October Square, Minsk

October Square
Кастрычніцкая плошча
Kastryčnickaja plošča
Former name(s) Central Square
Type Square
Location Independence Avenue, Minsk
Nearest metro station Oktyabrskaya (Октябрьская)
Construction
Construction start 1949
Completion 1961
Other
Designer GP Badanov, B. King, L. Mackiewicz, N. Osmolovsky
Known for Being a central square in Minsk

October Square is a square in the center of Minsk, Belarus, which is located between Independence Avenue, Engels streets and International Street. To its east side there are areas limited to buildings of the Palace of Culture of Trade Unions, the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Minsk Palace of Republic. Around the Square is the Central House of Officers, the residence of the President of Belarus, and the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater. On the square there are the main metro stations in Minsk: Kastryčnickaja and Kupalaŭskaja.[1]

History

In September 1952 a monument to Stalin was installed on the square with a height of 10 m. In 1957. Between the main square and central park were government stands, from which the party and state leadership of the BSSR took parades and welcomed the demonstrations like May 1, Victory Day, and the October Revolution.Therefore, the square acquired the status of the city's main square. On November 3, 1961, Stalin's monument was demolished, and in 1966 the area was replaced by the opening of a museum built in honor of the Great Patriotic War. In 1984, the area was renamed to October Square and construction of the Palace began on it, which dragged on for 17 years, resulting in the central square of the status being returned to the Lenin Square.

After independence, the area was often the venue for concerts, festivals, as well as socio-political action, in which the area is decorated with the appropriate attributes. From 2000 to today center area of the square put up the highest artificial tree in the country (height 30 m, diameter 18 m) around which the skating-rink and above the area carried out a festive illumination.

Buildings

Palace of the Republic

The Palace of the Republic is the central building on Oktyabrskaya Square. It is used for conferences, congresses and performances.[2][3][4]

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Museum were Belarus horrors and heroism during WWII are exhibited. The museum first opened on 25 October 1944. Commemorates the end of Nazi occupation.[2][4]

Residence of the president

The Residence of the incumbent President of Belarus was converted from is the former building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus to the presidential palace in 1994.[2]

The Minsk Circus

Circus performance with a spectacle of midget acrobats, dubiously trained bears and other leftovers from the 19th Century.[2]

House of Officers

The house of officers was a former red army house made in 1939. It was one of the only buildings made by Soviet architect Losif Langbard that survived the war.[2]

Trade Unions Palace of Culture

The Trade Unions Palace of Culture is a nicely decorated classical style building from 1954. The building now houses two nightclubs.[2]

Photos

References

  1. ↑ "Oktyabrskaya (October) Square | Sightseeing | Minsk". www.inyourpocket.com. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Stalinist architecture of Minsk". www.comtourist.com. Retrieved 2017-04-02.
  3. ↑ "Places to see in Minsk: exciting tourist attractions, museums, picturesque parks… | Belarus.by". www.belarus.by. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
  4. 1 2 "October square with the "Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War) and "The Palace of Tr - Picture of Minsk, Belarus - TripAdvisor". en.tripadvisor.com.hk. Retrieved 2017-11-20.

Coordinates: 53°54′09″N 27°33′41″E / 53.9025°N 27.5614°E / 53.9025; 27.5614

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