by Yuliya Stankevich
Welcome to the Soviet residential area once built for workers from the local Belarus tractor plant. This district is famous for being the home of the Minsk Tractor Plant which has produced more than three million tractors! The Belarusian Tractor is a well recognized national brand and is well known among many countries. Machine building, which was developed in Belarus after the Second World War, has long been considered the jewel of Belarusian industry. It’s the ideal socialist “town in city” of the 1940s and 50s. With most buildings being two stories high, this area encapsulates Soviet residential urban architecture.. Unfortunately, the government has other plans with this area and it might soon be that this area will be broken down. That is why we advise you to pay this neighbourhood a visit before it’s too late.
Traktarny Zavod neighborhood. Photos by Vitali Brazouski
Tips from locals
- Walk around and spot Soviet Urban architecture. The area is loved by cinema production people, so don’t hesitate to make your own movie there!
- Visit the Tractor Factory to the see how Belarusian tractors are made. You can even have a 10-minutes tractor ride with a driver for 40 BYR (around €20)! Tours are organised on working days, at 10 am and 1 pm. Ticket cost about €3, and are available in English, Spanish, and German. You need to book it at least one working day in advance at mtztourism@belarus-tractor.com.
How to get there?
By Metro: metro station Traktarny Zavod for a direct connection.
By tram 3 or 6 for the unhurried observing travellers, which you can take from metro Ploshad Pobedy (in the direction of Syerabranka). It will take roughly 20 minutes to get to Traktarny Zavod.