Over 330,000 people take part in Minsk’s City Day celebrations

Minsk celebrates its 949th anniversary

Over 330,000 people take part in Minsk’s City Day celebrations


The celebrations were preceded by the best professional awards ceremony at the Republican Palace of Culture of Trade Unions, while the major festivities were held on September 3rd. As is traditional, the ground at the Sports Palace became the central festive venue, with lots of various events (sport, cultural and trade fair activities). In the evening, the ‘Minsker of the Year’ award was solemnly bestowed at the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre.


Next year the city is to celebrate its jubilee. Photo: Vitaly GIL


The city festival of creativity for people with disabilities — Art to Live, to Create Art — was also held, with the Minsk Half Marathon becoming one of the major events, featuring over 20,000 people from 42 countries. Moreover, a monument was unveiled in the Upper Town to playwright Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz and composer Stanislav Moniuszko — the creators of the Belarusian national classical opera.

The Extreme Sports Park was also solemnly opened as part of the celebrations of Minsk’s 949th anniversary. This facility is unique both for Belarus and the CIS, consisting of seven mini-grounds: for mini-football, street ball, exercise workouts, free running, a skatepark, a children’s playground and an area for people with disabilities to practice sport.


Photo: BELTA

The holiday ended with a musical-pyrotechnic firework-show that pleased Minskers with lots of special effects. Five launch points were located along the Island of Courage and Sorrow and on the surface of the River Svisloch, with various fireworks skyrocketing to the height of 200m.

By Victor Kharitonov
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