Sight number 5

As I am going to be out of Belarus tomorrow, I’d like to publish my next post in advance. :)

Here it goes: the center of the old Minsk, the City Hall. Have I ever mentioned to you how some British researches proposed to distinguish medieval European civilization from the neighbors? By the presence of Jus Theutonicum Magdeburgense – the old privilege and law of self-governance of cities. Civil society in action! :) Minsk got it in 1499 (not the first one among other Belarusian cities). Some our eastern rivals (guess who?) never had it. :) The City Hall nowadays is a purely ceremonial place, no government is there. In my humble opinion, there is no a city government in Europe which might be fully placed at such a space. ;)