The Palace of the Republic dominates the south side of October Square with a facade of granite and glass that aims for grandeur and mostly achieves it, in the way that Soviet architecture always aimed for grandeur. The building is a major events venue: rock concerts, government ceremonies, and international conferences all take place here. It holds 2,700 people in its main hall.
The Palace is primarily of interest to visitors as a piece of urban scenery rather than a venue to visit. The scale of the building and its placement on October Square give you the full effect of Minsk's postwar urban design ambitions. From this vantage point you can see the city as it was intended to be seen: the long avenues, the heroic proportions, the deliberate dwarfing of the individual.
October Square 1.