Minsk

Minsk or Miensk (Мінск (official spelling in Belarus), Менск; Минск ; Mińsk) is the capital and a major city of Belarus. About 2 million people lived in the city as of 2021. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States. As a capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is also the capital of Minsk voblast (province) and Minsk raion. Minsk is built next to the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. The timezone in Minsk is GMT +3. In 2019, Minsk hosted the European Games. History The oldest mentions of Minsk date back to the 11th century (1067). In 1326 Minsk became a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and received its town privileges in 1499. From 1569 it was a capital of the Minsk Voivodship in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was annexed by Russia in 1793 as a result of the Second Partition of Poland. During 1919–1991 Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian SSR. During the Second World War the city was damaged. Most of the buildings and structures in the city turned into ruins. But it was rebuilt. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. The city became the capital of the Republic of Belarus. Geography Climate Minsk has a continental climate. The average annual precipitation is about 700 mm. Summer is warm, but not hot. The average daily temperature in July is +19.1 °C (+66,3 °F). Winter is mild, the average daily temperature in January is −4.2 °C (+24,4 °F). Fog is common in the autumn and spring. References Other websites Photos of Minsk on GOMINSK.ORG Archived 2008-06-22 at the Wayback Machine Photos on globustut.by Weather of Minsk - minsk.the.by