In 1882 in Minsk:

- 439 marriages took place;

- 1748 legal children were born;

- 67 illegal children were born;

- 801 men and 673 women died (no epidemic took place);

- natural gain + 341 people;

- 7 kid murders occurred;

- 1 murder occurred.

There is an evidence, that during the reign of Kazimir Yaghellon (1440 - 1492) the right to collect all custom duties collecting in Minsk was sold to a Jew from Troky (now Trakay, Lithuania), whose name was Mikhel son of Daniel.

In 1495 Jews were ordered to leave Great Lithuanian Princedom, but all the rights to collect taxes, initially on drinks production only, but later custom duties also, were sold to baptized Jew Avraam son of Yuzef (Iosef), who kept them for at least 15 years, when Jews were allowed to return to the country.

In 1525 Avraam’s brother Mikhel son of Iosef bought the right to collect all custom duties in Minsk.

In 1565 the right to collect all custom duties in Minsk was sold to a group of rich Jews.

In 1579 the King of Rech Pospolitaya Stefan Batory announced a special list of official rights of Minsk Jews.

After Minsk prosperity was undermined by Tatar invasions and natural disasters in the end XVI - early XVII century, in 1606 the King of Rech Pospolitaya Sighizmund III Vaza liberated Minsk from ant taxation and gave special privileges to local Christians. Among all, he, with reference to some ancient laws, prohibited to Jews and local Tatars to sell something or to keep any store in Minsk. Otherwise the Jews were to pay very high fines and should be punished. But in 1609 Sighizmund III canceled that fines and awarded Jews with some privileges (we do not know the details). In 1616 Sghizmund III allowed Jews to sell everything in Minsk without any limitations, and in 1625 he allowed local Jews to possess the land, where the synagogue and the cemetery were situated, forever. The King’s order of 1629 allowed Jews to keep any food stores and shops in Minsk, but not to build anything on the territory of the Town.

After Jewish claim, that their old cemetery is too far from the Town, and Jews often suffer from highwaymen on the way to it, the King permitted Jews to buy some land for their new cemetery in southern suburb of Minsk.

As far as Jews were not able to live in the very Town, they had to reside in suburbs on the lands, which were owned by Minsk Orthodox metropolitan and the Orthodox Monastery of StSt. Peter & Paul, where Uniatic believers were also moved from Minsk by Orthodox majority. As result of anti-Uniatic struggle of Orthodox majority, in 1671 Minsk mayor called Orthodox population to exile all Uniatic believers and Jews from Minsk and suburbs. It was several attacks on the lands of Uniatic Monastery of St. Spirit, were Jews lived also.

To protect Jewish population from the pressure of Orthodox majority, in 1679 the King of Rech Pospolitaya Yan III Sabessky declared special Order, after which:

1. Jews preserved all their own stone and wooden houses.

2. Jews received 21 guaranteed trade places in butchery section of Minsk market place.

3. Jews were recognized as possessors of their 3 praying houses, their Turkish bath and their cemetery land.

4. Jews got the rights to keep malt and vodka factories, and food stores in Minsk.

5. Jews got permission to work as private craftsmen; local craft guilds were not to oppress them or demand to pay any guild taxes.

6. Jews were to pay any taxes in the same size, as from any other person.

7. Jews were not to be called to the court or to be dealt with any other official or business subject on Saturdays or Jewish holidays.

8. Jewish butchers could buy cattle or poultry anywhere and sell on any day, it didn’t matter , if it was a fair day or not.

9. Town authorities were to protect Jews from any illegal oppression.

It is known, that in XVII century Minsk Jews were busy with:

1. Renting of custom duties and land estates.

2. Collecting of different taxes (after they bought the right to do it).

3. Supervising on different state financial and business subjects.

4. Arts and crafts.

5. Trade (that was most spread business).

In 1623 at the 1st Assembly of Lithuanian Vaad, Minsk community was registered as an independent one. It was registered in Brest Area and paid 10 kops of groshes (it evidences, that there were very few Jews in that community). But even that time Minsk Jews often borrowed considerable amounts of money from Lithuanian Vaad.

In 1634 Lithuanian Vaad gave 1 000 zlotys as interest free credit to Minsk kahal for three years. But despite of it, since that time Minsk kahal always had debts and arrears. In 1639 total amount of debts of Minsk kahal and private persons exceeded 2 000 zlotys. To rise kahal incomes, Minsk Jews regularly asked Lithuanian Vaad to prohibit to buy any Minsk custom duties to anybody, but Minsk kahal treasure.

