Minsk                                               

Education

Belarusian Polytechnic Institute / Беларускі політэхнічны інстытут

In 1920, Minsk Polytechnic College (Мінскае політэхнічнае вучылішча) was reorganized as Belarusian State Polytechnic Institute. In 1922, it was again reorganized as Belarusian State Institute of Agriculture. In 1933, the Institute of Agriculture, alongside several other newly-created institutes (those of Energy, Construction, Chemistry and Technology, Food Industry, among others) were merged to form Belarusian Polytechnic Institute. The chair of architecture was opened within the Construction Department of the institute in 1946; in 1952, the chair was transformed into the Architecture Division within the Construction Department.

Belarusian State Institute of Theater and the Arts/ Белорусский государственный театрально-художественный институт

Founded as Belarusian Theater Institute in 1945, the institute was renamed as Belarusian State Institute of Theater and the Arts in 1953. In 1961, it opened a program in furniture and interior design within the Department of the Arts. 

Design and Construction

Beldzyarzhpraekt / Белдзяржпраект 

Located in Minsk, Beldzyarzhpraekt (Russian: Belgosproekt), or Belarusian State Design Institute was founded in 1933 as a result of the merger of institutes Beldzyarzhpraektbud (Belorusian State Design and Construction Institute, founded in 1927) and Dzipragar (State Institute of City-Planning Design, Russian Giprogor; Minsk branch created in 1931). In the post-war years, the institute focused on the reconstruction of cities; during the 1960s-1980s, it was preoccupied with urban planning and with the design of residential and public buildings.

Minskpraekt (Мінскпраект) / Mingarpraekt (Мінгарпраект)

The largest architectural design and planning organization in Minsk, the institute Minskpraekt was founded in 1945 as the architectural-planning workshop under the head architect of Minsk. It was reorganized as Mingarpraekt in 1953. The institute received the name Minskpraekt in 1961. Among the institute’s main preoccupations was the development of the General Plan of the Development of Minsk until the Year 1980 (1961-1963) and the General Plan of the Development of Minsk until the Year 2000 (1979-1982). Another major and celebrated project of the institute was Slyapyanka water system, an ambitious system of canals, reservoirs, and park in Minsk (1982). Although among the institute’s employees were many women (Vasilisa Shylnikouskaya, Natallya Afanasyeva, Larysa Esman, Lydmila Gafo, Rimma Andreeva, among others) they generally did not rise beyond the position of project head, whereas more prestigious positions such as of the head of workshop were reserved for men.

Special Research and Restoration Production Workshops of the Ministry of Culture of the BSSR (Спецыяльныя навукова-рэстаўрацыйныя вытворчыя майстэрні Міністэрства культуры БССР) / Belraestauratsyia (Белрэстаўрацыя)

Research and Restoration Production Workshops for the Repair and Restoration of Monuments of History, Art, Architecture and Archeology of the Ministry of Culture of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) were founded in 1968. The following year, they were renamed into Special Research and Restoration Production Workshops of the Ministry of Culture of the BSSR. Since 1985, they were known as Belrestavratsyia. The institute subsequently received branches in Grodno, Vitebsk, and Mahileu. 

Beltraktarbud / Белтрактарбуд

Trust Beltraktarbud (Russian: Beltraktorstroy) was created in 1946, tasked with the construction of the Minsk Tractor Plant (MTZ). One of the major construction organizations in Belarus during this time, it consisted of six construction offices, responsible for the construction of the plant’s various workshops, of workers’s housing near the factory and in the center of Minsk, of the tramway line connecting the plant with the city, of the damn for the water reservoir, of infrastructure, and beyond. It was later reorganized as Stroytrest No. 1 (Construction Trust No. 1), which continued building public, industrial, recreational and residential buildings in the city.

Minskstroy / Минскстрой

One of the major construction organizations in Belarus, Glavminskstroy, or the Main Directorate for the Reconstruction of Minsk under the Council of Ministers of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, was created in 1946. In 1969, it was reorganized as Minskstroy, which included several trusts (trusts No. 1, 4, 7, and 15, and trust of city-block construction), two house-building combines, factories producing wooden, metal, and ferroconcrete elements, and other construction organizations.

BelNDIPgoradabudaunitstva / БелНДІПгорадабудаўніцтва

Located in Minsk, BelNDIPgoradabudaunitstva, or Belarusian Research and Design Institute of Urban Planning is the main urban and territorial planning institute in Belarus. It was created in 1971 as the Minsk branch of the Central Research and Design Institute of Urban Planning (TsNIIPGradostroitelstva), which in 1976 was reorganized as Belarusian Research and Design Institute of Urban Planning.

Dzipraselbud (Дзіпрасельбуд), BelNDIdzipraselbud (БелНДІдзіпрасельбуд)

Dzipraselbud, or Belarusian State Institute of Design for Rural Construction, was founded in Minsk in 1945, specializing in architecture and planning for the countryside. Since 1958, it was known as Beldzipraselbud; in 1971, it was renamed as BelNDIdzipraselbud. The institute was closed down in 2015.

Belprampraekt / Белпрампраект

Belprampraekt (Russian: Belpromproekt), or Belarusian Industrial Construction, Institute was founded in Minsk in 1949 under the administration of the Ministry of Construction of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Initially focusing on industrial construction, subsequently, it also designed residential and public buildings and neighborhoods and performed engineering research for construction works.

Argtaekhbud / Аргтэхбуд

Trust Argtaekhbud (Organization of Technical Construction; Russian Orgtekhstroy) was created in Minsk in 1960 to enable the construction of prefabricated housing and microregion urban planning. In 1980 it was merged with trust Orgstroymekhanizatsiya (Organization of Construction Mechanization) and the Office of Design, Construction, and Technology with Experimental Production under Minskstroy to create the Office of Design, Construction, and Technology with Experimental Production under the Ministry of Industrial Construction of Belarus. Since 1987, it has been known as Stroykompleks.

The Institute of Construction and Architecture (IBiA) / Інстытут будаўніцтва і архітэктуры (ІБіА)

The Institute of Construction and Architecture (IBiA) was founded under the Ministry of Construction of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1957. It was reorganized as Belbudnauka in 1988, as Belarusian Scientific-Research Institute of Construction in 1991, and as BelNIIS in 2006.

Vitebsk

Vitsebskgramadzyanpraekt (Віцебскграмадзянпраект)

Vitsebskgramadzyanpraekt (Russian Vitebskgrazhdanproekt / Витебскгражданпроект) was founded in 1936 as the Vitebsk branch of Beldzyarzhpraekt. Its activity was interrupted by the German occupation during the Second World War; upon the end of the war, it was reopened as Ablpraekt. In 1966, the institute was reorganized as a design workshop of Beldzyarzhpraekt, acquiring the status of its regional branch in 1969. Since 1975, it has been known as Regional Design Institute of Complex Design of Residential and Civic Buildings Vitsebskgramadzyanpraekt. Since 1988, it acquired a regional branch in Navapolotsk.

Brest

Brestpraekt (Брэстпраект) / Brestablpraekt (Брэстаблпраект) / Brestgramadzyanpraekt (Брэстграмадзянпраект)

Architectural design institute Brestrpaekt was founded in 1945 as Brestablpraekt, responsible for architectural design, planning, and construction in Brest and Brest region. In 1948, the institute was reorganized as the Brest branch of Beldzyarzhpraekt. In 1959, it was reorganized as Ablpraekt under Brest regional executive committee. In 1966, it was returned to Beldzyarzhpraekt as Brest Regional Design Workshops. They were reorganized as Brestgramadzyanpraekt in 1974.