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Fifteen sports and 21 disciplines will be contested at Minsk 2019.
Thirteen venues will host events at the second European Games.
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the second European Games will take place at the Dinamo Stadium, which will also host the athletics events.
Minsk is the capital and largest city of Belarus, situated on the Svislač and the Nyamiha rivers.
Minsk has a population of 1.98 million people.
The Minsk 2019 mascot is Lesik the Fox who represents friendship, development, harmony, discipline, determination, cheerfulness, invincibility and vigour!
Lesik is pretty easy to spot with his red hat, white and green shirt, black shorts, blue shoes and yellow fur. These same colours are used on the Minsk 2019 logo.
One-hundred-and-ninety-nine medal events will be contested at Minsk 2019; 91 men’s events, 89 women’s events and 19 mixed events.
In all, 4,022 competitors will take part over 10 days.
The European Games take place every four years, the first of which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015.
Eight sports taking place at the European Games will serve as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Minsk was elected as the venue for the second European Games on October 21, 2016 at the General Assembly of the EOC.
Fifty One European National Olympic Committees will be represented in the Belarusian capital during the Games.
Belarusian athletes won 43 medals at the first European Games - 10 gold, 11 silver, and 22 bronze - and finished seventh on the medal table.
The second European Games will be held at the largest sports facilities in Minsk, such as stadium “Dinamo”, “Minsk-Arena” and “Chizhovka-Arena”.
More than 8,000 volunteers will help prepare and stage Minsk 2019.
Minsk 2019 volunteers are assigned to one of 20 roles ranging from spectator services, hospitality, venue management, medical services, transport and protocol assistants.
Belaruskali is a Premium Partner of Minsk 2019 whilst Yasna-Beltelecom, MTS, Fabrika Reklamy, Belarusbank, UNICEF and LUCH are National Partners.
Faroe Islands will be able to compete for the first time at the second European Games in archery, badminton, judo and table tennis.
The first buyer of a paper ticket was Minsk 2019 mascot Lesik, the baby fox.
The programme of the European Games also includes the European Judo Championships which will gather the best athletes in the Chizhovka Arena.
The second European Games will be held under the motto Bright Year, Bright You.
The logo of the second European Games has been inspired by the slogan “Follow Your Dream”.
A Minsk Guest Card has been designed for tourists coming to the Belarusian capital and provides discounts and bonuses for museums, shopping centres, restaurants, and cafes.
Minsk is characterised by long avenues and neoclassical grandeur.
Tickets for the Minsk 2019 European Games went on sale on December 1, 2018.
They are available to buy from all countries on the website of the event's official ticket operator Tiketpro.
Tickets went on sale in Russia on December 15, through the official ticket agent Ponominalu.
Around 381,000 tickets were made available initially, but this could be increased to 535,000 depending on demand.
The cheapest ticket will be priced at BYN5 (£1.77/$2.32/€2.03) for a number of sports, while the most expensive costs BYN50 (£18/$23/€20)
Tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies are also available, with the additional promise that spectators at these events will become participants in an addition element that will not be shown on television.
The cheapest option for the Opening Ceremony is priced at BYN150 (£53/$70/€61).
The Closing Ceremony is slightly less expensive at BYN70 (£25/$32/€28).
Tickets went on sale in Ticketpro offices on December 19.
Offline sales begun at Ticketpro’s central office at the Prospekt Masherova building in Minsk.
The first buyer of a paper ticket was Minsk 2019 mascot Lesik, the baby fox.
"One of the main things in the preparations of the ticket program of the second European Games is protection against forgery," Maksim Koshkalda, head of the marketing and advertising department at the Minsk European Games Organising Committee, said.
"Every ticket, both electronic and paper, will be protected by a unique barcode.
"Additional security elements will be used in the manufacture of paper versions - 3D-hologram, the application of special UV-ink and others."
Despite having a "dreary" reputation, Minsk is widely considered as being a progressive, modern and clean city.
Once completely re-modelled to the tastes of former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, it is now home to fashionable cafes, magnificent restaurants and crowded nightclubs, as well as sushi bars and art galleries.
