Back Home in Minsk

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We have arrived safely back in Minsk for our 3rd year of international teaching. We love this city and its amazing people and we really like our school and its caring staff.

Yesterday we explored some new areas of Minsk with Julia and Viki and snapped pictures of some great Soviet-era murals. I find this art style fascinating. We took an elevator to the top of the Belarus National Library for views of the city. There are not many high rise buildings as most pre-2000 buildings followed a maximum 8-story plan. Some newer buildings are 20ish-stories tall. Landmarks in this remarkably flat terrain tend to be smokestacks, radio antennae, and garbage dumps (2 distinctive mounds to the east and west of the city).

I have also included photos of our new apartment building. We love our new apartment! Great location and character.

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Photos

Travel Outfit Spokane-Seattle-Amsterdam-Minsk
A great get-up for a good trip back to Minsk.

Solidarity Mural
Soviet relief mural in Nemiga area of Minsk

Amazing murals on apartments
I love these Soviet period murals adorning these 4 apartment complexes facing the new national library.

Belarus National Library
Built from "donations" by all residents.

Riding the elevator with the bride and groom
Picture taking at local parks before weddings is a big deal here. We were crammed in with the rather large dress.

Great friends
Julia and Viki

View of Minsk
From the Belarus National Library observation deck

Our apartment building
A real classic of 1950s apartment architecture.

The hammer and sickle
Above the main entrance to our apartment building. Unlike other former Soviet countries, Belarus has maintained the art work linked to the USSR era.

Komarovski Market
The local outdoor market housed in an old skating arena. It is only a few blocks from our new apartment. We have been 4 times in the past 3 days.