Minsk. Freedom Square - a historical monument of the capital of Belarus

The heart of Belarus is its capital - Minsk. Freedom Square is one of the most beautiful places in the historic Upper Town. Since the XVI century and before the Patriotic War here were the government institutions of the capital. During the war, many buildings were destroyed, and only at the end of the last century the restoration of the architectural heritage began.

Historical monument - Freedom Square

The first settlements in the Upper Town appeared in the 12th century. In 1547, after a fire that destroyed almost all the houses, a grand duke's commission arrived in Minsk. It was decided to build a market in place of the ashes. In the center was laid an area of 3000 square meters. Meters. In 1589, she began to actively build up.

At the turn of the 16th-17th centuries a single architectural ensemble was formed here, Renaissance-style buildings were adorned with Minsk. Freedom Square at that time had the shape of a rectangle. On its perimeter were built religious buildings, the houses of the local nobility, the town hall, the guest house, the Jesuit monastery, and the Bernardine and Bernardine monasteries. Between the monasteries underground tunnels were built.

During the history of its existence, the area changed its name more than once. Until the 18th century it was the New Market, later renamed the Upper Market. In the middle of the XIX century it was called Sobornaya Square and only after the revolution it was renamed into Freedom Square.

History of the Town Hall

At first the city was part of the Lithuanian principality, then the Kingdom of Poland. In those years in every European city had its own town hall. Minsk was no exception. Freedom Square is decorated with a snow-white building, built after the Lithuanian prince Alexander in 1499 granted the city the Magdeburg law. In the town hall there was a city magistrate.

When Minsk went to the Russian Empire, the city was stripped of Magdeburg law. To the people forgot about the former liberties, in 1857 the Town Hall was demolished. Townspeople refused to destroy the building, so authorities used prisoners from the city prison and soldiers to perform the work. The building was rebuilt many times. Until the middle of the XIX century in it in different years there were a theater, a music school, a court, a guardhouse, and also stored standards of measures of weight and volume.

In 2003, the Town Hall was restored to the drawings and drawings found in museums. It is decorated with columns and a clock tower. At the top of the tower there is a coat of arms of the city with a figure depicting the Ascension of the Virgin. Next to the town hall are the sculptures "The Governor's Carriage" and "The Key to Voight". Now it houses the historical museum of Minsk.

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - a landmark square

At the beginning of the XVII century for the Bernardine monastery in the square was built the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. After the fire in 1741, restoration work was carried out here. Later the nunnery moved to Nesvizh, in 1860 the cathedral moved to the Orthodox church. The temple and the buildings next to it were restored, and in them the monks from the Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery in Slutsk moved. In 1870 his consecration took place, and according to the order of the Synod he was called the Holy Spiritual.

The monastery was closed after the revolution, but during the occupation the service in the cathedral resumed. When the war ended, the temple was overhauled. At present, the Holy Spirit Cathedral (Minsk, Freedom Square) is the Cathedral Church. In it are the relics of St. Elena Slutskaya and the miraculous icon of the Holy Mother of God, which appeared in Minsk in 1500.

Church of the Virgin Mary

The church is decorated with Freedom Square. Minsk, whose photo will not leave anyone indifferent, is enjoyed by tourists from other countries. The only Catholic church of the Holy Virgin in the city is located opposite the town hall. Its construction is connected with the appearance of Jesuits in Minsk. In 1654 the Smolensk bishop presented the Order with a two-storeyed palace. Later the Jesuits redeemed the house standing next to him and founded his own monastery in it. In 1710 a Catholic church was built at the monastery. Its interior decoration was decorated with rich frescoes, figures of apostles and columns with pilasters. Nearby there was a school.

During the Patriotic War, the temple was destroyed due to a bomb hit, and after rebuilt. For a long time there was a sports society "Spartacus". In 1993, the building was again transferred to the Catholic Church, and restorers from Poland and Belarus returned the original look to the cathedral.

Other places of interest on Freedom Square

Among other attractions on Freedom Square, tourists are attracted by:

• Seating yard. These are old buildings in the center of the square, united in a single complex. The last reconstruction of the Gostiny Dvor was carried out in 1909. Since that time his appearance has not changed.
• At: Freedom Square, 8 (Minsk) - next to the Gostiny Dvor there are cozy restaurants with luxurious interior and good cuisine, a pizzeria, an entertainment complex with slot machines. There is also a currency exchange office of "BSB Bank" and a photo center.
• Buildings of the male and female Bernardine monasteries. They were built in the XVII-XVIII centuries and survived until our time.
• Prestigious hotel "Europe" for 130 rooms. In 1913, over the two-story building, another 4 floors were completed. During the war, the hotel was bombed, but now the building is restored.

Nearby there is parking for cars that come to Liberty Square (Minsk). how Get yourself acquainted with the historical center of the city? To do this, you need to get to the station "Nemiga" by metro or take a taxi. The city buses No. 1, 69 and 119C, as well as fixed-route taxi No. 1056, stop at the square. Each section of this place is connected with the history of the city, so there are always a lot of tourists there.