In 1671 there was an evidence, that Jewish doctor Yakov Gordon practiced in Minsk.

Despite of the fact, that Belarus, including Minsk, was recognized as independent area, Brest kahal influenced seriously on Minsk affairs for a long enough time after it. In 1681 during a fair in Mir (a shtetle in Novogrudok Province of the Great Lithuanian Princedom), Brest Jewish supervisors arrested wide assortment of goods, brought there by Minsk Jewish merchants, including jewelry and some other expensive things. After that attack Minsk Jewish merchants almost stopped their visits to Mir fair. As it was very unprofitable for Mir and even State Treasure, Mir mayor and chief executive asked Minsk Jewish merchants to come and guaranteed their security. Same invitation was sent to Minsk Jewish community by the Great Lithuanian Chancellor Duke Oghinsky. Moreover, in 1684-85 the King of Rech Pospolitaya Yan III Sabessky personally ordered Brest kahal not to oppress Minsk merchants in any case.

In 1685 rabbi Moisey son of rabbi Mordukhay, founded 1st yeshibot in Minsk.

In 1696 Leybele "baal tosafot", who was a rector of Minsk yeshibot, was elected as Minsk Chief Rabbi.

In the late XVII - early XVIII century Minsk Jewish community still had financial problems.

In 1712 Yekhiel Gheylprin, known as famous kabbalist, wise man and historiographist, was elected as Minsk Chief Rabbi. Also he was the author of the book "Seder ha-Dorot". His younger colleague was rabbi Arye Leyb, the author of "Schaagath Arjeh", who opened his own yeshibot in Minsk. Since that time Minsk became a center of Jewish thought, and all Polish and Lithuanian Jews tended to visit it.

In 1717 the Seym (parliament) of Rech Pospolitaya ordered Minsk Jews to pay annually:

- the personal tax (2 000 zlotys in total per all Jews);

- the tax on community (602 zlotys in total);

- the tax to support local authorities (20 zlotys in total).

In 1722 the King of Rech Pospolitaya August II confirmed the Order of Yan III and liberated Minsk Jews from payment obligations, had been issued by Jewish association of the Great Lithuanian Princedom.

In 1733 Rafael Liflender was elected as Minsk Chief Rabbi, who became later the Chief Rabbi of the Entire Minsk Area.

In 1777 after the death of Chief Rabbi of the Entire Minsk Area Samuil, who had written "Teschubot Schemuel", the post of Chief Rabbi of the Entire Minsk Area was liquidated.

In the mid. XVIII century to pay all debts, Minsk kahal lent all merchant taxes collecting, butchery selling tax collecting and judicial custom duties collecting, and bought all Jewish arts and crafts licenses. Common Jews suspected kahal administration in corruption and claimed to State Financial Tribunal (Court). In 1782 they elected several representatives to go to Grodno to present State Financial Investigation Committee some documents on kahal operations. Kahal organize an arrest of elected representatives and thieving of the claim and documents.

In 1794 after the death of Minsk Chief Rabbi Israel Mirkish, known as very authoritative person, Minsk Jewish community decided, that his successors would bear no "ab-bet-din" title.

Here is a table of Jewish demographic dynamics for 1851-57:

In 1861 there were 70 male and 80 female Jewish students in Minsk in total.

In 1864 Minsk Jews paid the following taxes as "Box Collection":

1. For sale:

- 3 kopecks per pound of beef;

- 2,5 kopecks per pound of veal;

- 2 kopecks per pound of lamb or goat flesh;

- 3 kopecks per pound of animal fat;

2. For slaughtering:

- 1 rouble per bull or ox;

- 80 kopecks per cow;

- 25 kopecks per calf, ram, sheep, billy-goat or she-goat;

- 15 kopecks per lamb or kid;

- 15 kopecks per turkey-cock;

- 10 kopecks per turkey-hen or goose;

- 2,5 kopecks per cock, hen or duck;

- 1-1,5 kopecks per gosling, duckling or chicken.

That year Minsk Jewish Community got:

- 21 500 roubles as Box Collection;

- 3 763 roubles as Candle Collection.

