Collectible Soviet postcard from 1983 featuring a winter evening view of Kirov Street in Minsk, published by Planeta Publishing House.
What is shown on the postcard
The image captures a winter evening scene at the intersection of Kirov and Komsomolskaya streets. The foreground features the snow-covered lawns of Mikhailovsky Square with the silhouettes of bare trees. In the center of the composition is a multi-story post-war Soviet residential building (19 Kirov Street) with lit windows, arched openings on the ground floor, a decorative balustrade, and a corner turret on the roof. Street lamps cast cold blue and warm yellow light onto the snow-covered pavement.
Historical note
Kirov Street in Minsk (formerly known as Kozinskaya, Mikhaylovskaya, Magazinnaya, and Universitetskaya) was renamed in 1934 in honor of the Soviet politician Sergey Kirov. Following World War II, the street was almost entirely destroyed and subsequently rebuilt in the 1940s and 1950s in the style of Soviet Neoclassicism (Stalinist Empire style). Residential building No. 19 at the corner of Komsomolskaya Street is a typical example of the monumental housing architecture of this era.
Present day
Today, Kirov Street retains its historical mid-20th-century architectural appearance. Mikhailovsky Square, located opposite the building, remains a popular recreation spot for residents and features famous sculptures by Vladimir Zhbanov (“Girl with an Umbrella,” “The Stranger”). The street’s architectural ensemble is protected by the state as a monument of Soviet-era urban planning.
Location (map)
Address: 19 Kirov St, Minsk, Belarus
Coordinates: 53.896200, 27.555800
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Intersection of Kirov and Komsomolskaya streets in Minsk, view from Mikhailovsky Square.
Questions and answers
- Which building is depicted on the postcard? The postcard depicts the multi-story residential building No. 19 at the corner of Kirov and Komsomolskaya streets, built in the Soviet Neoclassical style.
- What was Kirov Street in Minsk called before the revolution? During different historical periods, the street was known as Kozinskaya, Mikhaylovskaya, Magazinnaya, and Universitetskaya.
- Where was the photograph for this postcard taken from? The photograph was taken from Mikhailovsky Square, located opposite residential building No. 19.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Minsk from 1983.
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