Minsk (http://minsk.gov.by/en/) is the capital and biggest city of Belarus. It is situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. From 1919-1991 it was the capital of the Former Byelorussian SSR. It is also the capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States CIS.
The city was 80% destroyed during World War II and as such was rebuilt in the 1950s to the liking of Stalin. Large Soviet-Bloc style buildings make up a large portion of the city. For this reason Minsk is a wonderful place to visit for those interested in the Soviet Union and are interested in seeing it almost alive.
English is rarely spoken, and tourism is not a priority in Minsk. It would be wise to learn some key phrases in Russian which is the default language, but Belarusian may also be spoken or understood.
