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Minsk ( ; ) ), also known as Mensk ( ) is the capital and largest city in Belarus with a population of 1,780,000 (2006 estimate). 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, at . Minsk's area is 266,8 km²; highest point is 280.4 m above sea level. The timezone in Minsk is GMT +2.

The oldest mentions of Minsk date back to the 11th century (1067). 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.

Geography & Climate

Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of Minsk Hills - a country of rolling hills running from the southwest (upper reaches of river Nioman) 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 frequent 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.

History

(See main article: History of Minsk)

Early history

The area of today's Minsk was settled by the Early East Slavs by the 9th century. The valley of Svislach River was settlement boundary between two Early East Slavs' tribal unions - Krivich and Dregovichs. By 980 the area was incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polatsk, one of the earliest East Slav states. Minsk was first mentioned in the name form Měneskъ (Мѣнескъ) in the Primary Chronicle for the year 1067.* 1067 is now widely attributed as the founding year of Minsk, though the town (by then fortified by wooden walls) should have existed for some time.

In the early 12th century the Principality of Polatsk disintegrated into smaller fiefs. The Principality of Minsk was established by one of the Polatsk dynasty princes. In 1129 the Principality of Minsk was annexed by Kiev, the dominant principality of Kievan Rus, however in 1146 the Polatsk dynasty regained control of the principality. By 1150 Minsk rivaled Polatsk as the major city in the former Principality of Polatsk. The princes of Minsk and Polatsk were engaged in years of struggle trying to unite all lands previously under the rule of Polatsk.

Lithuanian and Polish rule

Minsk escaped the Mongol invasion of Rus in 1237-1239. However, in later years it was attacked by nomadic invaders from the Golden Horde, who turned many principalities of disintegrated Kievan Rus into their vassal states. Trying to avoid the Tatar yoke, the Principality of Minsk sought protection from Lithuanian princes further north, who had been consolidating their power in the region. In 1242 Minsk became a part of the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was annexed peacefully and local elites enjoyed high ranking in the society of the Grand Duchy. In 1413 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland entered a personal union. Minsk became centre of Minsk Voivodship (province). In 1441 Lithuanian prince Kazimierz IV Jagiellon included Minsk into a list of cities enjoying certain privileges. During the reign of his son Aleksander Jagiellon Minsk received its town privileges (Magdeburg law) in 1499. In 1569 after the Union of Lublin the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland merged into a single state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Since then, a Polish community settled in Minsk - government clerks, officers and craftsmen.

By the middle of the 16th century Minsk was an important economic and cultural centre of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Minsk was an important centre for Eastern Orthodox Church. After the Union of Brest there was a rise of influence of both Uniate church and Roman Catholic Church.

In 1654 Minsk was conquered by troops of Tsar Alexei of Russia. Russians governed the city until 1667, when it was regained by Jan Kasimir, King of Poland. By the end of the Polish-Russian war Minsk had only about 2,000 residents and just 300 houses. The second wave of devastation occurred during the Great Northern War when Minsk was occupied in 1708 and 1709 - by the Swedish army of Charles XII and then by the Russian army of Peter the Great. The last decades of the Polish rule were indicated by decline or very slow development. Minsk was a small provincial town of little economic or military significance. By 1790 it had population of 6,500-7,000 and was slowly rebuilding to the city limits of 1654. Most of Minsk residents were Jews and Poles, while Belarusians where a minority.

Russian rule

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.

Development of the city was boosted by improvements in transportation. In 1846 Moscow-Warsaw road was laid though Minsk. In 1871 railway link between Moscow and Warsaw ran via Minsk, and in 1873 a new railway from Romny in Ukraine to the Baltic Sea port of Libava (Liepaja). Thus Minsk became an important rail junction and a manufacturing hub. Municipal water supply was introduced in 1872, telephone - in 1890, horse tram - in 1892, and first power generator - in 1894. By 1900 Minsk had 58 factories employing 3,000 workers. The city had theatres, cinemas, newspapers, schools and colleges, as well as numerous monasteries, churches, synagogues and a mosque. According to the 1897 Russian census the city had 91,494 inhabitants, about one third of them Jews.

