Minsk. The Palace of Culture of Trade Unions.

In 1949, the construction of the Palace of Trade Unions, designed by Vladimir Ershov, began on the right side of the Central Square. The building is located on a hill overlooking the panorama across the Svisloch River and the city square. The palace, decorated in antique style and decorated with sculptures, faces the square. There are two halls inside: the pillared hall and the theater hall. The latter is equipped with a stage modeled after the Moscow Bolshoi Academic Theater. Both halls are richly decorated with stucco. On the ground floor there is a spacious Pillared Hall, as well as an 850-seat theater with stalls and tiers.

The construction was carried out according to the standard plan of architect L. V. Melega, but Ershov made significant changes, extending the plan and raising the building to a high basement. Together with architect L. Pavlov, he finalized the project, adding monumentality to the lobby and auditorium. The facades and interiors were richly decorated with classical decorative elements, some of which were later removed.

Yershov, known for his work in the Moscow metro, brought elements of Stalinist architecture, including antique motifs, to the project. The sculptural decoration of the facade was made by masters Alexey Glebov, Sergey Selikhanov and others.

The palace has become an important part of the cultural heritage of Belarus. Today, more than 30 collectives, clubs and studios work on the basis of the Palace of Culture of Trade Unions. Various events are also held here, and there is an equipped choreographic hall.

It also houses the Museum of the History of the Trade Union Movement of Belarus, which contains about 1,700 exhibits, and the Mini-Country Miniature Museum, where you can see all the main attractions of the country in one place.