Minsk Arena will host the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships ©Wikipedia

Minsk has been awarded the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships, it has been announced.

The International Skating Union (ISU) awarded the Belarus capital the event at a meeting of its ruling Council in Geneva.

They were chosen ahead of rival bids from Zagreb in Croatia, Graz in Austria, Kyiv in Ukraine and Tallinn in Estonia.

The event is due to be held at the Minsk Arena, a multi-purpose venue built in 2010 that is the home rink of HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.

In January it held the 2016 European Speed Skating Championships.

Minsk held the 2016 European Speed Skating Championships, where the men's event was won by The Netherlands Sven Kramer for the eighth time ©Getty Images
Minsk held the 2016 European Speed Skating Championships, where the men's event was won by The Netherlands Sven Kramer for the eighth time ©Getty Images

The European Figure Skating Championships are due to be held between January 21 and 27 in 2019. 

This year's Championships were held in Bratislava in Slovakia. 

The 2017 and 2018 editions are due to be held in Ostrava in the Czech Republic and Moscow in Russia respectively.

Consolation for Zagreb was that it was awarded the 2018 ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships.

It is scheduled to be held on March 16 and 17.