Minsk District

Minsk (Belarusian: Мінск [mʲinsk]; Russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region (voblast) and Minsk District (raion). As of January 2021, its population was 2 million, making Minsk the 11th most populous city in Europe. Minsk is one of the administrative capitals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). First documented in 1067, Minsk became the capital of the Principality of Minsk before being annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1242. It received town privileges in 1499.From 1569, it was the capital of the Minsk Voivodeship, an administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was part of a region annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793, as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland. From 1919 to 1991, after the Russian Revolution, Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, in the Soviet Union.

The Central House of Officers (Belarusian: Цэнтральны Дом афiцэраў, Russian: Центральный Дом офицеров), also known as the Army Palace, is a former Red Army building which currently serves as the main cultural institution of the Belarusian Armed Forces built in 1939. It was one of the only buildings built by Soviet architect Losif Langbard that survived the war.It presents historical education and promotes the moral readiness of the military by familiarizing servicemen and the general public. Events that fall under this task includes weddings, concerts, musical and theatrical performances, and lectures. The current Head of the Central House of Officers is Colonel Valeriy Kurda.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Міністэрства замежных спраў Рэспублікі Беларусь, BGN/PCGN: Ministerstva zamiežnykh spraú Respubliki Bielarus’; Russian: Министерство иностранных дел Республики Беларусь, BGN/PCGN: Ministerstvo inostrannyh del Respubliki Belarus’) is the Belarusian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Belarus. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Maxim Ryzhenkov, since June 2024. Anatoly Glaz, a diplomat and spokesperson of the Ministry, has voiced criticism of international sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and justified bans on foreign journalists from working in Belarus.

Aliaksandraŭski Garden Square is a square located in the center of Minsk, Belarus. Janka Kupala National Theatre is situated on the square, while Kupalaŭskaja and Kastryčnickaja metro stations' entrances overlook the square. Surrounded by Independence Avenue, Karl Marx Street, Red Army Soldiers Street, and Engels Street, the square overlooks October Square, the Residence of the President of Belarus and the Central House of Officers.One of the most famous fountains in Minsk, named Boy with a Swan, is located in the centre of the square.

Military Hospital 4/637 (German: Kriegslazarett 4/637) was a large German military general hospital in Minsk operated by the Army Medical Service from 1941 to 1942 during World War II. The hospital was located in the former House of the Red Army building (now called the Officer's House or Army Palace), a monumental Stalinist building inaugurated in 1936 and designed by Iosif Langbard. The hospital reached a capacity of around 1,000 beds. The hospital mainly treated German soldiers, but also civilians and enemy soldiers to some extent.

Janka Kupala National Academic Theatre (Belarusian: Нацыянальны акадэмічны тэатр імя Янкі Купалы, Minsk) is the oldest existing theatre in Belarus. It is included in the list of the cultural heritage of Belarus.

The Constitutional Court of Belarus is one of the top-tier courts in the eastern European country. Created in 1994, the Court is run under guidelines that were issued in 1997. The purpose of the court is to render justice in areas where the constitution has come into question, such as a local law contradicting the constitution. There are 12 judges that sit on the bench, with all having degrees in legal studies, as required by Belarusian law. Six of the judges are appointed by the President while the other six are appointed by the Council of the Republic. Regardless of the manner of appointment, the judges sit on the bench for a term of 11 years.

The Minsk Governorate (Russian: Минская губерния, Belarusian: Мінская губерня) or Government of Minsk was a governorate (guberniya) of the Russian Empire. The seat was in Minsk. It was created in 1793 from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland and lasted until 1921.

Janka Kupała Park is a park in Minsk, Belarus located along Śvisłač river. This park is named after Janka Kupała, one of the classics of Belarusian literature of early 20th century. Before World War II at this place there was the house of poet Janka Kupała. In 1959 the Janka Kupała's museum near the park was constructed that has at its disposal a big collection of autographs, photos, documents and poet's personal belongings. In 1972 a monument to Janka Kupała was built. In the park there is also a fountain called 'Vianok' (wreath).

Kastrychnitskaya (Belarusian: Кастрычніцкая; Russian: Октябрьская) is a Minsk Metro station. It opened on June 30, 1984. The station is one of three on the Minsk Metro to have been built with an entrance in an existing building, the other two being Kupalawskaya and Ploshcha Lyenina.

The 2011 Minsk Metro bombing took place on 11 April 2011 when 15 people were killed and 204 were injured when a bomb exploded within the Minsk Metro, Belarus. The explosion happened at the central Kastryčnickaja station at 17:55 local time.Initially the cause of the explosion was unclear, but was found to have been a bomb. The Prosecution Office launched a criminal investigation and classified the event as a terrorist attack. Two suspects arrested on 13 April confessed to the bombing but the motives remained unclear. In March 2012, both perpetrators, Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou, were executed by shooting.There has been considerable debate about the possibility that the Belarusian government itself was behind the bombing. The UN Security Council statement condemning the bombing refers to "the apparent terrorist attack". The trial attracted international political condemnation and the verdicts passed out have been questioned, primarily by the Belarusian opposition and the EU. The bombing came at a time of a serious economic crisis and protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's government.

October Square (Russian: Октябрьская площадь; Belarusian: Кастрычніцкая плошча) 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 Janka Kupała National Academic Theater. On the square there are the main metro stations in Minsk: Kastryčnickaja and Kupawaŭskaja.