Minsk City Hall is a symbol of the city government. It appeared in the city in connection with the acquisition of Magdeburg Law in Minsk including the 15 largest cities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first mention of a stone building of the Minsk City Hall belongs to 1583. Later it was rebuilt many times and changed its appearance. In the XIX century it was the court, the police guardhouse, archive, and City Theatre. In 1857 Hall was destroyed by order of Emperor Nicholas I.
On the reconstruction of the Minsk City Hall first began in 1980. For a long time various archaeological research were carried out, d many historical documents, graphic and pictorial images were analyzed. Approximately 15 years were needed for experts to prepare a draft restoration work. The project was very complex in execution, but all the same Town Hall was restored to its historic location. Its appearance is the same as at the beginning of the XIX century. Even the thickness of the walls, as before, is half-meter. Reconstructed and adjacent to Town Hall Square, now looks almost like it was 100 years ago. The restored Minsk city hall was inaugurated on November 4, 2004.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.