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 Victory Square, Minsk, Belarus. Author User: Redline.

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Victory Square, Belarus
Victory Square is a square in Vitebsk, Belarus. It is currently the largest square in Belarus. It is located at the crossing of Independence avenue and Zakharau street. Victory square is also known to be the key landmark of Minsk.
A 3-meter replica of the Order of Victory crowns a granite column of 38 meters erected in the center of the square. A common feature is The Sacred Sword of Victory which is at the base of the monument. The monument was built in 1954 in honor of the soldiers of the Soviet Army and partisans of Belarus.
1. The Design Was Changed From Round To Oval
In 1984 architects B. Larchenko, B. Shkolnikov, and K. Vyazgin re-designed the square from round to oval to fit the exits from the metro station. On 1 July 1984 granite blocks were mounted with capsules containing soil from Soviet Hero Cities.
8 May 1985 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War a Memorial Hall opened in the pedestrian underpass under Victory square.
The Hall honors the Heroes of the Soviet Union who gave their lives to liberate Belarus from Nazi occupation.
2. It Was Originally Called Orsha
The area got its name in 1973, being called Orsha Square before that. Until the mid-1960s, the square consisted of a city bath, which was adjacent to the local cemetery.
It was opened on 30 June 1974 as part of the national celebrations in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Minsk Offensive and the framework of the local events held in honor of the same anniversary of the Vitebsk鈥揙rsha Offensive.
3. It Symbolized A Memorable Event
Almost every city has a place that symbolizes such a memorable event as Victory Day. During the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945, the Soviets won. Victory Square in Minsk is therefore a place of respect to our ancestors who lost their lives and health in that uneasy period.
4. Initially It Was A Simultaneous Construction Of Two Bow-Shaped Buildings
The construction of the square was started in 1939, and it was called Round Square up to 1958. Interestingly, it was because the simultaneous construction of two bow-shaped buildings was started, that it was the beginning of a circle that is now part of Independence Avenue.
In those years the square configuration looked like a circle, in the center of which the Victory Monument was later built. As a result of reconfiguration and metropolitan construction, the modern square has an oval shape.
5. Each Of The Four Sides Is Decorated With Bronze Theme-Based High Relieves
The monument is an obelisk with a height of 38 meters with a bronze image of the 鈥淥rder of Victory鈥� at the top. The Victory Monument, like other monuments in honor of the victory, is of no name, and only the date 鈥�1941-1945鈥� calls up sorrowful moments of our history.
Each of the four sides of the obelisk is decorated with bronze theme-based high relieves. They symbolize the events of those terrible times. They are named: 鈥淕lory to the Fallen Heroes鈥�, 鈥�9 May 1945鈥�, 鈥淏elarusian Partisans鈥� and 鈥淭he Soviet Army in the Years of the Great Patriotic War鈥�.
6. The Sword Is A Symbol Of Victory
A sword was repeatedly used by the architects as a victorious symbol. On the monument pedestal there is a sword enlaced with bronze laurel leaves. Besides, there are 4 bronze wreaths adjacent to the monument.
It鈥檚 an interesting fact that they symbolize 4 fronts of the Soviet Union; they are 1st, 2nd, 3rd Belarusian and 1st Baltic. It is them who liberated Belorussia from the Nazi invaders at that time.
7. There Is Also The Eternal Flame
Near the monument, there is the Eternal Flame. On 3 July 1961, it was first burnt in a solemn atmosphere by the Hero of the Soviet Union, honorary citizen of Minsk Major General A.S. Burdeiny. The monument composition looks complete with flowerbeds and spruces.
On 1 July 1984 along the perimeter of the monument, there were disposed pedestals with the names of Hero-Cities. They are Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kiev, Sevastopol, Odessa, Kerch, Tula, Novorossiysk and Brest. In 1985 Smolensk and Murmansk were added.
8. Post #1 Victory Refers to Guard Duty Or Honor
Post #1 Victory Square refers to guard duty that is carried out by members of the armed forces and among students of general education schools and vocational schools in Minsk. Post #1 was initiated on 3 July 1984, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Minsk.
The guard of honor serves at Post No. 1 for one week from 9.00 to 17.00 in the cold and from 9.00 to 18.00 in the warm time of the day. The duration of each shift is 10 to 20 minutes. The only breaks in maintaining the honorary were from 15 May to 1 November 1988, from 1 June to 20 November 2003, and from 1 December 2003 to 20 April 2004.
9. The Opening Of The Memorial Coincided With The 10th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of Belarus
BSSR government opened a competition for the design of a Victory Memorial. Initially, the site was planned in the vicinity of the current “Kastrychnitskaya” (October) square. Selected design provided for a 48-meter (157 ft) monument made of white pink marble.
To open the memorial by the 10th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus, the design was adjusted to use gray granite and make the column 10 meters (33 ft) shorter. Ukrainian quarries near Dnepropetrovsk and Zhytomyr provided the granite for construction. Leningrad Academy of Arts crafted the mosaic for the Order of Victory.
10. A Circular Gallery Under The Square Connects The Underpass With The Memorial Hall
A circular gallery under the square connects the underpass with the Memorial Hall. V. Pozhyak, an artist, crafted a highlighted glass wreath in the center of the Hall. A bronze star of Hero of Soviet Union is embedded in the hall’s wall.
566 names of natives from Belarus and other Soviet republics are listed on the wall. Those are the people who fought to liberate Belarusian soil and were awarded the title of Hero of Soviet Union for their heroic deeds.