In 1864 there were:

- 2 State Jewish schools;

- a private female Jewish school;

In 1882 there were:

- a splendid synagogue on Zamkovaya st.;

- about 40 praying houses;

- 22 of 59 pupils of Minsk classical gymnasium were Jewish;

- 3 primary Jewish schools;

- Jewish hospital (65 beds);

- a publishing house, owned by a Jewish man, whose name was Solomon (that publish house considered to be the best one, because lithographic and chromolithography technologies were used there).

To be said, that in the same year almost all Minsk tailors and trade businessmen were Jewish, other crafts were mostly Jewish. So, the authorities noted, that Jews had almost no non-Jewish competitors.

According to official data, since early 1860s considerable enough changes took place in Minsk Jewish life, including dress styles, language and moral aspects. During 1860s - 1880s Russian official statistics evidenced for the rapid increase of crimes and outlaw actions of local Jewish population.

In 1897 the percentage of Jewish craftsmen, who were illiterate, was the following:

In 1898:

- 448 Jewish marriages took place;

- 934 male and 595 female Jewish children were born;

- 556 Jewish men and 447 Jewish women died.

During Peysakh 1 719 Minsk Jewish families asked for subsidies (it was 17,2% of all Minsk Jewish families).

That year the following Jews were Town officials.

1. Deputies of Minsk Town Duma (elected from Minsk Jewish householders):

LYRYE Khaym son of Ghirsh,

LUNTS Osip son of Leyzar (Collegue Councilor).

2. Deputies of Minsk Town Administration:

GOLDENVEYZER Isaak son of Samuil (Town Legal Advisor).

3. Deputies of Minsk Petty-Bourgeois Administration:

FAYN Benyamin son of Zalman,

GUMANOV Abram son of Benyamin.

4. Deputy of Minsk Town Craftsmen Administration:

SHAPIRO Ayzik son of Kalman

5. Minsk State Rabbi:

KHANELES Abram son of Benedict.

Also there were the following Jewish educational institutions in Minsk:

1) the 1-year State Jewish School (Yuryevskaya st., house of Averbukh). The Honorable Supervisor was LURYE Aron son of Yefroim, the director was ZARKHIN Gherman son of Abram, the teacher’s assistants were SIMONOVSKY Benyamin son of Ghershovich (seniour), ZHUKOVICH Rafael son of Lazar, MOGHID Mordukhay, the teacher was RYVKIN Meyer son of Dovid, the doctor was POZNYAK Iokhim son of Samuil;

2) the 2-years State Jewish Public School (Zakharyevskaya st., house of Levin). The Honorable Supervisor was KOVARSKY Semen son of Kivel, the seniour teacher was SHEYNDELS Boris son of Alexander, the juniour teacher was FIN Abram;

3) Jewish Primary Private School with Craft Class (Romanovskaya st., house of Khaneles). The director was KHANELES Abram son of Venedict, the chief economist and teacher was NEYFAKH Yulian son of Mark;

4) the Private School of Russian Literacy (Torgovaya st., house of Fuks # 8). The keeper was LEDER Abram son of Osip;

5) the Private School for Deaf-and-Dumb and Stammering Jewish Children (Kolomenskaya st., house of Kughel). The keeper was NISNEVICH Shima daughter of Zalman-Iosel;

6) the Private Talmud-Torah School (Shkolnaya st.). The keeper was NEYFAKH Solomon son of Yulyan;

7) the 4-years Private Female School with Primary Class (Bogadelnaya st.). The keeper was LEVIDOV Darya daughter of Iosel;

8) the 3-years Private Female School with Primary Class (Bogadelnaya st., house of Veysbrem). The keeper was BORISHANSKAYA Sofya daughter of Yevsey;

9) the Jewish Department of Minsk Female Imperial Gymnasium. The rabbi was GURVICH Iosel son of Yakov. The subjects to be studied there were:

- Russian language and literature;

- arithmetic;

- algebra and geometry;

- natural sciences;

- cosmography;

- French language;

- German language;

- geography;

- pedagogy;

- natural history;

- drawing;

- calligraphy;

- needlework;

- dancing.

