Minsk is the capital of Belarus. 80 percent of the city was ruined and razed in World War II. It is a city rebuilt in the 1950's to Stalin's tastes. Enormous, soviet-bloc style buildings make up most of the city. This is a city to visit if you are interested in the Soviet Union and would like to see it still alive, save for a few more advertisements and foreign cars. English is not really spoken, and tourisim is not a priority in Belarus or Minsk at all. Certainly an interesting stop after the non-stop tourism of Western and Central Europe.