20th century

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 the Russian SFSR 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. Before World War II Minsk had a population of 300,000 people. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 as part of Operation Barbarossa, Minsk came immediately under attack. The city was bombed on the first day of the invasion and taken over by the German Army four days later. However, some factories, museums and tens of thousands of civilians had been evacuated to the east. The Germans made Minsk the administrative centre of Reichskomissariat Ostland and treated the local population harshly. Communists and sympathisers were killed or imprisoned; thousands were forced into slave labour, both locally and after being transported to Germany. Homes were expropriated to house German occupying forces. Thousands starved as food was seized by the German Army and paid work was scarce. At the same time, some residents supported the Germans, especially at the beginning of the occupation. By 1942 Minsk had become a major centre of the Soviet partisan resistance movement against the German occupation, it what is known as the Great Patriotic War. For this role Minsk was awarded the title Hero City in 1974. Minsk was the site of one of the largest Nazi-run ghettos in World War II, with over 100,000 Jews.

Minsk was liberated by Soviet troops on 3 July 1944 during Operation Bagration. The city was the centre of German resistance to the Soviet advance and saw heavy fighting in the first half of 1944. Factories, municipal buildings, power stations, bridges, most roads and 80% of houses were reduced to rubble. In 1944 Minsk's population was reduced to a mere 50,000. After World War II Minsk was rebuilt, but not reconstructed. The historical centre was substituted in the 1940s and 1950s by Stalinist architecture, which favoured grand buildings, broad avenues and wide squares. In the following years the city grew rapidly as a result of massive industrialisation. Since the 1960s Minsk's population has also grown apace, reaching 1 million in 1972 and 1.5 million in 1986. This rapid population growth was primarily driven by mass migration of young unskilled workers from rural areas of Belarus, as well as by migration of skilled workers from other parts of the Soviet Union. To house the expanding population, Minsk spread beyond its historical boundaries. Its surrounding villages were absorbed and rebuilt as mikroraions, districts of high-density apartment housing.

Recent developments

Throughout the 1990s the city continued to change. Becoming the capital of a newly independent country saw it quickly acquire the attributes of a capital city. Embassies were opened, and a number of Soviet administrative buildings were turned over into government buildings. During the early and mid-1990s Minsk was hit by an economic crisis and many development projects were halted, resulting in high unemployment and underemployment. Since the late 1990s there have been improvements in transport infrastructure and the arrival of a housing boom, especially after 2002. On the outskirts of Minsk, new mikrorayons of residential development have been built. Metro lines have been extended, and the road system (including the Minsk ring road) has been improved. Due to the small size of the private sector in Belarus, most development has been financed by the government.

Etymology and historical names

The Old East Slavic name of the town was Мѣньскъ (i.e. Měnsk < Early Proto-Slavic or Late Indo-European Mēnĭskŭ), derived from a river name Měn (< Mēnŭ, with the same etymology as German Main). The direct continuation of this name in Belarusian is Mensk (pronounced *, often transcribed Miensk according to the Łacinka alphabet). This is the name the Belarusian opposition tends to use.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, the pronunciation of this name in the Ruthenian language common to the ancestors of Belarusians and Ukrainians was influenced by the pronunciation of *ě as i in many Ukrainian dialects. The resulting form of the name, Minsk (spelled either Минскъ or Мѣнскъ) was taken over both in Russian (modern spelling: Минск) and Polish (Mińsk), and under the influence especially of Russian it also became official in Belarusian.

When Belarus was under Polish rule, the names Mińsk Litewski 'Minsk in Grand Duchy of Lithuania' and Mińsk Białoruski 'Minsk in Belarus' were used to differentiate this place name from Mińsk Mazowiecki 'Minsk in Masovia'. (In modern Polish, Mińsk without an attribute is Minsk, which is about 50 times bigger than Mińsk Mazowiecki; cf. Brest-Litovsk and Brześć Kujawski for a similar case).

Sources: Max Vasmer. Russisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Vol. 2. Heidelberg 1955. ISBN 3-533-00665-4. = Макс Фасмер. Этимологический словарь русского языка. Vol. 2. Санкт-Петербург 1996, p. 625. ISBN 5-7684-0020-6 (online version).

Demographics

Population growth

Year Population
1450 5 000
1654 10 000
1667 2 000
1790 7 000
1811 11 000
1813 3 500
1860 27 000
1897* 91 500
1917* 134 500
1941 300 000
1944 50 000
1959* 509 500
1970* 907 100
Year Population
1972 1 000 000
1979* 1 276 000
1986 1 500 000
1989* 1 607 000
1999* 1 680 000
2006 1 780 000

  • - census

Ethnic groups

During the first centuries of its existence, Minsk was a city with a predominantly Early East Slavic population (the forefathers of modern-day Belarusians). After the 1569 Polish-Lithuanian union, the city became a destination for migrating Poles (who worked as administrators, clergy, teachers and soldiers) and Jews (who were mainly employed in trade and as craftsmen). During the last centuries of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth many locals were polonized and abandoned their Belarusian culture. After the Partitions of Poland, Minsk became part of the Russian Empire, the Russians essentially stepping in to the leadership role enjoyed by the Poles in earlier centuries. By the end of the 19th century Minsk was undergoing increasing russification. Many locals became russified and claim Russian ethnicity.