In 1898 there were several shelters for children in Minsk. Some of the supervisors were Jewish:

GHETSOV Mordukh son of Vulf

GHINZBURG Samuil son of Movsha

KATSNELSON Nison son of Osip

KHAZANOV Aron son of Mordukh

KHEYFETS Yakov son of Semen

LURYE Aron son of Khaym

LURYE Khaym son of Ghershon

MASHKILLEYSON Avraam son of Kalman

ROGOVY Ura son of Zelik

SUTIN Berko son of Nokhim

In 1898 in Minsk there were notaries:

GORIN Faybus son of Iosef (Preobrazhenskaya st., house of Birgher);

GORIN Iosef son of Lazor (Shirokaya st., own house);

LIKHTERMAN Rufim son of Iosef (Preobrazhenskaya st., house of Chertov);

MASHKILLEYSON Avraam son of Kalman (corner of Bogadelnaya and Zakharyevskaya stst., own house);

SHAPIRO Isay son of Lev (Moskovskaya st., house of Rodshteyn);

SHAYKEVICH Ghirsha son of Zalman (Podgornaya st., house of Chapsky);

UFLYAND Aron son of Moisey (Kreshchenskaya st., house of Frenkel);

VAYNSHAL Solomon son of Abram (Bogadelnaya st., house of Dreytser);

VIGDORCHIK Iosel son of Yankel (Nemigskaya st., house of Gakhovich).

In 1904 22 535 male and 25 004 female Jews lived in Minsk, and about 1 000 Jewish people more did not consider Jewish (Idish) as there native tongue.

In 1910 there were following Jewish educational institutions:

— private technical secondary school;

— 2-years primary school;

— two 2-years public schools;

— Talmud-Torah;

— two dental schools;

— evening classes of English at Society for Support of Jewish Migrants;

— male craft school (130 students);

— female craft school;

— evening Shabbat school;

— public library;

— training farm.

Inspite of those institutions, 63% of Jewsih children studied nowhere.

Except for educational, by 1910 there were few Jewish institutions of other types:

1) Jewish hospital (65 beds). In 1896 there were 1 694 patients in the hospital, 1 475 of them were cured, 144 people died, 75 people stayed for next year, total costs were 13 430 roubles 57 kopecks. In 1905 there were 1950 patients there. Annual cost of maintenance of the hospital was about 17 000 roubles;

2) a psychiatric department of Jewish hospital (20 beds). During 1905 there were 59 male and 72 female patients there. Annual cost of maintenance of the hospital was about 13 000 roubles. The funds were taken from box collection, lending of own property of the department, activists and sponsors;

3) the Society for material assistance to poor Jews to get education in crafts (founded in 1870s). In 1904 its budget was over 10 000 roubles, 70 people received scholarships and 60 more got material aid;

4) the Society for aid to poor Jews. In 1905 its income was 47 000 roubles, expenses were 37000 roubles, 1050 people received money subsidies, 925 people — aid with goods and food, 5000 people — medical assistance;

5) a low price canteen at main synagogue (its funds were formed of incomes from own capitals and real estate);

6) a low price tearoom at main synagogue (its funds were formed by sponsors);

7) a free kitchen at main synagogue for poor on Shabbats and holidays.

That year there was one Jewish officer in Minsk Town hall and one Jewish taxman also.

In 1914 there were:

- 2 synagogues;

- 50 praying houses.

Minsk was founded as border fortress between Polotsk Princedom and Kievan Rus on the banks of the rivers Svisloch and its influx Nemiga (by the end of XIX century disappeared almost). Its geographical position made it as important regional trade center soon. Since early time Svisloch was the main road and trade way for local habitants.

Traditional activity of local Jewish population was trade with timber, food and trinket goods.

In the beg. of XVI century Minsk occurred on the crossroads of three trade ways:

- Northern (Vilno-Logoysk-Minsk-Borisov-Orsha-Smolensk-Moscow);

- South-Eastern (Minsk-Slutsk-Volyn-Valakhia-Istanbul);

- Western (Minsk-Brest-Warsaw-Krakow-European cities).

In 1513 during the war against Moscow Russia King and Great Prince Sighizmund I ordered Minsk to deliver 10 full armed knights to the State army and paid 10 kops of groshes as annual tax.

In 1520s Minsk became to develop and by 1529 paid annually 50 kops of groshes instead for 10.

After Livonian War (1557-1583) Minsk fell in decay and was liberated from all taxes and obligations, but was to support the King, his Court, and any ambassador and state missionary with transportation.

In 1717 the Seym (parliament) of Rech Pospolitaya ordered Minsk Christian citizens to pay the annual tax on community (1460 zlotys in total).