It was re-built from the ruins after the Great Patriotic War - a term used in Russia and other former republics of the Soviet Union to describe the conflict fought during the period from June 22, 1941 to May 9, 1945 - but this did not weaken its power and influence.
Among the main sights in Minsk is the Holy Spirit Cathedral, which was built in 1642 and is the central cathedral of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
Its architecture is an example of the Baroque, a highly ornate and often extravagant style.
The Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary also attract plenty of interest.
On the west side of Freedom Square, there is the church in the style of Vilnius Baroque that is adorned with two towers.
It is the former main building of the Jesuit College that is now the Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary.
Its construction began in 1700.
A decade later, the cathedral was already consecrated, and by 1749 the grounds of the Jesuit College had fully taken shape.
In the years that passed, it has seen a great deal, including the re-design of the second half of the 19th century when the belfry was turned into a fire tower, and the reconstruction of the mid-20th century when the cathedral was rebuilt as a sports society and a dwelling house was constructed on the site of the former Jesuit College.
In 1993, the building was given back to the Roman Catholics and now holds religious services.
The main street of Minsk is Independence Avenue, where visitors can enjoy "all the splendour and pompousness of the Soviet monumental classicism or the Stalinist Empire style".
This is a single ensemble of residential and administrative buildings of ideal proportions and numerous decorative components, which became the face of Minsk restored after the war.
Independence Avenue runs from the southwest to the northeast and includes Independence Square, October Square, Victory Square, Yakub Kolas Square and Kalinin Square.
Every 2 to 2.5 kilometres, it runs into a square with each being smaller than the previous one.
Independence Square is one of the main administrative hubs of Belarus.
It is there that Government House, home to the Council of Ministers and the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, can be found.
Construction of Government House started in the 1930s and it was the first building to emerge in the future Independence Square.
Previously called Lenin Square, Independence Square still has a monument dedicated to Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in front of Government House.
It was given its new name in 1991, following the acquisition of sovereignty by Belarus.
To the right of Government House, there are the surviving buildings of the early 20th century, including the Church of Saints Simon and Helena.
Visitors to Minsk are also likely to find pleasure in checking out the National Library of Belarus and Troitskoye Predmestie, which translates as Trinity Suburb and is an old picturesque part of the city with neatly coloured 19th-century houses located on the bank of the Svisloch River.
In the vicinity of Trinity Suburb, there is a monument erected on what is known as the Island of Tears.
An icon on a foundation stone located next to a bridge marks the birth of the monument.
It belongs to the chapel where the names of all Belarusian soldiers who died in Afghanistan are carved on the walls.
Belarus’ official name is the Republic of Belarus and has a total area of 207,600 kilometres squared.
The country’s two official languages are Belarusian and Russian and the official currency is Belarusian Rouble (BYN).
Belarus has a population of 9.5 million people with 78 per cent of those living in cities.
Minsk has a population of 1.98 million people, while Gomel has 536,000, Mogilev has 381,000, Vitebsk has 378,000, Grodno has 371,000 and Brest has 348,000.
According to the 2009 Census, people of 140 nationalities live in Belarus.
Belarusians make up 83.7 per cent of the ethnic structure of Belarus with Russians accounting for 8.3 per cent, Polish for 3.1 per cent and Ukrainians for 1.7 per cent.
Other nationalities account for the remaining 3.2 per cent.
Belarus is a land of pristine nature with natural habitats and ecosystems occupying 55 per cent of the Belarusian territory.
There are more then 20,000 rivers and 10,000 lakes in Belarus.
Forty-two per cent of the country’s territory is covered by forest, while six per cent of the land is swamps and water bodies – Belarusian bog complexes are called the “lungs of Europe” - and 8.7 per cent is occupied by national parks and reserves.
Bison, the heaviest and largest terrestrial mammal in Europe, lives in Belarus.
Economy
Interesting facts
The largest dump truck in the world is produced in Belarus with a capacity of 450 tonnes.
State-owned fertiliser group Belaruskali accounts for 16 per cent of the world’s production of potash, an alkaline potassium compound.
Every 10th wheel tractor in the world is a Belarus tractor
Belarus is among the world’s 15 leading exporters of dairy products
Belarus ranks third in the world in terms of gross flax fibre collection
Online game World of Tanks was developed by Game Stream, which is located in Minsk and is one of the main development centres of Belarusian company Wargaming
Minsk National Airport has a lot of facilities including banks, restaurants and shops.
