Minsk's Station Square is the first thing guests of the Belarusian capital see when they arrive in the city by train or bus. It is here that the so-called "gates of the city" are located — two symmetrically positioned 11-story towers in the Stalinist Empire style, adjoined by more modest-looking five-story buildings. They were built in 1953, and the author of the project was architect Boris Rubanenko from Leningrad. At the top of one tower, you can see the coat of arms of the former Belarusian SSR; on the second is a military trophy from the time of the Great Patriotic War, brought from Germany. These are the largest clocks in the country, with a dial diameter of more than 3.5 meters.
Originally, the towers were decorated with concrete sculptures depicting an engineer, a collective farm woman, a soldier, and a worker. In the 1970s, the statues were dismantled, but when the facades were restored, they were returned — now the sculptures are made of a corrosion-resistant metal called silumin.
The space between the towers is traditionally perceived as the ceremonial entrance to Minsk. Therefore, it is best to begin your acquaintance with the city სწორედ from here.