Minsk treasury income was:

in 1717 - 4 682 zlotys;

in 1758 - 12 872 zlotys.

In 1765 Minsk authorities installed the following taxes on trade:

- 5 zlotys per barrel (406,6 liters) of local vodka;

- 5 zlotys per barrel (406,6 liters) of local beer;

- 1 grosh per 34 liters of local mead;

- 4 groshes per 5,65 liters of imported vodka;

- 18 zlotys per barrel (406,6 liters) of wine, brought by local businessman;

- 18 zlotys 10 tynfs per barrel (406,6 liters) of wine, brought by foreign businessman;

- 1 zloty per barrel (406,6 liters) of salt;

- 1 zloty per barrel (406,6 liters) of fish (herrings);

- 18 zlotys per barrel (406,6 liters) of English beer;

- 1 zloty per barrel (406,6 liters) of imported double beer;

- 5 zlotys per barrel (406,6 liters) of imported concentrated mead;

- 2 zlotys 15 groshes per barrel (406,6 liters) of imported standard mead;

- 1 zloty per quantity of any local fish, estimated in 20 zlotys;

- 1/6 part of estimation of brought sturgeons;

- local fruit — free of charge;

- 1/5 part of estimation of Ukrainian or Volyn fruit;

- beer, produced by factories, possessed by local authorities, or for selling to students — free of charge;

A taxman received a half of collected taxes, which exceeds 9000 zlotys and were registered officially with documents.

In 1766 Minsk authorities sold the right to collect those taxes to local Christian petty-bourgeoisie for 9 800 zlotys (per year).

During Russian principality the authorities did a lot to develop the region because of military and fiscal reasons mostly. First of all, old communications were reconstructed there:

- post road Vilno - Minsk - Bobruisk;

- post road Borisov - Minsk - Novogrudok;

- post road Minsk - Nesvizh;

- post road Minsk - Smilovichi - Igumen;

- trade way Minsk - Staroye Syelo - Rakov - Ivenets;

- trade way Minsk - Ostroshitsky Gorodok - Logoysk;

- trade way Minsk - Kryzhyki - Mikolki - Staritsy - Slutsk;

Since 1810 Minsk became to use artesian water, and that improved sanitary and fire guard situations, because before that all water had been taken from Svisloch and had suffered seriously from inflectional diseases. However, development of suburbs, closeness of a cemetery to the river and 2 water mills, situated upstream, still made problems for Minsk habitants, especially after washing of cloth in the river.

In XIX, because of development of the AllRussian Market, new types of communications appeared in the area since 1870s. Construction of the railroad provoked new increase of the development of the region, especially Minsk itself:

- In 1871 Minsk became the station of Moscow - Brest railroad;

- In 1873 Minsk became the station of Libava-Romny railroad.

Approximately at the same time a telegraph station appeared in Minsk.

In 1863 there were 1 806 houses in Minsk, 416 of them were stone ones. Except for it there were:

- 177 shops and stores;

- 3 confectioneries;

- 2 restaurants;

- 13 hotels;

- 34 inns.

In 1882 the balance of the Town budget was (roubles):

In 1883 there were 1 600 houses in Minsk, 1 100 of them were stone ones. Also there were 46 industrial enterprises, including:

Their total turnover exceeded 265 000 roubles, they had 206 employees.

In that year there were:

- 5 book stores (the major of them was owned by Sophia Savitskaya, the 2nd in major (with reading room) — by Mr. Godlevsky, the other ones were owned by Jews, who traded with school textbooks and used books;

- 4 publishing houses (1 of them was State owned; since 1863 no one of them published Polish books);

- 725 shops, including 25 State owned, 700 private owned (40 of then were big ones);

- 30 hotels;

- 100 snack bars;

- 5 restaurants;

- 3 confectioneries (the one, possessed by Shening in Dominikanskaya st. near a park was the most famous one — it had a reading room of the periodic editions);

- about 200 bars;

- 8 wholesale warehouses of vodka;

- 2 water mills in suburbs;

- a sawmill on the bank of Svisloch river in suburb.

Also there were about 800 craftsmen, including:

- about 130 masters;

- not more, than 400 assistants;

- not more, than 270 students.

In 1883 - 3 fires occurred (damage - 8 465 roubles, reasons of fires - inaccuracy and revenge).

