Minsk’s Iconic Attractions Face Overhaul Under New Safety Regulations

In Minsk’s parks, significant changes are underway due to new industrial safety regulations. Particular attention is drawn to the fate of two iconic attractions: the legendary “Ladya” in Chelyuskintsev Park and the Ferris wheel in Central Children's Park named after M. Gorky. Let’s examine what changes to expect and why this is happening.

“Ladya”: Farewell to a Legend

The famous “Ladya” attraction, reminiscent of a Viking drakkar, has already reached its maximum service life. According to the new industrial safety regulations, each attraction may operate for no more than three manufacturer-specified service periods. For “Ladya,” this period was set at 7 years, and it has already completed the maximum of 21 years. But fans of this attraction need not despair. A modern counterpart will replace the old “Ladya,” most likely produced by the same company that manufactured the original – the Belarusian firm NPO “Center.” Currently, the new version is in the design phase, where the following are being discussed:

• Updated design
• Adaptation to modern safety requirements
• Technical improvements

Ferris wheel: Nine Years Until Replacement

The Ferris wheel in Gorky Park, standing at 54 meters tall, is still in operation. In 2023, this attraction celebrated its 20th anniversary. It still has nine years remaining until it reaches the end of its permissible 30-year service life. Although the wheel successfully undergoes annual technical inspections and regulatory checks, park management has already begun preparations for its replacement. As noted by the chief engineer of Minskzelenstroy, Ruslan Kosevich, the construction of such large-scale attractions takes between 1.5 to 2 years—from project development to installation. Therefore, negotiations with manufacturers are already underway.

New Safety Regulations

Amendments to the Industrial Safety Regulations for attractions have affected not only the capital’s parks but the entire country of Belarus. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, around 180 attractions fall under the Law on Industrial Safety. These include attractions with high (RB-1) and medium (RB-2) potential biomechanical risk, mechanized rides, and water slides. Notably, about 70% of all attractions in the country have already exceeded their manufacturer-specified service life, which on average is 10 years. The new regulations limit the maximum service life to three manufacturer-specified periods. Thus, if a manufacturer set the service life at 10 years, the maximum operational period for the attraction would be 30 years.

Possibility of Extending Service Life

There are tools available to extend an attraction’s service life:

• Repair works that restore their safe operational capability
• Results of technical diagnostics
• Data from technical inspection

Under the new regulations, every attraction that has reached its manufacturer-specified service life must undergo mandatory diagnostics and technical inspection before being permitted to operate. Moreover, such tests and inspections will be conducted only by experts from Gospromnadzor to eliminate any conflict of interest.

Update Prospects

Updating the attractions fleet in Minsk will not lead to a “global downtime.” Small mechanized carousels can be assembled relatively quickly—within 3 to 6 months. Deliveries of new equipment to Minsk’s parks mainly come from two countries: Russia and China. Thus, visitors to Minsk’s parks can look forward to enjoying renewed attractions that preserve their beloved traditions while meeting the most modern safety requirements.