The heart of Belarus is its capital, Minsk. Freedom Square is one of the most beautiful places in the historic Upper Town. From the 16th century until the Patriotic War, government offices of the capital were located here. During the war, many buildings were destroyed, and only at the end of the last century did the restoration of the architectural heritage begin.
Historical Monument - Freedom Square
The first settlements in the Upper City appeared in the XII century. In 1547, after a fire that destroyed almost all the houses, a grand-ducal commission arrived in Minsk. It was decided to build a market on the site of the ashes. In the center, an area of 3000 square meters was laid. meters. In 1589, it began to be actively built up.
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, a single architectural ensemble was formed here, buildings in the Renaissance style adorned Minsk. Freedom Square at that time had the shape of a rectangle. Religious buildings, houses of the local nobility, the city hall, the Gostiny Dvor, the Jesuit monastery, as well as monasteries were built along its perimeter. Bernardines and Bernardines. Underground passages were built between the cloisters.
During the history of its existence, the square 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 19th century it was called Cathedral Square, and only after the revolution was it renamed into Freedom Square.
History of City Hall
At first the city was part of the Principality of Lithuania, then the Kingdom of Poland. In those years, every European city had its own town hall. Minsk was no exception. Svoboda Square is adorned with a snow-white building built after the Lithuanian prince Alexander in 1499 granted Magdeburg rights to the city. The town hall housed the city magistrate.
When the Russian Empire got Minsk, the city was deprived of the Magdeburg rights. In order for the population to forget about the former liberties, in 1857 the town hall was demolished. The townspeople refused to destroy the building, so the authorities brought in prisoners from the city prison and soldiers to carry out the work. The building has been rebuilt many times. Until the middle of the 19th century, in different years it housed a theater, a music school, a court, a guardhouse, and also stored standards for weight and volume.
In 2003, the town hall was restored according to drawings and drawings found in museums. It is decorated with columns and a clock tower. At the top of the tower there is the coat of arms of the city with a figure depicting the Ascension of the Virgin. Next to the town hall there are sculptures "The Governor's Carriage" and "Keyman Voight". Now it houses the Historical Museum of Minsk.
CathedralThe Holy Spirit - the attraction of the square
At the beginning of the 17th century, a Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was built on the square for the Bernardine monastery. After a fire in 1741, restoration work was carried out here. Later, the convent moved to Nesvizh, in 1860 the cathedral passed to the Orthodox Church. The temple and the buildings next to it were restored, and the monks from the Orthodox Holy Trinity Monastery in Slutsk moved into them. In 1870, it was consecrated, and by the order of the Synod, it became known as the Holy Spirit.
The monastery was closed after the revolution, but during the occupation, service in the cathedral resumed. When the war ended, the temple was overhauled. At present, the Holy Spirit Cathedral (Minsk, Freedom Square) is a Cathedral. It contains 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 adorns Freedom Square. Minsk, whose photos will not leave anyone indifferent, is visited by tourists from other countries with pleasure. The only Catholic Church of the Holy Virgin Mary in the city is located opposite the town hall. Its construction is connected with the appearance of the Jesuits in Minsk. In 1654 the Bishop of Smolensk presented the order with a two-storey palace. Later, the Jesuits bought the house next to it and founded their monastery in it. In 1710, a Catholic church was built at the monastery. Its interior was decorated with rich frescoes, figures of the apostles and columns with pilasters. Nearby was openschool.
During the Patriotic War, the temple was destroyed by a bomb, and then rebuilt. For a long time there was a sports society "Spartak". In 1993, the building was again handed over to the Catholic Church, and restorers from Poland and Belarus returned the cathedral to its original appearance.
Other attractions on Freedom Square
Among other attractions on Freedom Square, the attention of tourists attracts:
- Gostiny Dvor. These are ancient buildings in the center of the square, combined into a single complex. The last reconstruction of the Gostiny Dvor was carried out in 1909. Since then, his appearance has not changed.
- At the address: Svobody Square, 8 (Minsk) - next to the Gostiny Dvor there are cozy restaurants with a luxurious interior and good food, a pizzeria, an entertainment complex with slot machines. There is also a BSB Bank currency exchange office and a photo center.
- Buildings of the male and female Bernardine monasteries. They were built in the XVII-XVIII centuries and have survived to our time.
- Prestigious hotel "Europe" with 130 rooms. In 1913, 4 more floors were completed above the two-story building. During the war, the hotel was bombed, but now the building has been restored.
Nearby there is parking for cars that come to Freedom Square (Minsk). How to get on your own, get acquainted with the historical center of the city? To do this, you need to get to the Nemiga station by metro or use a taxi. City buses number 1 stop at the square,69 and 119C, as well as minibus number 1056. Each section of this place is connected with the history of the city, so there are always a lot of tourists.
