Minsk is the capital and a major city of Belarus with a population of 1,780,000 ( in 2006 ). 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. Minsk's area is 266,8 sq km; highest point is 280.4 m above sea level. The timezone in Minsk is GMT +2.
In 1242 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
Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of Minsk Hills - a country of rolling hills running from the southwest (upper reaches of river Niemen) to the northeast - to the Lukomskae lake in northwestern Belarus. Average altitude above sea level is 220 m. Landscapes of Minsk were formed during the two most recent Ice Ages. Svislach river which flows across the city from the northwest to the southeast is located in the urstrohmtal, ancient river valley, formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. Minsk was initially founded on the hills, however in the 20th century it grew to relatively flat plains in the southeast. Western parts of the city are the most hilly.
Minsk is located in the area of mixed forests typical for most of Belarus. Pinewood and mixed forests are still present at the edge of the city (especially, in the north and east). Some of the forests were turned into parks (for instance, the Chelyuskinites Park) as the city grew.
Minsk had moderate climate. It is located on the border of strong influence of the moist air of the Atlantic Ocean and of the dry air of the landmass of Eurasia. Its weather is unstable and tends to change often. Average January temperature is -6,1 Celsius, average July temperature is +17,8 Celsius. The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January 1940 (-40 C), the warmest - on 29 July 1936 (+35 C). Air is often moist, with humidity at 80-90%, especially during the cold season. There are on average 135 humid days a year, compared with only 6 dry days. This results in often fogs, which are common in the autumn and spring. Minsk receives annual precipitation of 646 mm, of which third falls during the cold period (as snow and rain) and two thirds - in the warm period. Throughout the year most winds are westerly and northwesterly, bringing cool and moist air from the Atlantic.
Minsk was annexed by Russia in 1793 as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland. In 1796 it became centre of the Minsk guberniya (province). All Polish street names have been changed to Russian ones, however spelling of the city name remained unchanged.
Throughout the 19th century the city grew and significantly improved. In the 1830s major streets and squares of Minsk have been cobbled and paved. A first public library was opened in 1836, a fire brigade was put into operation in 1837. In 1838 first local newspaper, Minskie gubernskie vedomosti ( Minsk province news ) went into circulation. First theatre was established in 1844. By 1860 Minsk was an important trading city with population of 27,000. There was a construction boom which led to building 2- and 3-storey brick and stone houses in Upper Town.
In the early years of the 20th century Minsk was a major centre for the worker's movement in Belarus. It was also one of the major centres of Belarusian national revival, alongside with Vilnia. The First World War affected development of Minsk tremendously. By 1915 Minsk was a battle-front city. Some factories were closed down, and residents began evacuating to the east. Minsk became the headquarters of the Western Front of the Russian army. It also housed military hospitals and military supply bases.
The Russian Revolution had an immediate effect in Minsk. A Worker's Soviet was established in Minsk in October 1917, drawing much of its support from disaffected soldiers and workers. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk German forces occupied Minsk in February 1918. On 25 March 1918 Minsk was proclaimed capital of the Belarusian People's Republic. The republic was short-lived; in December 1918 Minsk was taken over by the Red Army. In January 1919 Minsk was proclaimed the capital of Byelorussian SSR. In 1919, and again in 1920, the city was controlled by the Second Polish Republic in the course of the Polish-Bolshevik war. Under the terms of the Peace of Riga, Minsk was handed to Soviet Russia and became the capital of the Byelorussian SSR, one of the constituent republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
A programme of reconstruction and development was started in 1922. By 1924 there were 29 factories in operation; schools, museums, theatres, libraries were also opening. Throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, Minsk saw rapid development with dozens of new factories being built, and new schools, colleges, higher education establishments, hospitals, theatres and cinemas being opened. Throughout the 1920s and the early 1930s Minsk was a centre for the development of both Belarusian language and culture.
The most common international language spoken in Minsk, especially among the younger generation, is English. The second widely spoken international language is German. French, Spanish and Italian are understood by only a few.
Minsk is the major educational centre of Belarus. It has over 500 nursery schools, 258 schools, 28 further education colleges, and 36 higher education instututions, including 12 major national universities ( most specialising in certain areas of science and technology).
Minsk is the major cultural centre of Belarus. Its first theatres and libraries were established in the middle of the 19th century. Now it has 11 theatres and 16 museums. There are 20 cinemas and 139 libraries.
Major theatres are:
Belarusian Musical Comedy Theatre
Belarusian Opera and Ballet Theatre
Maxim Gorky National Drama Theatre (performances in Russian)
Yanka Kupala National Drama Theatre (performances in Belarusian)
Major museums are:
Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum
Belarusian National Arts Museum
Belarusian National History and Culture Museum
Belarusian Nature and Environment Museum
Ethnography and Folklore Museum
Maksim Bahdanovich Literary Museum
Old Belarusian History Museum
Yanka Kupala Literary Museum
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Minsk is the capital and a major city of Belarus with a population of 1,780,000 ( in 2006 ). 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. Minsk's area is 266,8 sq km; highest point is 280.4 m above sea level. The timezone in Minsk is GMT +2.