The City of Minsk is situated in the central part of Belarus and is the capital of the Republic of Belarus and the center of the Oblast and district of the same name. The city of Minsk is granted a special status. It is the largest political, economic, scientific and cultural center of the Republic.

The population is 1,729 thousand people. The territory is 255.8 km2. Administratively, it is divided into 9 city districts and has one city council with jurisdiction over some villages and urbanized settlement.

The first mention of Minsk in the chronicles (under the name of Mensk or Menesk) dates back to 1067.

Within the system of a united economic complex of Belarus, the city possesses a developed industry, science and scientific services, transport, management and finances.

Minsk occupies the first place among the regions of Belarus by industrial production. About 300 industrial manufacturing facilities are in operation. Its share in the Republic’s industry is more than 22%. The city of Minsk exceeds other regions by the output of machine engineering, electric energy, non-ferrous metallurgy, medical and printing industries. The prevalence of machine engineering industries is a typical feature of the capital. The machine engineering and machining industries produce more than half of the city’s industrial products. There are such major enterprises as “BelavtoMAZ”, Minsk Tractor Works, Minsk Motor Works, production association “Atlant”, etc. Electric energy and food industry also have a high share. The industrial complex of the city possesses a high export potential, up to 80% of output in a number of companies is exported.

Located at the cross-roads of the strategic way from west to east, between Moscow and Warsaw, Vilnius and Kyiv, Minsk is a major transport hub of the Republic. The national air operator “Belavia”, airlines of the CIS and Western countries conduct passenger and freight carriage through Minsk-2 airport. In the suburb of the capital “Machulishchi” freight airport was set up to receive super-heavy transport aircraft.
The pending modernization of the existing and the construction of new Brest-Minsk-Moscow and Baltic states-Minsk-Ukraine European transport corridors is the basis for the development of Minsk transport network and a major potential of the city development. Owing to this, Minsk may become an efficient integrating hub of co-operation between the countries of Western and Central Europe and CIS at a junction of diverse roads.

There are 34 higher educational establishments in Minsk, 28 secondary special establishments (more than 30 thousand students), 258 general education schools (more than 260 thousand pupils), and more than 500 infant schools.

Minsk is a major scientific center of Belarus, there are 164 scientific and research institutions, including the National Academy of Sciences.

Minsk is a major cultural center of Belarus. There function 16 museums, 11 theatres, 20 cinema halls, 139 libraries, 36 palaces of culture, more than 3 thousand sports facilities. About 300 magazines and more than 700 newspapers are published there.

For more information please visit the website of Minsk City Executive Committee