Press releases

MINSK, 6 September (BelTA)- BelTA’s photo exhibition “Minsk: Then and Now” opened in the Galleria Minsk shopping mall on 6 September.

The exhibition features the unique photos showing how the Belarusian capital has changed over the years. The exhibition includes the archival photos of Minsk since 1916. More than 50 photos depict Trinity Suburb, the Upper Town, GUM and TSUM department stores, Kirova and Lenina Streets, Nezavisimosti (Independence) Avenue, Komsomolskoye Lake, the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater, Nemiga and many other places.

“Minsk: Then and Now” is part of BelTA’s multimedia project titled as Minsk and Minskers celebrating the 950th anniversary of the Belarusian capital. Its presentation took place at the Mass Media in Belarus expo in May 2017.

“The photo exhibition targets primarily young people, although it will be interesting for elder generations,” Director of BelTA News Agency Dmitry Zhuk said. “We would like the young visitors to see how much work has been invested in the city and how much effort it takes to keep the city beautiful and clean,” Dmitry Zhuk noted and added that for him, as for every Minsk citizen, particularly important is emotional rapport with the city of his childhood.

The photos have been taken in different years by BelTA’s photo correspondents (except the pre-revolution reproductions). The modern Minsk is represented mainly by the works of young employees of the news agency. Judging from the photos, the project was very interesting albeit difficult: the photo correspondents were expected to find the same angle as in the archival photos of many decades ago, while many iconic places of the city changed beyond recognition.

Minsk Mayor Andrei Shorets shared his impressions of the exhibition: “It is amazing. I am grateful to BelTA News Agency for drawing parallels between the old Minsk and the modern city. I am absolutely sure that the exhibition will be interesting for young and elderly residents of Minsk and visitors of our city.”

“Minsk: Then and Now”, a joint project of BelTA News Agency and the Tsentralny District of Minsk, has been carried out with the support of the Minsk City Hall. It will be on display for a month and a half.