At the time of the 1897 census, Jews were the largest ethnic group in Minsk (51.2% of the population). Other substantial ethnic groups were Russians (25.5%), Poles (11.4%) and Belarusians (9%). The latter figure may be not accurate as some local Belarusians were likely to be counted as Russians. There was also a small traditional community of Lipka Tatars living in Minsk for centuries.

Both World War I and World War II affected the demographics of the city. The Jewish community suffered major losses during the Nazi occupation—very few survived. In the post-war years Minsk's population grew primarily as a result of rural migrants from other parts of Belarus moving to the city.

In 1959 Belarusians made up 63.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.8%), Jews (7.8%), Ukrainians (3.6%), Poles (1.1%) and Tatars (0.4%). Migration of rural migrants from other parts of Belarus in the 1960s and 1970s changed the ethnic composition further. By 1979 Belarusians made up 68.4% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups included Russians (22.2%), Jews (3.4%), Ukrainians (3.4%), Poles (1.2%) and Tatars (0.2%).

According to the 1999 census, Belarusians make up 79.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups include Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (1.1%) and Jews (0.6%). The Russian and Ukrainian populations of Minsk peaked in the late 1980s (at 325,000 and 55,000 respectively). After the break-up of the Soviet Union, many of them chose to move to their respective mother countries. The Jewish population of Minsk peaked in the early 1970s at 50,000 (according to official figures; independent estimates put the figure at 100-120,000), but then declined as a result of emigration to Israel, the USA and Germany. Today there are only about 10,000 Jews living in Minsk. The traditional minorities of Poles and Tatars have remained at much the same size (17,000 and 3,000 respectively). There was migration of rural Poles from the western part of Belarus to Minsk, and many Tatars moved to Minsk from Tatarstan.

Some more recent ethnic minority communities are establishing themselves in the city. The most prominent are migrants from the Caucasus countries—Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijanis each numbering about 2,000-5,000. They began migrating to Minsk back in the 1970s, and more migrants have joined them since. Many of them are employed in the retail trade in open-air markets. There is also a small community of Roma people, numbering about 2,000.

Languages

Throughout its history Minsk has been a city of many languages. Initially most of its residents spoke Ruthenian (which later developed into modern Belarusian). However, after 1569 the official language was Polish. By the end of the 18th century most residents of Minsk were Polish-speakers (or Yiddish-speakers among the Jewish community). Yiddish remained a major language in Minsk until the early 20th century. In the 19th century Russian became the official language and by the end of that century it had become the language of administration, schools and newspapers. The Belarusian national revival increased interest in the Belarusian language—its use has grown since the 1890s, especially among the intelligentsia. In the 1920s and early 1930s Belarusian was major language of Minsk, including for administration and education (both secondary and tertiary). However, since the late 1930s Russian again began gaining dominance. This process accelerated after World War II —by the mid-1980s Minsk was almost exclusively Russian-speaking. A short period of Belarusian national revival in the early 1990s has seen a rise in Belarusian speakers. However, in 1994 the newly elected president Alexander Lukashenko slowly reversed this trend. Most residents of Minsk now use Russian exclusively in their everyday lives at home and at work although Belarusian is understood as well.

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.

Government and administrative divisions

In 1938 Minsk was divided into smaller administrative units (raions, or districts) due to rapid population growth. On 17 March 1938 three districts were established: Stalinski (Zavodzki since 1961), Varashylauski (Savetski since 1961) and Kahanovichski (Kastrychnitski since 1957).

Districts

There are now 9 administrative districts:

Microraions

There are also microraions - bedroom community areas of housing development outside the historical centre. Many of them are named after the suburban villages swallowed by the city.

