Andrei Halias

In the <a href="https://findit.city/en/belarus/minsk/leisure/tourism/sights/1/description">historical center of Minsk</a>, at <a href="https://findit.city/en/belarus/minsk/leisure/tourism/sights/2/description">Liberty Square</a>, stands the "City Scales" sculpture, installed in April 2014. This monument, created by sculptor Alexander Prokhorov and architect Sergey Baglasov, symbolizes an important historical event for the city—the acquisition of Magdeburg rights in 1499. The Magdeburg rights granted Minsk special privileges and obligations, including the standardization of measures and weights, which is reflected in this sculptural composition.

"City Scales" depicts a scene from the XVI-XVII centuries when a merchant could check the weight of purchased goods on city scales located in the Town Hall. The composition features three medieval inhabitants of Minsk: a seller, a buyer, and a scale controller. This scene highlights the significance of city scales in the trading practices of that time.

Interestingly, after the monument was installed, tourists began leaving coins on the scales, a tradition symbolizing the pursuit of financial well-being. This tradition began to develop after coins were introduced in Belarus in 2016 and continues to attract the attention of both locals and visitors.

The sculpture not only serves as a monument to historical events but also makes a significant contribution to the artistic decoration of Minsk's historical center. Its realistic depiction of trading scenes and attention to detail underscore the city's rich trading heritage and its development as an important trading and craft center during the Middle Ages.

在<a href="https://findit.city/cn/belarus/minsk/leisure/tourism/sights/1/description">明斯克历史中心</a>的<a href="https://findit.city/cn/belarus/minsk/leisure/tourism/sights/2/description">自由广场</a>上，矗立着“城市天平”雕塑，该雕塑于2014年4月安装。这座纪念碑由雕塑家亚历山大·普罗霍罗夫和建筑师谢尔盖·巴格拉索夫创作，象征着城市的重要历史事件——1499年获得的马格德堡权利。马格德堡权利赋予明斯克特殊的特权和义务，包括度量衡的标准化，这在这件雕塑作品中得到了体现。

“城市天平”描绘了16至17世纪的场景，那时商人可以在市政厅的城市天平上检查购买商品的重量。该雕塑展现了明斯克的三位中世纪居民：一位卖家、一位买家和一位天平检查员。这一场景突显了城市天平在当时贸易实践中的重要性。

有趣的是，纪念碑安装后，游客们开始在天平上留下硬币，这成为了一种象征财务福祉追求的传统。这一传统在2016年白俄罗斯引入硬币后开始发展，并继续吸引着本地居民和游客的关注。

这座雕塑不仅作为历史事件的纪念碑存在，而且对明斯克历史中心的艺术装饰做出了重要贡献。它对交易场景的逼真描绘和对细节的关注，突显了城市丰富的贸易遗产及其在中世纪作为重要贸易和工艺中心的发展。