Homepage / Subject guides and databases / Culture / Architectural ensemble of Independence Avenue / List of archival documents / Architectural works between October Square and Victory Square

Survey of documents relating to architectural works located on Independence Avenue in Minsk City – between October Square and Victory Square

Belarusian State Archives of Scientific and Technical Documentation

Name of architectural work Date of construction and annotations Name of document Date of document and annotations Fond/Inventory number File number
October Square (before 1984 – Central Square) The 1950s-’90s. The square began to take shape in 1949 according to the design of the architects M. Parusnikov, G. Bodanov, V. Korol, L. Matskevich, and M. Osmolovski. The further development of the square was due to the construction there of various public buildings (see the table below). As a focal point of the central architectural ensemble in Minsk City, this square is today used for mass rallies, demonstrations, and military parades. Explanatory report concerning Master Plan for restoration and development in Minsk City 1946. Project authors: M.N. Androsov and the honorary architect of the BSSR N.E. Trakhtenberg. Engineers: K. Ivanov, V. Tolmachev, R. Obraztsova. The document shows restoration of Minsk in the line of its development as a big industrial center. 3/1-p 1
    Extract from the Master Plan for restoration and development in Minsk 1946. This document relates to designing of various buildings located on the square and the adjacent area. 3/1-p 1/7, 72, 73, 74
    Photographs of competition designs for the development of Central Square in Minsk 1946 51/1 254
    Explanatory report concerning earthwork design for the grading of Central Square in Minsk 1946. The report gives grounds for the development of residential areas adjacent to the square 3/1-p 5/4, 5
    Design Statement and Detail Design for the grading of Central Square in Minsk 1946, 1947. Design author – engineer V. Tolmachev 3/1-p 5, 6, 10, 11
    Explanatory report concerning grading layout of Central Square in Minsk 1947. The document gives calculations of the square’s dimensions 3/1-p 11/1
    Photographs of Central Square in Minsk 1947-1962 51/1 252
Central part of Minsk City The central part of Minsk includes a section of Independence Avenue between Independence Square and Victory Square Detail Design for the layout of the central part of Minsk City  1949. Design author – the honorary architect of the BSSR N.E. Trakhtenberg. The design is based on Master Plan for restoration and development in Minsk City, and the draft of grading and development for the central area of the city. 3/3-p 1137
Residence of the President of the Republic of Belarus (before 1994 – the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus – CPB) 1941; project authors – architects V. Araksin, A. Voinov.
The building occupies an area over the Central Gardens between Engels Street and Krasnoarmeiskaia Street. It is erected on a three- meter pedestal of polished granite. 		The photograph of the building [the 1950s] 104/2 78
Tribunes on October Square (formerly Central Square) the 1950s; project author – the honorary architect of the BSSR E.L. Zaslavski. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). The guest tribunes located on the edge of the Central Gardens are framed with the balustrade recessed into the Gardens. The central governmental tribune, adorned with bas-reliefs, juts out against the side monolithic tribunes. Design Statement, Detail Design, Contractor Design 1950, 1957-1958 10/1-p
10/3		 1151-1152
484-488
The Flight of Steps leading from independence Avenue (formerly Sovetskaia Street) onto Krasnoarmeiskaia Street   Detail & Contractor Design of the staircase 1950 10/1-p 1153-1154
Central Gardens near October Square (formerly Alexander Gardens, Town Gardens) with a sculptural group of The Boy with the Swan Built in 1872, reconstructed in the 1950s-’70s; authors of reconstruction project: honorary architects of the BSSR E.L. Zaslavski and O.B. Ladygina. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). Detail Design and Reconstruction Project 1951,
1964-1971 		10/1-p 1146-1150;
2170-2173
The Railing of the Central Gardens Project author – honorary architect of the BSSR E.L. Zaslavski. The railing overlooking October Square is performed as a granite balustrade decorated with cast-iron insets Detail & Contractor Design for the railing with the entrance at the Central Square 1951-1954 10/1-p 1148-1150
Five-storey residential building for 129 apartments with shopping premises (No. 23, Independence Ave.) 1953; project authors: member of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the BSSR State Prize winner, professor M.P. Parusnikov; people’s architect of the USSR, honorary architect of the BSSR G.V. Zaborski. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). Characteristic of the building is a clear architectural order of its facades, distinguished by semicircular fenestration. The socle is faced with granite. Design Statement and Contractor Design for the five-storey residential building located between Central Square and Lenin Street 1950-1957 3/1-p 946-956
Office Block (the Minsk Regional Executive Committee – No. 4, Engels Street) 1960; project author – honorary architect of the BSSR V.M. Volchek. Local Cultural Heritage Object (3nd category). The building has 5 floors and a basement. The exterior walls are finished with pebble dash and marble aggregate. The main facade is embellished with concrete moulds, the pedestal is faced with the red polished granite. Resolution of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee “Concerning the complex development and architectural engineering of the buildings of the Minsk Regional Committee of the CPB and the Minsk Regional Executive Committee.” April, 1946 51/1 182/1
    Design Statement, Detail Design, Contractor Design 1953-1958 3/1-p 1426-1434
