Party in the big city: Minsk celebrates its 950th birthday

The history of Minsk goes back to olden times. The first written record of Minsk dates back to 1067 when it was mentioned in the historical chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years". Although it might be even older, it is still one of the oldest cities in Belarus that witnessed many epochal events. Today Minsk is in the top 15 largest cities in Europe. It is a political, business, cultural center of the country. At the behest of history, it does not look old at all. But thanks to the surviving ancient landmarks, impressive post-war 20th century architecture and vibrant city pace, Minsk has acquired a special atmosphere which locals love and visitors appreciate.

Everyone could get a feel of this atmosphere during the Minsk City Day celebrations. Streets and avenues filled with thousands of people, dozens of events in different parts of the capital, celebrations with the participation of guests from sister cities of Minsk… The main draw of the cerebrations that last for several days was the famous festival "Starazhytny Minsk" (Ancient Minsk): reenactors recreated the town of the 11-12th centuries with towers, a venue for jousting and a tent camp.

The Minsk City Day large-scale program also featured: Minsk 950th Anniversary Balloon Cup, the Belarusians of the World Forum, concerts and shows, extreme sports tournaments, open-air exhibitions, a bread gastronomic fest, and the sweetest gift to the city – the original cake featuring the sights of Minsk weighing 270 kg!

Minsk 950th birthday celebration in a series of news reports from the streets of the city!