Minsk slalom canal.

Just half an hour's drive from the bustling Independence Avenue, among the tall pines in the vicinity of the Zaslavsky reservoir, there is a place with amazing energy. Locals call it the "Mountain River" or "stone river", and photographers consider it one of the most atmospheric locations for filming. Sports historians sigh sadly, remembering the 80s... This is the Minsk Slalom Canal, a unique hydraulic engineering structure that could become a hallmark of Belarus, but today it lives a completely different life.

The history of the channel goes back to 1981. At that time, rowing slalom was only gaining popularity in the world and was already included in the Olympic Games program. In the USSR, the issue of creating a modern training base for the national team was acute. The incident helped bring an ambitious plan to life: a sanitary canal was designed in Zhdanovichi between the Minsk Sea and the Drozdy reservoir.

There were quite a few water enthusiasts among the designers who ventured to combine utilitarian hydraulic engineering with a sports facility. The only artificial slalom canal in Europe at that time, built in Munich for the 1972 Olympics, was taken as a sample. As a result, an exact replica of the Munich highway appeared near Minsk, the second facility in Europe suitable for hosting top-level international competitions.

The length of the canal was about 500 meters. The riverbed was designed in such a way as to create the effect of a real mountain river: artificial rapids, concrete boulders and height differences made the water boil and foam, challenging the athletes.

In the 1980s, the channel lived life to the fullest. Since 1984, Belarusian slalom athletes began to take prizes at All-Union competitions, and by 1988 the track in Zhdanovichi had become the official training base for the USSR national team. Athletes from all over the Union came here to hone their skills in rough water.

But the channel was popular not only with professionals. This place was affectionately called the "free water park" by the people. There was nowhere to fall on weekends. Locals recall how dozens of daredevils, wearing old sneakers, entered the bubbling stream to test themselves. The current was so strong that people were knocked off their feet and carried along the concrete thresholds, giving an unforgettable feeling of flight and adrenaline.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the canal suffered the fate of many unique objects. The funding stopped, and the athletes were left without support. Although the Belarusian team managed to make it to the Olympics in Atlanta, the debut was unsuccessful, and officials quickly lost interest in the sport.

The era of decline has begun. The water disappeared, and only a thin stream ran along the concrete bed...

Today, the channel looks abandoned, but that's exactly where its current appeal lies. The concrete blocks are covered with moss, bushes have grown around the edges, and a special silence hangs in the air, broken only by the singing of birds. This place has become a real magnet for photographers and connoisseurs of post-industrial aesthetics.

Sometimes the channel still comes to life. For example, in May 2024, the water filled the riverbed again and videos of the seething stream instantly spread across social networks.

How do I find the "Mountain River"? Getting to the canal is easy. It is located about 4.5 kilometers from the MKAD, near the agro-town of Zhdanovichi, in the area of the Zaslavsky reservoir. The landmark is the Republican boarding school for War and Labor veterans "Istok". A country road starts from the boarding school, leading directly to the ravine where the riverbed is hidden.

The best time to visit is spring, when the forest is filled with greenery, or golden autumn. Next to the canal are the famous "writers' cottages", where Vasil Bykov, Andrei Makayenok and other Belarusian writers once lived. So the trip can be combined, for example, with a visit to the Bykov Museum.

The Minsk Slalom Canal is a monument to a bygone era, a symbol of ambition and subsequent oblivion. But, as often happens, having found a new role, he did not lose his magic. Today, people come here not for sports records, but for silence, inspiration, and the opportunity to touch the story that is going on right now — in every ray of sunlight breaking through the pines, and in every new click of the camera shutter.