This historical 1956 postcard shows the main thoroughfare of Minsk — Stalin Avenue (now Independence Avenue) during the city’s post-war reconstruction period.
What is shown on the postcard
The image captures a wide avenue lined with green trees on both sides of the roadway. On the right foreground, the detailed facade of the State Department Store (GUM) is visible, featuring its characteristic arched ground-floor windows, pilasters, and a decorative balustrade with pinnacles on the roof. Along the street, parked Soviet cars, a moving trolleybus, and pedestrians crossing the road can be seen. In the background, the perspective of the avenue unfolds with multi-story residential and administrative buildings in the Stalinist Empire style.
Historical note
Stalin Avenue was designed as the main compositional axis of Minsk after the extensive destruction of World War II. Construction of the GUM department store building began in 1948 and was completed with its opening in November 1951. The building was one of the first major Soviet department stores built in the Neoclassical style in the BSSR. In 1956, when this photo was taken, the avenue served as a symbol of the Belarusian capital’s rebirth and an exemplar of monumental urban planning.
Present day
In the modern period, the avenue is named Independence Avenue. The architectural complex of the street, including the GUM building and adjacent structures, has been preserved almost in its original state and is protected by the state as a mid-20th-century urban planning monument. The avenue has been nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding example of a unified Neoclassical ensemble.
Location (map)
Address: 21 Independence Avenue, Minsk, Belarus
Coordinates: 53.901500, 27.556200
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the State Department Store (GUM) in Minsk.
Questions and answers
- Which building is located in the right foreground? On the right foreground, the detailed facade of the State Department Store (GUM) is visible, featuring its characteristic arched ground-floor windows.
- When was the GUM department store opened in Minsk? Construction of the GUM department store building began in 1948 and was completed with its opening in November 1951.
- What is Stalin Avenue named today? In the modern period, the avenue is named Independence Avenue.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Minsk from 1956.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.