The headquarters of the Belarusian KGB stands on the corner of Komsomolskaya Street and Independence Avenue — a massive Stalinist pile that is deliberately intimidating. Belarus is the only country in the former Soviet Union to have kept both the KGB name and much of its Soviet-era institutional character. The building is not a museum and is not open to visitors; it is a working security services headquarters.
Its presence on the main avenue tells you something about the political landscape. Walking past it, particularly after reading about Belarus's recent history, gives the city a different feel from most European capitals. The small park across the street offers a relatively comfortable position from which to contemplate the architecture.
The building acquired particular notoriety after the August 2020 disputed presidential election, when its basement detention facilities reportedly held thousands of protesters in appalling conditions. Many of the protesters detained here described torture and mistreatment. It is a significant piece of contemporary European history as well as a Cold War relic.