In 1886 in Minsk there were 21 industrial enterprises with 500 employees. That year they produced goods, which cost 1,5 million roubles in total. Main industrial brunches:

- food products;

- processing of agricultural raw materials;

- machine building (5 small factories with 70 000 roubles of annual turnover in total).

To be said, that Tatars, who came to the area from Crimea in early XV century, formed separate small ( less, than 900 people) section of Minsk population and were busy with leather processing and growing of vegetables. Also, in spite of the other national groups of Minsk population, they were not recorded in any police reports.

In 1894 in Minsk the prices for a barrel (492 liters) of principle goods in roubles were:

In 1898 Minsk loss from fire made 144 470 roubles.

In 1900 the absolute majority of Minsk craft workshops were very small (average one had 1 master, 1,3 assistant and 0,55 student). There were only 31 craft workshops, where there were over 10 workers. Their working day was very long and conditions were very poor (otherwise such business was profitless).

Only 5 of 143 metal processing workshops had tuning machines (one machine in every workshop), no one of them had steam engine.

Boot making was the most popular among Minsk craftsmen. There were 324 masters, 242 assistants and 85 students. The majority of them worked for boot stores, but their salary was too low.

Tailors were the second in number, next were joiners, underwear and bed linen, tuners, hat makers, and then all the rest ones. Average craftsman’s salary was 4-5 roubles per week; craftswoman’s — 2 roubles per week.

Here is the list of major business and trade enterprises of Minsk for 1902.

In 1904 there were 6 636 craftsmen in Minsk, including: 2 360 masters, 2 751 assistants and 1 525 students.

By 1914 wood and grain stayed the most popular and profitable goods for Minsk traders. But local industry continued to develop and started to play important enough role also. That time there were 69 industrial enterprises in Minsk. 2 633 employees worked there and their annual total turnover was 4 371 400 roubles. Here is the list of most important Minsk enterprises for 1914:

- 4 vodka factories (total annual turnover was 857 000 roubles);

- 4 wallpaper factories;

- 4 machine building factories;

- 4 steam engine mills;

- 3 boot making factories;

- a plastics factory;

- a celluloid factory;

- 5 banks;

- 2 companies of mutual crediting;

- 7 bank offices;

- 8 loan and saving cash departments;

- a lombard.

Minsk Town budget for 1913 was:

- incomes - 1 320 253 roubles;

- expenses - 1 220 678 roubles.

Before 1812 there was Polish publishing house, owned by local authorities.

Before 1822 there was a Polish publishing house owned by noble man Stefanovich.

In 1849-58 gymnasium professors Rodzievich and Zhbykovsky and local Evangelic pastors Wiliams and Kupfer ordered meteorological supervision in Minsk. Their data showed the following average indications (⁰C):

They also mentioned, that Western and North-Western winds from the Baltic Sea blew 260 days a year.

In 1861 there were 795 male (70 of them were Jewish) and 347 female (80 of them were Jewish) students in Minsk in total. By that year there were:

- 4 tobacco factories (total annual turnover over 5 000 roubles);

- few leather factories (total annual turnover over 5 000 roubles);

- few metalwork workshops (total annual turnover over 400 roubles);

- 3 factories of musical instruments (total annual turnover 1 700 roubles);

- 3 animal fat processing factories;

- 2 soap factories;

- 8 brick factories.

In 1862 in Minsk there were 87 merchants and 2 092 craftsmen.

That time there were 3 weekly market days: on Sunday, on Wednesday and on Friday. An annual fair took place on May 25 - June 25. In 1861 - 1863 annually the goods were brought to the fair for 10 000 roubles, but the deals were made for 1 400 roubles only. The fair significance diminished with the development of wholesale trade at stores.

By 1864 in Minsk there were:

- 2 theaters;

- the Town Hospital;

- a shelter for incurables;

- a shelter for 13 old women;

- a shelter for grieving persons (for 20 people);

- an orphanage;

- a gymnasium with a library (3 306 volumes);

- a Christian male secondary school;

- female primary school;

- 3 private boarding schools.

Before 1870s Minsk was famous for:

- judicial suits of local nobility on the Day of St. Josef;

- regular traditional congresses of local nobility.

