80th Anniversary of Victory Square

In the very heart of Minsk, a new landmark has appeared – the 80th Anniversary of Victory Square, located within the boundaries of Kalvariyskaya, Maksima Tanka, and Timiryazev Streets. The area of the new square is about 4 hectares, and it is already becoming an important element of the city’s infrastructure, intended to preserve the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War for future generations.

History of the Square’s Creation

The initiative to create the 80th Anniversary of Victory Square belongs to members of the Youth Council under the Minsk City Council, who appealed to the Chairman of the Minsk Executive Committee, Vladimir Kukharev, with a proposal to commemorate the memory of the Great Victory. The official decision to assign the name was made on March 28, 2025, at the 10th regular session of the Minsk City Council of Deputies and published on the National Legal Internet Portal in document No. 136. According to the Chairman of the Minsk City Council, Artyom Tsuran: “The square will bear a name that reminds us of a great date in the history of Belarus.”

First Steps in Improvement

On April 19, 2025, a large-scale campaign to plant the “Alley of Memory” took place in the new square. More than 100 people participated in the event, including members of the deputy corps, public organizations, law enforcement agencies, and municipal enterprises of the Central District of the capital. As part of the campaign, 80 trees were planted, symbolizing the 80 years since Victory in the Great Patriotic War. In addition to the main alley, the square’s territory was supplemented with birches, lindens, and oaks. Artyom Tsuran, who personally took part in planting the trees alongside his daughter, noted: “This time we are planting new trees in the 80th Anniversary of Victory Square. Of course, we would like young people to understand the profound meaning embedded in the square’s name. 80 years have passed, yet our generation, which did not experience the war, knows of the horrors endured and passes on to the next that the most important thing is to preserve peace and prevent fascism.”

Plans for Further Development of the Square

The landscaping of the territory will not be limited to greening alone. Specialists from the state enterprise “Minskproekt,” together with the state enterprise “Zelenstroy of the Central District of Minsk,” have already developed a preliminary design project for the comprehensive improvement of the square. According to these plans, a monument will be installed in the central part, the design sketch of which is currently being refined. The director of the district “Zelenstroy,” Oleg Klintsov, reported that the existing benches will be moved to Griboedov Square, and new small architectural forms in a unified style will be installed in the 80th Anniversary of Victory Square, creating a cohesive architectural ensemble. The head of the Central District Administration, Valery Voronitsky, emphasized: “Today we are planting the ‘Alley of Memory’ of 80 trees, and also planting birches, lindens, and oaks. Overall, the Central District is greened. But every year, in both spring and autumn periods, we plant new trees and shrubs. Thus, with each passing year, the district becomes more beautiful, greener, and more comfortable for our citizens and guests of the capital.”

The Significance of the New Square for Preserving Historical Memory

The creation of the 80th Anniversary of Victory Square has deep symbolic meaning, especially in the context of preserving historical memory. As noted by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Central District, Yegor Yakovlev: “The planting of this alley will once again remind the younger generation of the heroic feat of the Soviet people in liberating our Motherland from the Nazi invaders, that our Victory must truly remain through the ages. Moreover, only by preserving the memory of the past can we improve our position in the future. Because, as Cicero once said, ‘He who has suffered, will not forget,’ and the memory of the people must live on.”

Conclusion

The emergence of the new 80th Anniversary of Victory Square is an important step in shaping the urban identity of Minsk, emphasizing both the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and the contribution of talented architects to the creation of the Belarusian capital’s architectural appearance.