  • Aeradromnaya
  • Akademharadok
  • Anharskaya
  • Azyaryshcha
  • Chyrvony Bor
  • Chyzhouka
  • Drazdy
  • Drazhnya
  • Kharkauskaya
  • Kuntsaushchyna
  • Kurasoushchyna
  • Loshytsa
  • Malinauka
  • Maly Trastsyanets
  • Masyukoushchyna
  • Paudnyovy Zahad
  • Paunochny Pasyolak
  • Serabranka
  • Shabany
  • Sokal
  • Sosny
  • Stsypyanka
  • Suhkarava
  • Syarova
  • Uruchcha
  • Uskhod
  • Uskhodni
  • Vyalikaya Slyapyanka
  • Vyasnyanka
  • Zahad
  • Zyalyony Luh

Economy

Minsk is the economic capital of Belarus. It has developed industrial and services sectors which serve the needs not only of the city, but of the entire nation.

Industry

Minsk is the major industrial centre of Belarus. The city has over 250 factories and plants. Its industrial development started in the 1860s and was facitilated by the railways built in the 1870s. However, much of the industrial infrastructure was destroyed during World War I and especially during World War II. After the last war the development of the city was linked to the development of industry, especially of R&D-intensive sectors. Minsk was turned into a major production site for trucks, tractors, gears, optical equipment, refrigerators, television sets and radios, bicycles, motorcycles, watches, and metal-processing equipment. Outside machine-building and electronics, Minsk also had textiles, construction materials, food processing, and printing industries. Unlike many other cities in the CIS and Eastern Europe Minsk was not heavily de-industrialised in the 1990s. About 40% of the labour force is employed in the manufacturing sector. Over 70% of produced goods are exported from Belarus, especially to Russia and other key markets in the CIS.

Services

As current government economic policies of Belarus favour a neosocialist path of development, the service sector is underdeveloped in Minsk. In terms of development of the service sector, Minsk lags not only behind cities of comparable size and history (Warsaw, Prague, Kiev, Sofia) but even behind much smaller cities (Vilnius, Riga or Tallinn). A large part of the service sector is controlled by the government and has been showing sluggish growth. Key services include finance and banking, national and local government, and transportation.

Transport and infrastructure

Local Transport

Minsk has an extensive public transport system. Passengers are served by 8 tramway lines, over 70 trolleybus lines, and over 100 bus lines.

Rapid Transit

Minsk is the only city in Belarus with an underground metro system (See main article: Minsk Metro). Constuction of the metro began in 1977, soon after the city reached over a million people and the first line with 8 stations was opened in 1984. Since then it has expanded into a two line (Moskovskaya and Avtozavodskaya) respectively 9.5 and 18.1 kilometres long with 9 and 14 stations. Currently a 7.9 km extension of the Moskovskaya line is under construction with 2 stations due to open in 2007 and further 3 stations in 2011. In perspective there are plans for a network with three lines totaling (based on present expansion plans) 58.3 km of track with 45 stations. For this to happen the third line should cut the city on a north-south axis crossing the existing two and thus forming a typical Soviet triangle layout, construction of the third line is expected to begin in 2011 and for the first stage to be delivered in late 2010s.

Currentely most of the urban transport is being actively renovated and upgraded to modern standards.

Railway and intercity bus

Minsk is the largest transportation hub in Belarus. It is located on the junction of Warsaw-Moscow railway (built in 1871) running from the south-west to the north-east of the city and Liepaja-Romny railway (built in 1873) running from the north-west to the south. The first railway connects Russia with Poland and Germany, the second connects Ukraine with Lithuania and Latvia. They cross at the Minsk-Passazhyrski railway station, main railway station of Minsk. The station was built in 1873 as Vilenski vakzal. The initial wooden building was demolished in 1890 and rebuilt in stone. During World War II Minsk railway station was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1945-1946 and served until 1991. The new building of Minsk-Passazhyrski railway station was built in 1991-2002. Its construction was delayed due to financial difficulties. However now Minsk boasts one of the most modern and up-to-date railway stations in the CIS. There are plans to move all suburban rail traffic from Minsk-Passazhyrski to smaller stations Minsk- Uskhodni (East), Minsk-Paudnyovy (South) and Minsk-Paunochny (North) by 2020.

There are three intercity bus stations, linking Minsk with suburbs, other cities in Belarus and in the neighbouring countries.

Airports

From 1982 Minsk had two airports. Minsk-1 opened in 1933 a few kilometres to the south of the historical centre. In 1955 it became an international airport and by 1970 served over 1 million passengers a year. From 1982 it mainly served domestic routes in Belarus and short-haul routes to Moscow, Kiev and Kaliningrad.

Airport Minsk-2 is located 42 km to the east of the city. It opened in 1982 (passenger terminal - in 1987.) It is an international airport undergoing modernisation with flights to Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, and other countries, operated by the national carrier Belavia and the German airline Lufthansa.

Education

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).

Major universities

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Minsk".

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