Minsk I have lived all my life in the small town of Orsha. But it goes without saying I know quite a lot about the capital of our republic. In my opinion we must know much about other countries and we must know all about our own country, its history, its traditions and culture. There are many cities and towns in Belarus. No doubt Minsk is the most important and the largest city in our republic. It's the heart of our small and beautiful country. Minsk is neither as big as the world's famous capitals nor can it boast having as many respects it's a remarkable city and there are a lot of things to see and do in Minsk. As for me I have always been interested in the history of our capital and I have read a lot about it. In fact I even collect books about our republic, about the historic past of Minsk. More than 2,000 years ago on the banks of the Nemiga and Svisloch rivers came into extence the city of Minsk or Mensk as it was called before. There are several hypotheses as to the origin of the name. The name of the city is believed to be associated with the river Menka that flowed into Lake Ptych not far from the city. But the legends say that the city derives its from the word 'mena' as in the ancient times there was a barter market on the bank of the Svisloch. Mensk was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1067. It is common knowledge that in its long and difficult life Belarus has seen and experienced a great deal and the city of Minsk shared its fate. Now let me mention the most important facts from the long and rich history of our capital. In the12-th century Mensk became the centre of the independent principality. In the late 13-th century it became part of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania. I should mention that the 14-th - 15-th centuries were very important in the life of Mensk and its inhabitants. It was the period when the Belarusian nation was formed with its national language and culture. In the middle of the 16-th century the Lithuanian Princes united with the Polish kingdom and formed a joined state Rzecz Pospolita. It was renamed into Minsk. Till the 18-th century the Belarusian people were placed in bondage to Polish feudal lords who exploited them cruelly. In the 18-th century (1793) Belarus was annexed by Russia. In 1812 the Napoleon troops burnt the city. Minsk suffered heavy losses during the German occupation in 1919-20. It's common knowledge that the most horrible disaster befell the city of Minsk in 1941-1944 in the years of the fascist invasion. It was practically razed to the ground. When the city was liberated 95 per cent of the city lay in ruins. During the post-war years Minsk was completely rebuilt and is now even more beautiful than it used to be. With its wide avenues and large squares Minsk looks so modern that you sometimes forget that it is an ancient city with a long dramatic past. One can't help admiring modern Minsk. It's a well-planned city with numerous shady parks, broad streets and avenues, modern buildings and a few churches which have survived as relics of the past. I am of an opinion that to describe our capital one nedds to be a poet. Skarina and Masherov Avenues, Victory and Independence Squares or a city centre like Green Meadows would obviously satisfy everyone's aesthetic reqirements. As a matter of fact, once I come to toalking about Minsk today, I can rightfully say that there are many things one can be proud of in our capital. Minsk is a big traffic centre with a large network of railways, roads, airlines and Metro lines. It should also be noted that Minsk is the leading economic centre in Belarus. It has a highly developed industry. The city has a lot of plants and factories which produce tractors, TV sets, radios, motocycles, bicycles, truckes and other goods. No doubt our tractors and truckes enjoy a high reputation both in our country and adroad. To complete the picture, I should certainly say that Minsk is also a city of science, students and schoolchildren. The centre of sience is the Academy of Sciences which was opened in 1929. Minsk is noted for its high-skilled manpower trained at 30 higher educational institutions. The largest of them are the Belarusian State University and the Polytechnical Academy. I can't but say that the cultural life of the city is very diverse and interesting. In fact there are about 10 theatres, a fes concert halls, a circus, a lot of cinemas, palaces of culture, libraries, clubs and other cultural centres. I must admit that the most popular theatres are the Opera and Ballet House, the Yanka Kupala State Academic Theatre, the Gorki Russian Drama Theatre and the Theatre of Musical Comedy. There aren't many museums in Minsk but they are well known for their rich expositions. The Belarusian Museum of the History of the Patriotic War tells us about the heroic deeds of the Soviet people in the struggle against the fascist invaders. When I come to Minsk I usually try to visit the Art Museum which has a rich collection of paintings and sculptures by old and modern masters. It's necessary to mention the most beautiful square in Minsk. Well, it is Victory Square with its obelisk, order of Victory at the top and the Eternal Flame at the foot. It goes without saying that Minsk also a city of sports. There're more than 64 sports schools there.The most important sports sructures are: the Dynamo Stadium, the Palace of Sports, the Palace of Water Sports, etc. Minsk is a Hero City. It was honoured with the title in 1974 for outstanding courage and heroism during the Great Patriotic War. Summiting it up I should say that Minsk has many faces and means many things to many people. It's beautiful at any time of the year. A lot of tourists from our country and abroad come to our capial to see its sights and most visitors will remember the hospitality and cordiality of the citizens of Minsk.