This 1956 Soviet postcard features a view of the Station Square (Privokzalnaya Ploshchad) in Minsk, showcasing the newly completed tower-style residential buildings.
What is shown on the postcard
The postcard depicts the two symmetrical eleven-story towers flanking the entrance to Kirova Street from Station Square. In the foreground, a roadway with tram tracks and a moving vintage tram is visible. Atop the roof of the left five-story wing, a prominent advertising billboard for fruit and vegetable preserves is installed. Pedestrians and a few mid-century cars and trucks are scattered across the street.
Historical note
The residential complex on Station Square, widely known as the “Gates of Minsk,” was built in the Stalinist Empire style between 1947 and 1953, designed by architect Boris Rubanenko. One of the towers features the largest clock in Belarus—a captured German mechanism brought after World War II—while the other tower is decorated with the coat of arms of the Belarusian SSR.
Present day
Today, the architectural ensemble of the “Gates of Minsk” is designated as a site of historical and cultural heritage of the Republic of Belarus and serves as a major symbol of the city for railway passengers. The tram tracks were removed from the square during subsequent urban transport redesigns.
Location (map)
Address: Privokzalnaya Square, Kirova St, 1-2, Minsk, Belarus
Coordinates: 53.891187, 27.550231
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the Gates of Minsk on Station Square.
Questions and answers
- When were these residential buildings constructed? The construction of the architectural complex on Station Square took place between 1947 and 1953.
- What is located on top of the towers? The left tower houses a restored captured German clock, while the right tower displays the coat of arms of the former Belarusian SSR.
- Who designed these buildings? The architectural ensemble was designed by a team of Leningrad architects led by Boris Rubanenko.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Minsk from 1956.
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