Minsk is the capital of Belarus. City occupies the area of 305^47 square kilometers. The approximate population in 2014 is about 1 926 000 people. On 25 March 1918, Minsk was declared the capital of the Republic. On December 1918 Minsk was taken over by the Red Army. Minsk, after January 1919, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus was declared the capital. The city was controlled by the Second Polish Republic during the Bolshevik war in Poland. The reconstruction and development program in Minsk began in 1922. In 1924, 24 factories were established. During the 1920s and 1930s new factories, schools, colleges, higher education institutions, hospitals and theatres were built in Minsk, In this period Minsk also was in the center of the development of Belarus language and culture. The population of Minsk, which was around 300 000 at the time of World War II, was completely mollified after the war, and the population has declined to around 50 000. Since 1960 the population is still increasing. The population reached 1 million in 1972 and 1.5 million in 1986. The Minsk subway construction began in 1977 and was opened on June 30, 1984.
After the collapse of communism in the 1990s, the city continued to change. Minsk, the capital of the new independent republic, has gained a great urban character. Embassies were opened in the city and Soviet administrative buildings became government centers. In the early and middle 1990’s, the economic crisis in Minsk became evident and many development projects were stopped, resulting in high unemployment. Since the late 1990s, transport and infrastructure have been improving and a housing boom has been going on since 2002. Housing development projects have been built on the Minsk skirts. The subway lines have been extended and the road system (including the Minsk high road) has been developed. In January 2008, the city government announced several projects in its official website. They include a renovation of some streets, a complex of hotels and sports facilities, hotel construction (near Komsomolkye Lake and Palace), main streets, swimming pool. With the help of foreign investors the construction of a modern water park on the suburb, 2 hotels, towers and a Business center building will be built. Since September 8, 2007 Minsk has been celebrating its 940th foundation anniversary.
On April 11, 2011 the biggest terrorist attack took place at Oktyarbskaya station, the busiest station of the metro in the country. In this attack 15 Belarusian citizens lost their lives, 203 people were injured.
On May 9, 2014 Minsk hosted the World Ice Hockey Championship.
Nowadays Minsk is one of the calmest capitals of Europe. The city is guarded by uniformed and civilian police officers. The Minsk metro is the 5th biggest metro of Europe. Minsk is now an pleasant city to live; it is calm and clean.