GENERAL INFORMATION ON MINSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008301130006-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 15, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/10/09: CIA-RDP80-00810A008301130006-2
CENTRAL -INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains Information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Seca. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which In any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
S-E-C-R-E-T
USSR (Belorussian SSR)
General Information on Minsk
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 15 TOP
NO. OF PAGES 3
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
the population of Minsk (N 53-50, E 27-35) to be 350,000.--
About eighty percent of the city was destroyed during World War II, but the--
reconstruction begun immediately after the war was very thorough. Many old
buildings were razed and large new ones were erected in their place. New
streets were also built. Construction was still under way in 1953, and the
appearance of the city was much better than it had been before the war.
Traces of the war were still evident on,the outskirts of the city, but re-
construction was taking place everywhere.
2. Most of the streets in Minsk were straight. Many of them were paved with
asphalt, and many were of cobblestone. The streets were narrow in those
parts of town, e.g., the Nyamigi district, where no reconstruction work had
been undertaken. The new streets were broad and had wide sidewalks. All
the streets were planted with linden, chestnut, ash, and other varieties of
trees. The main street, prospekt imeni Stalina, which was rebuilt after
the war, was about 30 m wide and was paved with asphalt. Sidewalks about
ten meters wide ran along both sides of the street. The heaviest traffic
in Minsk was on prospekt imeni Stalina,, where most of the large stores were
located. Militia directed traffic at the intersections of prospekt imeni
Stalina. All the buildings on this street were of brick construction and
had five or six stories. Other streets in Minsk were Komsomolskaya,
Sovetskaya, Mesninova, Kirova, Nyamiga, and Dolgobrodskaya."` All the streets
were electrically lighted. Along most of the main streets, including
prospekt imeni Stalina, electric lights ran along both sides of the street
and were supported by iron posts; on some important streets, however, lamps
hung in the middle of the street. On the remaining streets, the lamp posts
were wooden.
House numbers were even on-one side of the street and odd on the other side.
When more than one house bad the same number, a letter was affixed to the
number, e.g., 28a and 28b. Most of the houses had from three to six stories,
and some government buildings had as many as thirteen stories. Most of the
buildings were of brick construction, stuccoed and whitewashed. On the out-
S" s of the city, the buildings were one-story wooden structures and were
privately owned. State-owned houses were large, brick apartment buildings?
N4FbRMATION REPORT INFORMATION it,
Approved For Release 2008/10/09: CIA-RDP80-00810A008301130006-2
 Approved For Release 2008/10/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008301130006-2
12. Plays which were put on at the Yanks Kupala Theater of Drama were presented
in Belorussian. Operas were performed in both Belorussian and Russian. The
city also had a ballet theater, a Russian theater, and several movie houses.
'Theater tickets cost from eight to fifteen rubles and movie tickets from
three to ten rubles.
13. The Belarus 'Hotel was on ulitsa Kirova, and a room could be obtained. for
about 16 rubles a day. Among the small public gardens in Minsk was the
Park Gorkogo.
14.
b. A bicycle factory, which manufactured bicycles bearing the wade-mark WZ.
c. An automobile plant, which was constructed after World War II. T'h"Le factory
specialized in the production of dump trucks with a 24-ton capacity. These
trucks had three axles and a wheel diameter of approximately 1.7 xa. The
plant also manufactured other types of trucks, but source could give no
further information,
The following are some industrial installations which were located in Minsk,
a. A tractor factory, which was constructed in 1948. This plant specialized
in the manufacture of the Belarus-type tractor, which was used in agricul-
ture,,
d. Radio Plant imeni Molotova, which was constructed after World War IT. ?! t
manufactured Partizan I and Partizan 11 radio receiving sets equipped with
five tubee, three wave-length bands (long,, medium, short), and a phonograph
connection. Both of these types were manufactured primarily for export,,
They bore the inscription in English "Made in USSR". Since they were
practically unobtainable in the USSR, source did not know the local pride.
In addition to the Partizan-type radio, the plant manufactured another
type of radio receiving set with the trade-mark Belaru.s. This radio had
twelve tubes, three or four wave-length bands, and a phonograph connection.
The price of the Belarus set in the USSR was over 1,000 rubles. Production
of this radio set was begun in 1951 or 1952. This plant also manufactured
an earphone receiving set, the Komsomolets, which sold for 42 rubles.
e, Shoe Factory imeni Kaganovicha, which was probably constructed prior to
World War II. It manufactured men's and women's shoes and boots, and
also rubber boots. The factory was quite large, and it serviced a very
large area.
Comment: In 1948, according to figures from local elections,
the population of Minsk was 231,000.
Approved For Release 2008/10/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008301130006-2