As the year 2019 draws to a close, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic moments and events that have happened this year in Minsk. All the year we've been tracking the things big and small that inspire us & spark joy in our lives. The list is totally based on our personal preference.
Opening of the Year:
Opened in June, the bar by alco-blogger Yulia Palaneckaja has quickly become very popular with locals. The concept here is "perfect serve": it means that each cocktail is accompanied by a small snack, which is supposed to create an ideal combination of tastes. We love Alcoholy for an unpretentious atmosphere & its relaxed vibe.
Festival of the Year:
VULICA BRAZIL
Vulica Brasil is an annual festival of urban art, during which Belarusian and Brazilian artists create art objects and impressive murals. The process itself takes about two weeks and results in a sweeping party at Kastryčnickaja Street, where almost all the buildings are already covered with giant tattoos. This year the closing party of Vulica Brazil was, probably, the biggest festival of the year, here is what it looked like.
Phenomenon of the Year:
An important opening of summer 2019. The chamber courtyard behind the Kurilka bar has turned into one of the main habitats of the Minsk spirit. There we’ve been drinking beer, playing ping pong, listening to vinyl and dancing at the cool concerts. One would say that this tiny courtyard was a sudden island of freedom. We hope it’ll come back in the summer of 2020.
Neighborhood of the Year:
ASMALOŬKA
Two-storied houses, green yards and a strong feeling of community – Asmałoŭka is a charming neighborhood near Plošča Pieramohi metro station built in the late 1940s. It is a peaceful oasis right in the city center, which makes you feel almost like in an old movie. This year the neighborhood boomed with brand new openings that brought a breath of fresh air to the district: Tiden zero-waste coffee house, Beten Gav Israeli bistro & 32.08 coffee place.
Event of the Year:
MAX KORZH
at Dynama Stadium
A romantic and self-made hero, the main ambassador of Minsk on YouTube & a true phenomenon of the Belarusian music scene has become an artist of a stadium scale. 35 thousand people, almost 4 hours of performance, dozens of hits. We were there & it was amazing. Here's the proof.
Band of the Year:
PETLYA PRISTRASTIJA
A band with a name that no foreigner could ever pronounce has already existed for almost 15 years, but now it is experiencing a renaissance: this year the guys released a new album, and it's great. They play a loud post-punk with metaphorical texts about the loneliness of a person in a crowd. The concert of Petlya in Minsk is a must.
Movie of the Year:
PURE ART
A documentary by Maksim Shved that is ironically telling the story of modern Belarus, and we love it. The movie is about the so-called fuprematism (fundamental suprematism) – the abstract "paintings" created by governmental housing maintenance service in an effort to make Minsk graffiti- & tag-free. The main character of the film is local artist Zahar Kudin. Inspired by these abstract figures, he copies them onto the canvas. On December 29, we got the grave news that Zahar died at the age of 33.
Exhibition of the Year:
“ZMENA”
“Zmena” (or “The Change”) is the exhibition by Siarhei Brushko, one of the most talented photojournalists in Belarus. It’s a documentary depiction of the epochal period in the history of our country (the end of the 1980s – the beginning of the 1990s) with the main characters being ordinary people in that difficult time. Now you can order an album with the most prominent works by Brushko.
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Photos: palasatka, Melomany by daryabrr, Zmena by Siarhei Brushko
