LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Minsk
built 643 days ago
Minsk's first historical mention was in 1067, as part of the Polotsk principality, it served as an outpost on the road from Kiev to Polotsk. In 1101 the city became the capital of the Polotsk principality and in 1326 it became part of Lithuania. Towards the late 15th century it was an important center for crafts and trade. In 1569 it was absorbed into Poland and later, during the Partition of Poland (1793), it passed to Russia. During the Middle Ages, Minsk was one of the largest Jewish centers in Eastern Europe. For two years during World War II, Minsk was used as a concentration and detention camp by the Germans.
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During the first centuries of its existence, Minsk was a city with a predominantly Early East Slavic population (the forefathers of modern-day Belarusians). After the 1569 Polish-Lithuanian union, the city became a destination for migrating Poles (who worked as administrators, clergy, teachers and soldiers) and Jews (who were mainly employed in trade and as craftsmen). During the last centuries of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth many locals were polonized and abandoned their Belarusian culture. After the Partitions of Poland, Minsk became part of the Russian Empire, the Russians essentially stepping in to the leadership role enjoyed by the Poles in earlier centuries. By the end of the 19th century Minsk was undergoing increasing russification. Many locals became russified and still claim Russian ethnicity today.
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Minsk, the capital of Belarus, has an exciting history. It has stood for over 900 years... most of Minsk has been built since World War II. The center of the city is where most of the action and attraction is. The main roads, Skoriny and Masherova are the cleanest and busiest in Minsk. The city is also much safer than one would imagine. Many people hear bad things about Minsk, and Belarus in general, but the streets are quite safe. This is probably due to the huge amount of police and soldiers that can be found throughout the city.
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Minsk has a moderate climate, owing to its location between the strong influence of the moist air of the Atlantic Ocean and the dry air of the Eurasian landmass. Its weather is... unstable and tends to change often. The average January temperature is -6.1 Celsius (21 °F), while the average July temperature is 17.8 °C (64 °F). The lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January, 1940 (-40 °C) (-40 °F) and the warmest on 29 July, 1936 (35 °C) (95 °F). The air is often moist, with humidity levels at 80-90%,
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The first record of Minsk dates to 1067, when it served as an outlying settlement along the north-south corridor between Kiev and Polatsk. Originally part of the Polatsk principality, Minsk became capital of the Minsk principality in 1101. During the next three centuries the city developed into an important trading center. As Minsk became more pivotal to central Europe, control of the settlement shifted between rival powers. In the 14th century, Belarus came under the rule of Lithuania, and Minsk found itself under Lithuanian control. In 1569 the city came under Polish domination when Lithuania united with Poland.
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The Jews of Minsk had formed a resistance movement as early as August 1941, before there was an underground movement outside of the ghetto itself. The primary aims of the Jewish resistance were aiding escapes to the surrounding forests to fight with the partisan groups yet to be formed and the dissemination of news from the front. There were nearly 450 members of the underground, organized into cells, of whom about one third were young people. With the continuing aid of the Judenrat, who provided clothing, shoes, hiding places and false documents, an estimated 10,000 Jews eventually fled from the ghetto. Few survived. A well-known local doctor Niuta Jurezkaya escaped from the ghetto, but was brought back to Minsk and tortured.
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