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The quintessential Soviet 'Hero City'
Entry 108 of 129 | show all | print this entry |
So what should one expect visiting what is arguably Europe's most closed country? An obscure nation with no previous historical experience of independence that's now led by a dictator bearing an uncanny resemblance to Inspector Clouseau? Well, it's a pretty nice place, actually. It definitely isn't overflowing with tourist sights, but for a nation often condemned for its abysmal human rights record and complete lack of true political plurality, it looks better run than some of its neighbors do. Ok, so the capital does - I haven't really seen much else besides redundantly flat countryside and the odd, unmemorable small town out the train window.
Minsk ain't exactly a treasure trove of historical attractions. Pounded to rubble in World War II, it was rebuilt in a grandiose display of Soviet architectural prowess in commemoration of the important role it played during the war. What better way to honor the workers' utopia of the USSR than to reconstruct a city in vast monumental classicism? The pretty old baroque center was largely pulverized by severe bombing, so it was the perfect opportunity to start with a clean slate. Now it's a city of perplexingly wide boulevards, towering monolithic apartment buildings, and vast, barren plazas. In other words, someplace perfect for parading tanks, jeeps, artillery and other military machinery around in celebration of the great Motherland!
Life under a dictatorship may not be a lot of fun, but it has its perks. Unlike in the previous few countries, everything seems to actually work here (even if it may take longer and is pretty behind technologically at times). The streets are spic-and-span and there are regular cleaning crews out beautifying the city across the day. That's a huge departure from the frequent piles of rubbish found throughout Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and the like. And thanks to the omnipresent police force and militia shuffling about, there's next to no petty crime. Best of all, as long as you follow the rules ("No jaywalking, young man! And don't even think about taking a picture of the Presidential Palace!"), the cops leave you well alone.
In spite of the long city blocks, it doesn't take a terribly long time to see what Minsk has to offer. It helps that there isn't too much to see, I suppose, but a couple days is more than enough. I spent most of yesterday afternoon seeing the Stalinist glory of the rebuilt center and its lengthy main artery. Today then I set off in search of what traces remain of the old city. There aren't many. A few churches have defiantly survived and stand somewhat isolated between ugly concrete buildings or on a hill overlooking bleak thoroughfares. Some intact streets hide behind monumental blocks of apartments facing the main boulevards. And there's even a wee section of pseudo-17th and 18th-century architecture hugging a patch of land along the river. The small area was put back together in a rather unconvincing 1960s restoration project, but it's about as close as Minsk has to an "old town" now (and it's thus a very popular spot for wedding pictures).
The Stalinist architecture itself is pretty impressive as well, but after a while it starts to be too overpowering and oppressive. Still, it's one of the more interesting cities I've visited recently, if only because it's so entirely different from anyplace else. The only comparison I've been able to come up with is Ulaanbaatar, but even there the similarities are only slight (certainly no ger districts here!).
My visa is pretty limited here, so I'm off to see a couple other places in Belarus from tomorrow. First stop is Brest, site of one of the most brutal conflicts in the early part of World War II. It's supposed to have one of the finest Soviet war memorials, so it should make for an interesting stop.
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| 108. | The quintessential Soviet 'Hero City' - Minsk, Belarus Aug 24, 2007 |
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