Minsk District, 11 October (BelTA) – Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko is visiting the archaeological complex on the Menka River, BelTA has learned.
In 2022, the Belarusian head of government asked the historians to figure out where exactly Minsk was founded. For this purpose, a plan for archaeological research on the Menka was drawn up. In 2023 and 2024, the work was carried out under the leadership of archaeologist Andrei Voitekhovich. Unique wooden structures and artifacts were unearthed, which represented new findings about the history of the Belarusian capital. The results of this work will be reported to the prime minister today.
The debates about where and when ancient Minsk came to be have been going on for a long time. Historical chronicles mention the battle of Nemiga in 1067. But is it correct to trace the history of the city to this date? Did the Belarusian capital really originate at the confluence of the Svisloch and Nemiga rivers? Or was it the place where the Danube stream flows into the Menka River? Archaeologists were looking for answers to these questions. They came to the conclusion that the ancient city on the Menka was built at the end of the 10t century and grew at the beginning of the 11th century. Then the ancient Minsk was moved from the Menka to the place of confluence of the Svisloch and the Nemiga.
The excavations on the Menka are a national archaeological project, the largest research in the country. Funding was allocated and support was provided at all levels. A large number of volunteers helped the scientists in their work. One of the most important tasks regarding the complex on the Menka is to turn it into a museum and set up a historical and cultural reserve or an archaeological open-air museum.
In 2022, the Belarusian head of government asked the historians to figure out where exactly Minsk was founded. For this purpose, a plan for archaeological research on the Menka was drawn up. In 2023 and 2024, the work was carried out under the leadership of archaeologist Andrei Voitekhovich. Unique wooden structures and artifacts were unearthed, which represented new findings about the history of the Belarusian capital. The results of this work will be reported to the prime minister today.
The debates about where and when ancient Minsk came to be have been going on for a long time. Historical chronicles mention the battle of Nemiga in 1067. But is it correct to trace the history of the city to this date? Did the Belarusian capital really originate at the confluence of the Svisloch and Nemiga rivers? Or was it the place where the Danube stream flows into the Menka River? Archaeologists were looking for answers to these questions. They came to the conclusion that the ancient city on the Menka was built at the end of the 10t century and grew at the beginning of the 11th century. Then the ancient Minsk was moved from the Menka to the place of confluence of the Svisloch and the Nemiga.
The excavations on the Menka are a national archaeological project, the largest research in the country. Funding was allocated and support was provided at all levels. A large number of volunteers helped the scientists in their work. One of the most important tasks regarding the complex on the Menka is to turn it into a museum and set up a historical and cultural reserve or an archaeological open-air museum.
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