In the capital of Belarus there are many places that are worth visiting for the first time a tourist who has arrived in the city. And one of them is the Minsk Planetarium, a place where breathtaking. We will tell you more about him and find out where he is, how he works and what his story is.
Appearance story
The year of birth of the planetarium in the glorious city of Minsk is 1965, and this is no accident. That time was a time of major changes in the development of interstellar space, a time of space exploration. It was in the sixties that events such as the flight of Yuri Gagarin and the release into space of Alexei Leonov thundered to the whole world. And a little later, Neil Armstrong, for the first time in the history of mankind, will step on the surface of the Moon - however, when this happens, the Minsk Planetarium will function for several years. In general, the prerequisites for the discovery were solid, and it is not at all surprising that such “windows into the universe” began to appear in this period in many large cities, and not just in Minsk.
So, July 29, 1965 - this date was remembered by all Minsk residents, eager to learn as much as possible about the world of astronomy and astronautics. It was on this day that the Minsk Planetarium was opened in Gorky Park. This location was chosen for a reason: the park provided high traffic, and being at its highest point made it possible for the aforementioned research and entertainment institution to be visible from afar. In addition, Gorky Park is the very center of the city, and the planetarium belongs to the Minsk Youth Palace.
On the same day, not only the "space center" was opened, but also an observatory with it, the equipment in which, in fine weather, allowed everyone to see the Sun, the nearest planets, galaxies, nebulae and so on. We will tell about the features of the Minsk Planetarium and its observatory further, for now, we will briefly outline their further fate after the opening. The observatory worked tirelessly until the nineties of the last century, when its doors were closed for visitors. It was only possible to enter the public again only four years ago.
As for the planetarium itself, in the Soviet years all kinds of lectures on astronomy and astronautics, geophysics and even mathematics were regularly held there, as well as on the protection of nature. Thousands of people came to listen to real experts - university professors, employees of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Particular emphasis was placed on the popularization of astronomy, and ten years ago they even created their own amateur astronomical club on the basis of the institution.
In 2011, for a short time, the Minsk Planetarium in Gorky Park (photo above) was closed for reconstruction, and having opened again, tirelessly continues to educate its large and small visitors to this day.
Features of the planetarium and observatory
To begin with, the Minsk Planetarium is the largest stationary operating planetarium in Belarus. And he is the only one included in the Eurasia Planetarians Association (this significant event took place in 2013).
The architect, the project of which the construction was completed, was Natalia Afanasyeva. The building itself is typical for Soviet buildings of the mid-twentieth century.
The planetarium hall, where you can see the stars, accommodates about a hundred people (one hundred and twenty, if you try). It is equipped with a dome-shaped screen with a diameter of twelve meters and a projector made in Germany. This equipment is of a very high class and has the most diverse technical capabilities. As for the observatory of the Minsk Planetarium, the equipment didn’t let us down either: there is a refractor telescope of a very famous and respected company with quite powerful amplification, which allows, as mentioned above, to make out not only the Sun with planets, but also the nearest galaxies .
A little more about the planetarium
The hallmark of the Minsk Planetarium is the spherical scientific-educational films, lectures, which became possible after replacing the digital projection in the hall of the institution. But not only lectures are given in this institution. For both large and small visitors, it has developed unique and very interesting programs according to age, enthralling into the world of space and astronomy, not leaving indifferent either children or adults. Full-domed films (or cartoons) are shown to visitors, master classes are held, special thematic exhibitions are organized for them, which is interesting and useful to see at any age. Those who are most keen on astronomy can attend a series of thematic lectures and, of course, club meetings, as mentioned above. Children are free to study at the Galileo Children's Center, where they have the opportunity to learn a lot about interstellar space. And this is not all the interesting events that take place in the planetarium of the city of Minsk!
Planetarium Services
You can familiarize yourself in detail with the full range of services provided in the planetarium of Minsk on the official website of the institution - the cost of each specific offer is also indicated there. There you can see a poster of events. Here, in the framework of one small article, we only briefly, as an example, touch on these two points.
