Minsk

Minsk is one of the most intriguing cities you are ever likely to visit. It remains, almost proudly, a Soviet capital right down to its KGB building. It’s also a city of reinvention - Minsk has been rebuilt several times, most recently after the Second World War when the Nazis reduced the city to rubble. Along the huge Francysk Skaryna, you will find major pieces of architecture including the Main Post Office and the GUM department store. Nearby (on October Square) head to the haunting Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The Svisloch River divides the city. Walking along its banks is quite beautiful in the summer, particularly if you start your walk from the Old Town. The city has a fascinating past and a lot of strange footnotes from history have been written here. Lee Harvey Oswald, the man responsible for assassinating JFK, defected to Russia and lived in Minsk. The apartment where he lived on Ploscha Peramohi still stands. As you will quickly find, Minsk invites curiosity.