Niamiha is three Metro stops
away from school, so I always told myself that I’d go there “one of these days”
except that I have a master’s degree in Procrastination and I wasn’t really
planning on going until my very last week in Minsk. However, the sudden arrival
of a friend lured me out of my lair. In the end, he ended up showing me around
the city I’ve been living in for the last fortnight. When the visitor becomes
the guide! Anyway, I love Niamiha because of the chill vibes. It’s just so
vibrant and full of life.
But it wasn’t my first time.
This is where the 15:15 Minsk tour ended and I managed to reach that area
called Верхні Горад, which is part of the old city center, or at least what is
left of it. The area has a lot of hip bars and restaurants frequented by young
Belarusians, especially on weekends when there is said to be free concerts. The
weird thing about the place is that it is set up like an old historic center
but somehow you feel that it is just so modern, perhaps because it is a
reconstruction or something?
Legit or not, the important
thing is that it serves its purpose well, which is that of being a center of culture
and hotbed of activity for the local populace. You will see a couple of
churches here, including the oldest one in Minsk. What used to be the town hall
is also located here. The square is not that big, but grants nice views of the architecture
surrounding it as well as the nearby river which gets rather busy during weekends.
You must experience this area on a Saturday night. The party vibe is plain
contagious!
If you are not a big fan of such
energy and prefer something more solemn, then just head to the riverbanks and claim
your own spot. Minsk has only one prominent river at the city center. It’s
called Svislach and it snakes its way around that area of the capital. On
weekends you can rent a boat and just have a jolly good time sailing around. I
even saw a speed boat when I was there. The river plays host to plenty of
social activities like fishing and kayaking. I don’t know if it’s forbidden, though,
but I saw no swimmers there.
The area is also green with
two or three parks within the vicinity. I haven’t been to Gorky Park, but I was
able to take a stroll at Victory Park and it was so cool. They have these giant
benches where you can just laze around all day, playgrounds full of children, some monuments here and there. When I came back on a Friday afternoon the
area was teeming with teenagers just having a good time as well as families
just enjoying the nice weather because summer is finally here. I should have roamed around here more often!
If you are already in the
area, I suggest checking out the Great Patriotic War Museum. You don’t have to
be a fan of war, and if you are what the heck is your problem, but I think the
effort put into reconstructing those life-sized dioramas and tanks is worth the
kudos. My friend treated me so I didn’t have to pay, but the admission fee is
really affordable. I recommend paying the BYN1.50 (~PHP35) photo and video fee
because they are really strict in imposing it. You should see those grandmas in
full green Soviet regalia in action!
Visiting the place is a good
way to brush up on the history of the country during the two world wars. You
might also like the place if you want to practice some of your languages,
because there is no shortage of Russian, Belorusian, Polish, and German there. What
I really liked about it, though, was the façade. You know how these
ex-Soviet republics love their monuments? Minsk made sure that hers will
easily stand out among the competition. Why settle for an obelisk when you can indulge
in gold and silver, too!
Overall, I have been
pleasantly surprised as far as my experience in Minsk is concerned. I mean, let’s
not exaggerate, it is not the most exciting city in Europe. I guess the point
is that people are just not aware that it exists, or perhaps easily turned off due to the difficult visa process or lack of travel options flying in and
out of the city. Now that Belarus is starting to liberalize its visa policy,
it won’t be long before tourists discover that there is more to Minsk that
meets the eye.
[MINSK] A Place Called Niamiha
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