by foreign leaders.

During World War II, the Nazis destroyed most buildings around the square. Later, it hosted pro-Communist rallies and anti-Lukashenko protests in 2020.

Lenin’s monument stands in front of the Supreme Soviet building, where Belarus’s parliament holds its sessions. The Church of Saints Simon and Helena, known as the Red Church, survived wars, occupations, and political pressure almost intact.

I had not seen any international visitors, except a few Russian couples, until I met Mohamed, a Turkish traveler. At Plošča Niezaliežnasci, we discussed how we both struggled to find affordable accommodation in Minsk and ended up in expensive hotels.

Victory Park, located on the banks of Komsomolsk Lake, is Minsk’s largest park and a must place to visit during hot summer. Covering 200 hectares, it attracts visitors with walking paths, playgrounds, concerts, a beach, and Bird Island, a wildlife reserve with rare bird species.

I really enjoyed walking from Minsk Arena along State Flag Square, past Independence Palace, and the Supreme Court of Belarus, ending my stroll at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War.

The Great Patriotic War Museum was the world’s first museum to tell the story of World War II, and the only one in Belarus created during the years of Nazi occupation.

Since 1942, when the museum was opened in Vitebsk, the exhibition moved from place to place until in 2014 the final location in a new building with the total area of 15,600m² was erected in in The Heroes Square. The composition represents four main blocks to match the number of years of the war.

A detailed exhibition of original artifacts, weapons, tanks, military vehicles, and videos presents battles fought in Belarus during the WWII. With the audio guide, I learned more about the key events of a period that Belarus still considers central to its history.

The front facade looks like a festive salute, with 11 stainless-steel rays symbolizing the Great Victory and Minsk’s 1,100 tragic days of occupation.

Although the museum is a somewhat controversial attraction, combining war achievements with Soviet-era ideology, it remains an undeniable part of Belarusian history and a must place to visit.

After visiting the museum, I continued my Minsk travel with a walk to the Palace of the Republic and other landmarks. This government building hosts official state events, forums, meetings, concerts, symphony performances, and New Year celebrations.

On the other side of Oktyabrskaya Square stands a Soviet-era architectural masterpiece, the Republican Palace of Trade Union Culture. Built in 1954, it is both monumental and elegant, serving as one of Minsk’s main cultural centers.

I could not enter any of these buildings except the Great Patriotic War Museum, but I admired their perfectly preserved Soviet architectural style, which makes Minsk unique.

During my Minsk travel, Igor welcomed me to his apartment in Malinauka district, about 35 minutes from downtown by metro and bus. Similar to Grodno, I stayed in a residential apartment for four days. Although the buildings look alike from a distance, their comfort varies greatly depending on construction quality and age.

Igor’s apartment was on a higher floor of an old building, and the heat inside was unbearable. The lack of furniture and an empty fridge made me wonder what kind of host I had chosen.

“I had some problems with money, but I am fine now!”, Igor informed me openly.

I immediately rushed to the nearby grocery store and bought fruits, vegetables, bread, pickled fish, chips, and, of course, vodka.

“Buy vodka with a big, beautiful bird on the label!” Igor vaguely instructed when I asked about dinner.

It seemed easy, until I faced dozens of vodka brands, including many with bird designs, filling the local store’s liquor section.

Over dinner, discussing Belarus, Slovenia, travelling, and sport, I learned more about my host. While Victoria from Grodno opposed Lukashenko’s politics, Igor strongly hated Lukashenko’s government.

He had been imprisoned for protest activities, and even his ex-wife and daughters were listed as persona non grata in Belarus. However, he felt secure working in the private sector, where knowledge often matters more than politics.

“Let’s go for a walk and get some fresh air!” was Igor’s surprising suggestion at 1:00am.

We took a bottle of vodka and walked around the residential blocks for the next two hours.

In Belarus I have not seen anybody ran a red light at a pedestrian crossing.

Even in remote areas with no vehicles around, people patiently waited for green lights. It reflected both education and respect, but often fear of penalties.

“Let’s be rebels tonight and show our disapproval of running a red light,” was another of Igor’s suggestions.

