Minsk. The Van Gogh Museum.

In July 2026, a new cultural attraction, the Van Gogh Museum, opened in the very center of Minsk, at 45 Kuibyshev Street. An art space is now located on the site of the former laundry, where you can not only see more than a hundred reproductions of the great Dutch post-Impressionist, but literally live his story.

The exhibition is based on more than 100 reproductions created specifically for the museum by two anonymous artists. The canvases are painted in oil on canvas in the original size, with an accurate reproduction of the company's impasto technique - voluminous, expressive strokes, as if "mixed" with paint. The collection was based on 14 key works, including "Almond Branch", "Sunflowers", "Irises" and "Starry Night". Surprisingly, Van Gogh had 12 versions of sunflowers, and each one is unique - several variants are presented at the exhibition.

The exhibition on the second floor is arranged chronologically: from gloomy "Potato Eaters" to bright, life-affirming canvases. The periods of the artist's life in the hospital and the series dedicated to flowers are highlighted separately. Historical cards are placed near the paintings, helping to understand the context of the creation of each masterpiece.

The space is thought out to the smallest detail. At the entrance, guests are greeted by a cozy coffee shop - it operates independently, and you can visit it even without a ticket to the museum. There is a piano under the stairs, decorated with a reproduction of "Almond Blossoms" - Vincent's brother Theo hung this particular work on his instrument. On the opening day, classical and modern compositions were played here, creating a unique background.

In the halls there are designer furniture made of floral fabric, shelves with books about art (from a private collection, they can be leafed through directly in the museum), vases with live sunflowers - a direct reference to the master's work. As art critic Anna Maltseva admitted, "It's managed to fit so much into such a small space. Everything is done with taste".

The ideological inspirer of the project is Yura Kosmos, a passionate admirer of painting who often visits European museums and has long dreamed of creating a similar space in Minsk. The first floor will remain permanent, and in a few months they plan to present works by another Van Gogh-related artist, for example, Paul Gauguin, on the second floor.

In the future, lectures, master classes, art meetings, film screenings and even coffee and wine tastings, curated excursions are promised here.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 22:00.

The Van Gogh Museum is not a collection of originals, but a unique opportunity to touch the artist's world without leaving Minsk. As the curator aptly noted: "We are not saying that these are reproductions of Van Gogh. We're just talking about the artist by attaching a picture to the story".