In 1881-82 in Minsk there were:

1. State institutions:

- the Palace of Minsk Provincial Governor (former Jesuit College);

- the Palace of Justice in Verkhny Rynok;

- the Palace of Minsk Metropolitan (built in mid. XIX century);

- the Palace of Congresses of Provincial Nobility (1863 - 1880 - Town Theater of Drama);

- Minsk Society for Support of Students;

- professional anti-fire brigade: brandmaster and his 49 men, 36 horses, 3 big and 8 small pumps, 15 wheeled barrels and other accessories. Total cost of equipment — 15 000 roubles.

2. Religious institutions:

- 5 Orthodox churches (one on Storozhevskoye cemetery and 4 parochial ones;

- 8 Orthodox chapels at charitable and scientific institutions;

- 2 Orthodox monasteries (founded not long ago);

- 3 Roman Catholic churches (2 of them are on the cemeteries);

- a Roman Catholic chapel at the hospital of charitable society;

- a stone Evangelist temple (built in the middle of XIX century in Zakharyevskaya st.);

- a wooden tuning mosque in Tatarskaya st.

3. Scientific and educational institutions:

- male State Classical (humanitarian) Gymnasium in Frantsiscanskaya st., that was founded in 1805. There were 59 pupils in 1881/2;

- Orthodox religious secondary school (seminary) in Troitskaya hill (240 students);

- District male religious school (220 students);

- Roman Catholic school of choral singing and organ music, that was founded in 1870s by priest Senchukovsky;

- District religious school for noble girls in Dominicanskaya st. (not more, than 100 students);

- orphanage and pension of Empress Mary (not more, than 60 children);

- gymnasium library (4 000 volumes), including old books, taken from closed cloisters, and 100 maps and geographic atlases, about 300 graphic and drown pictures, historical tables collection, etc.;

- gymnasium Laboratory of Physics and Nature (150 instruments and apparata + 400 models + 700 minerals);

- Archeological and Ethnographic Museum of Provincial Statistic Committee (300 artifacts of Stone and Bronze Ages, about 1 000 volumes of old books in Polish and Latin, taken from closed cloisters, about 2000 different local made artifacts, interesting to ethnographer, collection of coins, collections of artifacts, found in ancient mounds. In the early 1870s talented researcher Henric Tatur started to systematize that museum collections, but after it was moved to a new building many things were missed;

- the library of the seminary;

- the library of the female gymnasium;

- the Central Archive of Minsk Provincial Military Department (Court and other old documentation), situated in the former church of St. Bernard;

- cabinets of physics, natural sciences, chemical laboratory and library of Minsk Technical School;

3. Charitable and other public institutions:

- the Provincial hospital (70 beds) with psychiatric department (20 beds);

- the hospital of Roman Catholic Charitable Society, founded by bishop Dederka (24 beds);

- prison hospital (40 beds);

- military hospital (60 beds);

- Minsk Agricultural Society, founded in 1876 to discuss economical problems of the Province and to hold agricultural exhibitions, and also to organize purchasing of agricultural machines and marketing of agricultural production;

- Minsk Charitable Society;

- Minsk Musical Society, founded in 1880 to hold regular musical parties, to support musicians and actors;

- Minsk Society for Mutual Anti-fire Insurance;

- Minsk Society for Mutual Lending;

- Minsk Trade Bank;

- Minsk voluntary fire guard;

- Minsk public park with fountain in Novoye Mesto;

- the Governor Garden;

- a private theater of drama in Verkhny Rynok (totally destroyed with fire in 1884) [there was one more dramatic theater in the building of Townhall, but in 1860s that building was destroyed and the theater was closed].

In 1898 there were 48 physicians in Minsk.

By 1914 in Minsk there were:

- 14 Orthodox churches;

- 4 Roman Catholic churches;

- 1 mosque;

- an Orthodox monastery,

- an Orthodox nunnery;

- a Protestant temple;

- 2 male gymnasiums;

- 6 female gymnasiums;

- 2 technical high schools;

- 2 female high schools;

- an Orthodox religious high school;

- male Christian secondary school;

- female Christian secondary school;

- 2 male schools commerce and trade;

- 45 primary schools (including Jewish kheders);

- a theater of drama;

- 3 local newspapers;

- the Town Society of Physicians;

- the Town Society of Landowners;

- 7 clinics and hospitals;

- 7 shelters;

- post offices and telegraph stations;

- electric and petroleum street lamps;

- the water-pipe;

- horse driving tram ("konka").

Copyright 1997-1998 Oleg Perzashkevich