I hesitated. It was a strange hour with nobody around, but the traffic lights were still operating.

“Let’s have another shot of vodka, then we’ll break the rules and show who we are!”

And we did it.

On the last day of my stay in Minsk, Igor skipped work and showed me some lesser-known parts of the city. We headed to the northeastern district of Zialiony Luh, where forests, a lake, and an island create a peaceful setting for walking, running, cycling, swimming, and relaxing at Cnyanka Beach.

Igor bought a bottle of чернила (“ink”), a cheap fortified wine mostly associated with heavy drinkers who cannot afford even the cheapest vodka. With about 15% alcohol and a sweet taste, I consider it surprisingly pleasant.

We wandered without a plan, visited a beautiful Orthodox church, and had lunch at a traditional столовая (canteen). These self-service eateries offer authentic Belarusian dishes and affordable, satisfying meals for just a few US dollars.

I tasted some traditional Belorussian dishes that are well known internationally: draniki (thick potato pancakes), kletski (dumplings), mushroom soup and borsht.

The menu featured many meat dishes, stews, and sausages, which I skipped as a vegetarian. Fish was also available, but I found the selection rather uninspiring.

Belarusian cuisine reflects the country’s farming traditions, local produce, and influences from neighboring countries. Locally grown fruit and vegetables are flavorful and vibrant, while imported produce from neighboring former Soviet republics is equally delicious.

We ended our walk at one of Minsk’s most beautiful Orthodox churches, the Church of All Saints. Completed in 2008 after 12 years of construction, the 74-meter-high church accommodates 1,200 worshippers. It serves as Belarus’s main spiritual memorial to the millions affected by wars, revolutions, forced displacement, and repression.

In my opinion, it is the most beautiful church in Belarus. It features spacious marble verandas, ornate wooden and metal doors, a crypt, and a large Moses fountain. Its five domes commemorate soldiers, prisoners, children, and other victims. Next to it stands equally impressive wooden Holy Trinity Church.

In the evening, I met people from the Couchsurfing group who invited me to a rock concert in a beautifully renovated socialist-era factory, now serving as a cultural venue.

Good food, affordable drinks, live Russian rock music, and a growing group of friends created a great atmosphere. We continued the night at Zybitskaya Street, a famous party area with over 30 bars and clubs,

Our group of fifteen gradually became smaller as we changed venues. After visiting a karaoke bar, most friends were tired and ready to go home. It was after 2:00am, and three friends wanted a final coffee before heading home.

My host Igor still did not answer my calls, and without keys to enter the apartment, I did not dare to go home. I explained the situation to the only man in our group, who offered me a place to stay if Igor remained unreachable after our coffee.

I called Igor one last time, and he finally answered. He was at home, so I hurried back, hoping to arrive before he fell asleep again.

I immediately took a taxi, and when I arrived, Igor explained that he had been so drunk that he lost his apartment keys and fell asleep. The fridge was empty again, and he had finished all the vodka. I was slightly worried but quickly fell asleep.

Another highlight of my unforgettable Minsk travel experience.

Usually, travelling home is the easiest part of any journey, but leaving Belarus was different.

Due to expensive flights from Minsk caused by international sanctions, I decided to fly from Vilnius, Lithuania. Unsure how long the border crossing would take, I took a 5:00pm bus from Minsk before my 9:10am flight the next day.

After three hours of smooth travel, we reached the border, where several-kilometer-long truck queues waited for strict customs checks, sometimes lasting up to a week.

We were lucky.

The three buses ahead of us crossed the border within two hours. When it was our turn, officials informed the driver that we would have to wait until morning. Worried passengers pleaded with him, and using his negotiating skills, he convinced the officials to let us pass. We finally completed the border formalities at midnight.

A mix of waiting, duty-free shopping, luggage inspections, and questioning followed in a polite but very slow process.

We reached Vilnius airport at 1:00am, where I slept on benches until my morning flight. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed, causing me to miss my connection in Riga.

I was rerouted via Frankfurt, where airBaltic provided a hotel stay. I finally arrived in Ljubljana 23 hours late, but the compensation covered a significant part of my Belarus travel expenses.