Transportation Directory - Minsk Belarus

Description: Minsk is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region and Minsk District.

As of 2023, it has a population of two million, making Minsk the 11th-most populous city in Europe. Minsk is one of the administrative capitals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Population: 1,975,000

Demographics: According to the 1999 census, Belarusians make up 79.3% of the city’s residents. Other ethnic groups include Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (1.1%) and Jews (0.6%).

History: The area of today’s Minsk was settled by Lithuanians in the 9th and 10th centuries AD. The Svislach River valley was the settlement boundary between two East Slavic tribes the Krivichs and Dregovichs.

By 980, the area was incorporated into the early medieval Principality of Polotsk, one of the earliest East Slavic principalities of Kievan Rus’. Minsk was first mentioned in the name form Měneskъ (Мѣнескъ) in the Primary Chronicle for the year 1067 in association with the Battle on the River Nemiga. In the early 12th century, the Principality of Polotsk disintegrated into smaller fiefs. The Principality of Minsk was established by one of the Polotsk dynasty princes.

In 1129, the Principality of Minsk was annexed by Kiev, the dominant principality of Kievan Rus’; however in 1146 the Polotsk dynasty regained control of the principality. Minsk escaped the Mongol invasion of Rus in 1237–1239. In 1242, Minsk became a part of the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It joined peacefully and local elites enjoyed high rank in the society of the Grand Duchy. In 1413, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland entered into a union. Minsk became the centre of Minsk Voivodship (province).

By the middle of the 16th century, Minsk was an important economic and cultural centre in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Minsk was annexed by Russia in 1793 as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland. In 1796, it became the centre of the Minsk Governorate. All of the initial street names were replaced by Russian names, though the spelling of the city’s name remained unchanged. It was briefly occupied by the Grande Armée during French invasion of Russia in 1812.

Before the Second World War, Minsk had a population of 300,000 people. Throughout the 1990s, after the fall of Communism, the city continued to change. As the capital of a newly independent country, Minsk quickly acquired the attributes of a major city. Since the late 1990s, there have been improvements in transport and infrastructure, and a housing boom has been underway since 2002.

Elevation: 281 m

Climate: Warm summer humid continental climate. Average annual temperature in Minsk is 7 C (45 F), the average for July is 19 C (66 F), the average for January is -4 C (24 F).

Attractions: Museum Strana Mini, Money Museum Groshi, Victory Square, Church Of Saints Simon And Helena, National Art Museum Of Belarus, National Library Of Belarus

Airports: National Airport Minsk MSQ

Distance To City Centre: 42 km

Commute Length: 40 min

Average Cost: 55 EUR

Traffic Hours: 7 am – 9 am, 5 pm – 7 pm