The national airline of Belarus is Belavia.
It operates daily flights to many destinations in Europe and around the world, including Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Astana, Barcelona, Berlin, Kiev, London, Moscow, Paris, Riga, Rome, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Warsaw etc.
Among the major airlines that fly to Minsk are Russia's Aeroflot, Germany's Lufthansa, Аustrian Airlines, Polish Airlines, Latvia's airBaltic, the United Arab Emirates' Etihad Airways and, since May 2015, Air China.
Visitors to the Minsk 2019 European Games can enjoy a visa-free period from June 10 till July 10 with their ticket.
This applies through any border checkpoint of Belarus.
Citizens of 98 countries can stay in Belarus without a visa during the indicated period, including arriving and departure days.
A visa-free traveller is required to have:
A ticket for a sport event or the Opening or Closing Ceremony
A valid passport
Medical insurance, which can be purchased on site, valid for the period of the visit
At least BYN50 (£18/$23/€20) per day of stay
The visa system will be similar to the one used in Belarus during the 2014 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.
A significant number of overseas sports fans are expected to attend Minsk 2019 via Russia.
Belarus and Russia recently signed an intergovernmental agreement under which the latter will provide visa-free travel in its territory for foreign nationals arriving for the European Games.
The two countries took into account the experience of cooperation gained during the FIFA World Cup in Russia as they prepared the agreement on mutual visa recognition.
Minsk 2019 is expecting to attract 70,000 tourists to Belarus for the second European Games.
Visitors to the Minsk 2019 European Games can enjoy a visa-free period from June 10 till July 10 with their ticket.
This applies through any border checkpoint of Belarus and it is hoped it will encourage greater tourism in the country.
Citizens of 98 countries can stay in Belarus without a visa during the indicated period, including arriving and departure days.
"Thanks to the European Games, we have a unique chance to show Belarus, tell its interesting history to the whole Europe," Minsk 2019 chief executive Anatoly Kotov said in December 2018.
"At least 50 European countries will follow the event.
"We plan to broadcast the Games in 160 countries.
"This will help attract tourists to Belarus for many years to come.
"As a rule, following any mass events, the number of foreigners eager to see the country increases significantly."
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has compared the European Games to the "positive impact" the 2018 FIFA World Cup has had on Russia and believes the country will also benefit from being a host.
Vladislav Shchepov, chairperson of the House of Representatives' Standing Commission on Economic Policy, has also said the Games would have a positive impact on the tourism sector.
His view was backed by Valery Borodenya, a member of the House of Representatives’ Standing Commission on Budget and Finance, who claimed the event would have a similar impact to the 2014 Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships, which had a positive impact on visitors to the country.
Tourist Guide
Centrekurort
Centrekurort, the largest state operator in Belarus’ tourism market, is offering travel packages, sightseeing tours and accommodation and transfer services for people visiting Minsk for the 2019 European Games.
Both individual tourists and organised groups of fans can use its services, which includes the online portal VETLIVA.
Centrekurort is keen to point out that there is more to Belarus than just the European Games, describing the country as having its own unique and inimitable flavour.
VS Global Travel Company
VS Global Travel Company, whose website can be viewed here, is also offering a wide choice of tour and dates to meet the preferences of those looking to go on vacation in Belarus.
Belarus’ wealth of attractions and architecture can be enjoyed on numerous guided tours offered by private guides and tour operators.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.
The LTA’s vision is “Tennis Opened Up” and its mission is to make tennis Relevant, Accessible, Welcoming and Enjoyable. The aim of the LTA Competitions Team is to help support the growth of junior and adult competitions in order to increase the number of players competing. This role will focus on the day-to-day management, running and development of recreational competitions including but not limited to LTA Local Tennis League, Quorn Family Tennis Cup and LTA Team Challenge, with a key focus on the delivery of LTA Local Tennis Leagues.
As sports innovations go, the Albano system, used in rowing and canoeing, has proved remarkably enduring. David Owen tells the story behind its introduction at the Rome Olympics 60 years ago.
