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 the restoration of the architectural heritage began.
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, the grand-princely commission arrived in Minsk. It was decided to build a market on the site of the ashes. In the center was laid an area of 3000 square meters. meters. In 1589, she began to actively build up.
At the turn of the 16-17th centuries, a single architectural ensemble was formed here, buildings in the Renaissance style decorated Minsk. Liberty Square at that time was in the shape of a rectangle. Religious buildings, houses of the local nobility, the city hall, a guest house, a Jesuit monastery, as well as Bernardine and Bernardine monasteries were built along its perimeter. Underpasses were built between the cloisters.
Over the history of its existence, the square has 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 XIX century it was called Cathedral Square and only after the revolution was renamed Freedom Square.
History of the 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. Freedom Square is decorated with a snow-white building, built after the Lithuanian Prince Alexander in 1499 granted the city Magdeburg Law. The city magistrate was located in the town hall.
When Minsk went to the Russian Empire, the city was deprived of Magdeburg law. In order for the population to forget about their 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 was rebuilt many times. Until the middle of the XIX century, in different years, it housed a theater, music school, court, guardhouse, and also kept standards of measures of weight and volume.
In 2003, the town hall was restored according to the drawings and drawings found in museums. It is decorated with columns and a clock tower. At the top of the tower is a city emblem with a figure depicting the Ascension of the Virgin. Next to the town hall are the sculptures "Governor's Carriage" and "Keyman Voight". Now it houses the historical museum of Minsk.
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - a landmark of the square
At the beginning of the XVII century, the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was built for the Bernardine monastery on the square. After the fire in 1741, restoration work was carried out here. Later, the convent moved to Nesvizh, in 1860 the cathedral was transferred 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 in them. In 1870, he was consecrated, and by the order of the Synod, he began to be called the Holy Spirit.
The monastery was closed after the revolution, but during the occupation, service in the cathedral resumed. When the war ended, a major overhaul was made in the temple. Currently, the Holy Spirit Cathedral (Minsk, Freedom Square) is the Cathedral Church. 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 photo will not leave anyone indifferent, is visited by tourists from other countries with pleasure. The only Catholic church of St. Mary in the city is located opposite the town hall. Its construction is connected with the appearance of Jesuits in Minsk. In 1654, the Smolensk bishop presented the order with a two-story palace. Later, the Jesuits bought the house next to him and founded his own monastery in it. In 1710, a Catholic church was built at the monastery. Its interior was decorated with rich murals, figures of the apostles and columns with pilasters. A school was opened nearby.
During the Patriotic War, the temple was destroyed due to a bomb, and then rebuilt. For a long time there was a sports society "Spartak". In 1993, the building was again transferred 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, tourists are attracted by:
- Seating yard. 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: 8 Svobody Square (Minsk) - next to the Gostiny Dvor there are cozy restaurants with a luxurious interior and good cuisine, a pizzeria, an entertainment complex with slot machines. There is also a currency exchange point of BSB Bank and a photo center.
- Buildings of male and female Bernardine monasteries. They were built in the XVII-XVIII centuries and have survived to our time.
- The prestigious hotel "Europe" with 130 rooms. In 1913, another 4 floors were completed over the two-story building. During the war, the hotel was bombed, but now the building has been restored.
Nearby there is a parking for cars that come to Freedom Square (Minsk). how to get on your own, to get acquainted with the historical center of the city? To do this, you need to get to the Nemiga station by metro or take a taxi. City buses number 1, 69 and 119, as well as a fixed-route taxi number 1056, stop at the square. Each section of this place is connected with the history of the city, so there are always many tourists there.