Getting to Know The History of Minsk

Greetings, friends.
In the second half of September, I traveled to Belarus. This was my first trip through a travel agency. I planned this trip back in April. On the morning of April 22, I was standing by the tour bus. I counted 52 people in our group. Hmm, that's a lot. But for me, this is probably the only downside of this adventure. The bus ride didn't scare me.

On the first day, we took a guided walk through the historical center of the capital of Belarus. I hope everyone knows that the capital is called Minsk.
Veterans of the Afghan War are honored in Belarus. Those were the days when Belarus was part of the Soviet Union.
Our tour began with a visit to the "Island of Courage and Sorrow" (popularly known as the "Island of Tears"). This is a memorial complex dedicated to the Belarusian internationalist soldiers who died in Afghanistan in 1979-1989. It is located on an artificial island in a bend of the Svisloch River, in the center of Old Minsk, near the Trinity suburb.
Construction began in 1988, during the Afghan War. The initiators were the families of the deceased servicemen, as well as participants in the fighting.
In 1990, a foundation stone was installed on the island, and in 1992, a cross. The grand opening took place on August 3, 1996.

The figures of grieving women at the entrance represent Belarusian mothers mourning their sons who did not return from the war. Some hold icons in their hands, while others hold portraits of their sons. The mothers standing in front are holding lamps symbolizing the warmth and light of the hearth.

The "Weeping Angel" is a symbol of inconsolable grief for the soldiers who died of physical and mental wounds after returning to their homeland. It is known that angels do not have a gender identity, but this angel is made in the form of a boy. This angel-boy is crying from resentment and impotence that he could not help the guys who came home, saw the changed life in the country and they could not fit into this new life.

Then we walked through a neighborhood called Troitskoe suburb. This is a whole historical district in the very center of Minsk, sometimes also called "Troitskaya Gora".
The settlement on the hill near the Svisloch River appeared back in the XII–XIII centuries. The name is associated with the Trinity Church: according to one version, it was founded by Lithuanian Prince Jagiello. Later, an Orthodox church appeared here. This place has always been important as a bustling large market, and later as a place with various religious buildings.
Over time, the appearance changed: there were fires and perestroika. The district suffered significant losses during the Great Patriotic War. In the 1970s, a large-scale restoration began, and today we see a restored fragment that has preserved the atmosphere of Minsk of the XVIII–XIX centuries.
Nowadays, the Troitsk suburb is one of the most favorite places for walking among Minsk residents and guests of the city. It's cozy here: narrow streets, restored old houses, cafes, galleries, and souvenir shops.

After walking along the Trinity suburb, we headed to the old town hall. At that time, it started to rain. I must say that it rained every day in Minsk, but in places outside of it we were greeted by the Sun.
So, in 1499 Minsk received the Magdeburg right. It was a real democracy. This gave the city the opportunity to have its own governing body, the magistrate, for whose meetings the town hall was erected. At first it was wooden, but in 1582 a stone town hall was built. At the end of the 18th century, the building was rebuilt in the classical style.
The building lost its functions after Belarus became dependent on the Russian Empire, and in 1795 the Russian Emperor abolished it. Magdeburg Law. Since then, the Vertical of Power has been operating in Belarus.

The mayor of the city holds a symbolic key to the city in his hands, and at his feet is a map of the city. There is a cathedral church in the background.

I didn't take my umbrella from the bus and got wet during the walk. The women turned out to be more prepared; they walked with umbrellas or in raincoats.

Sculpture composition "City scales" on Freedom Square. It was installed in 2014 as a reference to the medieval trading life of Minsk: the city's standards of weights and measures were kept in the town hall, and a lively trade was conducted on the square. The composition features figures of townspeople at the scales, and at the foot are stylized coins from different eras.

Cathedral of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. This is the main Orthodox church in Minsk, an architectural monument in the Sarmatian Baroque style. The building was originally built in 1633-1642 as the church of the Bernardine monastery, and in the 19th century it was converted into an Orthodox cathedral. The temple houses important shrines, including the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God and the relics of Sofia Slutskaya.

We weren't very lucky with the weather. It was always raining in the evening when we arrived in Minsk. I was planning evening walks and photographing night city views, but it didn't work out. But I did a few morning walks. I'll talk about them later.

By the way, the location of the City can be seen by clicking on the link to the map in the comments to the article by @travelfeed and @worldmappin