436 – Trinity Suburb, Minsk

Card no 436 –  Kate (BY-795163)

A view of Minsk

Country Card Sent From: Belarus

Place that Card Sender Lives:  Minsk

Date Received: 8^th March 2013

Distance Travelled: 1,154 miles

Time Taken: 7 days

A panorama of the Trinity Suburb and the Svisloch river embankment.   Minsk’s old town, more commonly known as Troitskoe Predmestye (Trinity Suburb, or just Trinity) after the former Trinity Church that once stood in the area, is a slight misnomer in that it dates from just three decades ago. Built between 1982 and 1985 on the site of a former settlement dating from the 12th century, Trinity is a contrast to the concrete of the city centre. The birthplace of the Belarusian poet and journalist Maxim Bogdanovich, the area boasts a number of decent restaurants and bars, making it worth having a look round, especially during the summer.

The Svisloch river is 327km long and is the romantic heart of the city and the setting for many a picture postcard. In summer, a stroll along its banks, particulaly near the Old Town or opposite, is almost a legal requirement for starry-eyed couples. In winter, after the dubious ducks flee and the surface freezes, locals poke holes through the ice and pull out fish if they are lucky.