So, in addition to the previously mentioned visits to the observatory (in good weather) and the possibility of watching a spherical movie (interesting because the stars seem to surround you from all sides), there is an interesting program for two in the planetarium. Loving romantic couples - and even those who have already experienced the first outburst of passion and are now in a strong family union - it will be very pleasant to spend time on the "Sky for Two" session. Starry night - and no one else around, except you and your soulmate.
You can visit the aforementioned institution both as part of a group or individually. However, you must first leave a request (this must be done a week before the proposed visit).
What show
You can watch as many as fourteen different films at the Minsk planetarium (the photos of the institution are perhaps not so impressive, but the programs offered to the attention of guests are very interesting). All of them constantly appear on the institution's poster. Let's talk about them in more detail.
"The Mouse and the Moon"
Cinema for young children is a story about how two mice tried to find out who eats cheese sparkling in the sky in the evenings. The Belarusian film is fifteen minutes long.
"Astronomy"
Here we will talk about the origin and formation of this science, about its origins, history and so on. A Russian-made film lasts almost 25 minutes.
"Ghost of the Universe"
This American film has recently appeared in the planetarium. He talks about dark matter, its secrets and search. The film will be interesting to watch, including those who love actress Tilda Swinton: she took part in the work on the script. The duration of the session is half an hour.
"As the Month went to visit the Sun"
This is a 25-minute account of the journey of the month through various constellations in search of the sun. The film is made in Ukraine, based on the folk tales of Albania.
"Into the depths of the universe"
A half-hour film that tells the audience about the secrets of outer space, about the universe, about our place in the world of stars, about various discoveries and about many, many other things, no less interesting and exciting. Production - Germany.
"Energy of the Universe"
The results of observations of various observatories, the principles of electromagnetic radiation, the phenomena associated with cosmic radiation - this is the topic that raises in the film of German-Italian production. Duration - half an hour.
"The path of light"
This film gives viewers a unique opportunity to see which route through the vast universe is overcome by a ray of light born of a distant star. The film is from Germany, its duration is a little less than half an hour.
"Two glass. Amazing telescope."
This film is a great opportunity, under the guidance of the heroes of the film, to explore different planets made using the discovery telescope, as well as learn about the history of its creation. Germany, 25 minutes.
"Black holes"
To learn about the other side of the Universe, to see the birth and extinction of a star and much more, the audience will be able to thanks to the film from the United States. It lasts almost 25 minutes.
"Maya. Observers of the universe"
Here we are talking, of course, about the peoples of the Mayan tribe. Viewers will be shown six of their temples, told about their astronomical beliefs and much more from ancient mythology, which is inextricably linked with space. Film produced in Mexico, lasting 20 minutes.
"The Mysterious and Amazing Sun"
These are two short films combined into a single whole. The first tells about the interaction of the Sun and the Earth, the second - about the nature of our star. Production - Germany, duration - 22 minutes.
"Return to the moon forever"
A British production film talks about international teams competing for the right to be the first to land a guided moon rover on the moon. Duration - 25 minutes.
"Dark matter"
A film lasting 20 minutes tells about the nature of dark matter, reveals the essence of this phenomenon. Author country - Australia.
"The moons of distant planets"
The last film that can be seen in the Minsk planetarium. He talks about the satellites of different planets. Lasts only 18 minutes, produced in India.
Many of the above films can be viewed not only in Russian, but also in English. However, a preliminary application for such viewing is required.
And then we will tell about the address of the Minsk Planetarium and reviews about it.
Contacts
Planetarium phones can be found on the institution’s website. As for the address, it is this: Frunze street, 2. Landmark - Gorky Park, we emphasize: it is there that the necessary institution is located.
The working hours of the Minsk Planetarium are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. Monday is a day off. Films are shown from ten in the morning until five in the evening (five - the beginning of the last session).
Minsk planetarium: reviews
Who was in the planetarium of the capital of Belarus, that certainly did not remain indifferent! Not only children are delighted, but also adults. People write that there is a lot of information, it is informative and unusual, interestingly presented. Of the minuses, large lines are noted - but this is probably, in a sense, also a plus!
This is information about the Minsk planetarium. Visit him and let the stars get a little closer!