National Library of Belarus

The building of the National Library of Belarus was erected in 2006 under the leadership of architects V. Kramarenko and M. Vinogradov. The attraction, built from heat-reflecting mirror glass and aluminum structures, is a huge ball in the form of a precious stone – a diamond, symbolizing human knowledge. At the base of the library there are two thermos-shaped shells, between which there is a corridor. This «thermos» technology creates the regime necessary for the preservation of books.

The building reaches a height of 73 meters, and at its top there is a panoramic platform. Reading rooms are equipped on the first three floors of the library, the total capacity of which is about 2 thousand seats with access to a cozy garden. The library can simultaneously store 14 million books, and monitors the inviolability of the intellectual heritage of Belarus with a staff of one thousand people.

In front of the main entrance of the library, in a small square surrounded by flowers and figured bushes, there is a monument to Francis Skorina, created by the author A. Dranz. On the western side there is an alley that perpetuates the memory of great figures of culture, science and politics of Belarus. In addition, residents and guests of the capital can visit the sculpture park on a temporary or permanent basis and enjoy the beauty of the fountains.

During a sightseeing tour of the library guests are invited to become a reader and regular visitor to the National Library, they are told about the book collection and the rarest copies of books already stored several hundred years. Guests will be able to see the grandiose system of storing, transporting and sorting books in the library, get acquainted with electronic catalogs and learn how selected books are delivered from one room to another. In the atrium, visitors will admire a granite ball in the form of a small fountain. It symbolizes the value of knowledge, the infinity of the knowable world and the constant flow and change of history. Tourists will learn why the architects made such an unusual decision in the design of the building and how all citizens of Belarus took part in the construction.

The excursion route also includes a visit to the Museum of Books, where guests will be able to see unique book monuments – the smallest book, the letters of which can hardly be seen under a magnifying glass, and the largest, which an adult cannot lift on his own. Part of the museum's exhibition is dedicated to the history of theNational Library.

One of the most visited attractions in Minsk is also the observation deck located on the roof of the National Library, at an altitude of 73 meters. Here you can see all the sights of the capital and its surroundings, and you can admire the beauty through panoramic binoculars. You can visit the observation deck of the National Library as part of the Sightseeing tour of Minsk at the request of the group.