Office Block (Beltelecom Company, formerly the Central Telegraph – No.5, Engels Str.) 1962; project authors: A.G. Dukhan; people’s architect of the USSR, honorary builder of the BSSR V.A. Korol . Local Cultural Heritage Object (3rd category). This four-storey, extended building plays an important part in the overall appearance of October Square. It successfully combines with the Palace of Republic and the adjacent buildings Detail Design and Contractor Design for the building of the Central Telegraph 1953-1959 3/1-p 725-739
The Trade Unions’ Palace of Culture (No.25, Independence Ave.) 1954; project author – architect V. Ershov. Local Cultural Heritage Object (3rd category). The photograph of the building [1955] 104/2 60
The Belarusian State Museum of the History of World War II (formerly Regional Museum – No.25a, Independence Ave.) 1964; project authors: people’s architect of the USSR, honorary architect of the BSSR G.V. Zaborski; honourary architect of the BSSR G.M. Benediktov. Local Cultural Heritage Object (3rd category). The facades are wet stuccoed with the use of white cement and marble aggregate; the pedestal is faced with granite. Design Statement and Contractor Design for the building of a regional museum 1956-1964; 3/1-p 1973-1986;
2269-2271
Concert Hall with a restaurant (October Square) Not constructed The summary of technical and economic grounds for the construction of a concert hall with a restaurant for 500 seats, located on Central Square in Minsk 1 February, 1977. The summary reflects the process of formation of an architectural ensemble including the existing public buildings and those being in design. 51/1 126/2
The Palace of Republic (No.1, October Square) 1987-2000; project authors: architects M. Pirogov, V. Danilov, L. Zdanevich, L. Moskalevich, V. Novikov, M. Turliuk, V. Usimov, A. Shabolin with the assistance of I. Biziuk and K. Filipovich. Protokol № 7 dated 19.04.1982 of the BSSR Union of Architects’ Bureau concerning the location of the Palace of Republic on Central Square in Minsk. 1982. The document gives grounds for placing the Palace of Republic on October Square 68/1 377/32, 33, 41
5-8-storey residential buildings on the corner of Independence Avenue and Kupala Street 1955; project author: professor M.O. Barshch; architect, the BSSR State Prize winner Kovykova. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). Exterior walls are finished with granite and coloured stucco. Design Statement, Detail Design, and Contractor Design for the 5-8-storey buildings on the corner of Sovetskaya Street and Kupala Street 1950-1957 3/1 929-945
Residential building for 52 apartments (17/30, Kupala Str.) 1960; project author – architect L.O. Kadzher. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). The facade is divided by two horizontal bands: the deeply rusticated pedestal serves as a lower band; the upper band immitates stone brickwork. Design Statement and Contractor Design for the 52-apartment building for employees of the Supreme Council 1956-1962 3/1 2059-2067
Minsk Circus 1959; project author – architect Zhukov. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). The Circus building is shaped like a rotunda surmounted by a saucer-dome. The auditorium seats 2,000 persons. Design Statement, Detail & Contractor Design 1954-1958 3/1 1875-1909
The House of Physical Education (formerly the building of an electric power station – No.326, Independence Ave.) Author of the reconstruction project – honorary architect of Belarus L.M. Goldstein. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). A block of structures different in shape, length and height. Reconstruction kept in the best way the original buildings which now house four gymnasiums and a number of auxiliary premises. Measurement drawings, Design Statement, Contractor Design 1954-1956 3/1-p 1833-1840
Ia. Kupala Park 1950; project author: the BSSR State Prize winner G.P. Badanov. Local Cultural Heritage Object (3rd category). the Park is planted with over 4,000 trees and a big number of shrubs. The regular planning of the park contrasts agreeably with the landscaping of the river Svisloch. The main entrance overlooks Independence Avenue. In 1972, the Statue of the Belarusian poet Ia. Kupala was mounted in the park. Here you can also see the Literary Ia. Kupala Museum and the House-Museum of the 1st Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. Contractor Design for the entrance and the balustrade 1954-1955 3/1-p 1453-1455
The Bridge over the river Svisloch (Independence Ave.) 1952; project authors: architects, the BSSR State Prize winners M.P. Parusnikov and G.P. Badanov. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). The bridge is marked for its imposing monumentality combined with the elements of Park architecture. 40 meters in length, this bridge has two trafficways, each; 8-meter wide. The bridge is faced with the 20 cm. thick granite. Contractor Design 1951-1954 3/1-p 1448-1449
The House-Museum of the 1st Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (31a, Independence Ave.) Built in the 19C.; restored in 1953; project author – architect N.V. Drozdov. Local Cultural Heritage Object (3rd category). Design Statement, Contractor Design 1952-1953 3/1-p 1228-1234
The Park named after M. Gorky (The Central Children’s Park) The 1950s -’80s, the 2000s; project authors: the USSR people’s architect G.V. Zaborsky (the design of the entrance); I. Rudenko (reconstruction project, the 1950s), L. Usova, V. Varskaia, V. Gerashchenko. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). The park is planted with a variety of species of trees and shrubs. Here you can find various recreation spots for children and adults, pavilions, a summer cinema, a sportsground and a planetarium. The main entrance opens into a spacious square with a statue of the Russian writer M. Gorky, mounted here in 1981. Detail Design for the entrance to the park 1952-1955 3/1-p 1235-1236
Five-storey residential building for 46 apartments on the corner of Independence Avenue and Kommunisticheskaia Street 1952; project author – the BSSR State Prize winner, professor M.O. Barsch. National Cultural Heritage Object (2nd category). Faced with tiles of textured finish, the main and side facades are embellished with the coloured ceramic insets. Design Statement, Detail Design, Contractor Design 1951-1957 3/1-p 2537-2545