More info: Belarus is a landlocked country bordered by Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest, by Russia to the north and east, by Ukraine to the south, and by Poland to the west.
Minsk is centrally located and is home to about one-fifth of the population. It is a sprawling modern city which was almost entirely rebuilt after the near destruction of World War II.
The central avenue of Minsk is Independence Avenue which runs for 15 kilometers (9 miles). It connects five of the most important squares in Minsk, namely, Kalinin Square, Yakub Kolas Square, Victory Square, October Square, and Independence Square and is one of the longest streets in Europe.
As well as the imposing Stalinist architecture of Minsk, the city has an abundance of monuments, statues and memorials. Many of these Soviet sculptures praise poets, musicians, writers, and politicians, but the most intriguing are typically those associated with the Great Patriotic War with the most notable being the Grand World War II victory column, the Obelisk to Hero City Minsk, and the confronting Island of tears (Afghanistan memorial).
During the fall of the Soviet Union, the demolition of monuments to Lenin, became widespread. However the statue of Lenin in Minsk takes pride of place in Independence Square, outside Minsk Government House. The square is one of the largest in Europe.
Soviet artistic heritage is revealed not only in wide boulevards and gray apartment blocks but also in immense murals and mosaics that embellish many spots around the city. One of the most iconic mosaics is the “Storming of the Winter Palace” produced by Alexander Kishchenko and found outside the Maladzioznaja metro station.