Chandeliers, stained glass and oak parquet: how the Palace of Civil Rites was transformed

Recently, the Palace of Civil Rites was opened in Minsk after renovation. What has changed, the correspondent of the Agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

- We understood that the building needed a transformation, as the newlyweds want to come to a beautiful place, hold a photo shoot, said the head of the Palace of Civil Rites of the Main Department of Justice of the Minsk City Executive Committee Natalia Kalinina. During the construction and installation works, specialists fully preserved the historical appearance of the palace and restored the authentic Soviet interior, including three monumental chandeliers, carved wooden doors, oak parquet, as well as unique mosaic stained glass windows. Also updated furniture in modern style, removed carpets and changed the color scheme.

Classics and modernity

The building in which the institution is located today was built according to the project of Roman Gegart in 1957. This is a monumental “Stalinka” in the style of neoclassicism. The facade is decorated with stucco, decorative vases, laurel wreaths and balconies with semi-columns.

- The first recording of the act of marriage was made in our walls on December 22, 1965, Kalinin said. At that time, it was the only place in Minsk where marriages with foreign citizens were registered.

The Palace of Civil Rites received its modern name relatively recently - in 2018. Births of children are also registered here. In a solemn atmosphere, you can hold a naming ceremony: gather with loved ones and guests, dress the baby beautifully, assign him a name, register and receive a birth certificate. It is also possible to celebrate anniversaries of life together.

According to N. Kalinina, one of the couples who celebrated such an anniversary in the palace thanked the management for maintaining the authenticity of the building - stained glass windows, chandeliers, doors. Many are already booking dates for next year.

The Palace of Civil Rites keeps not only the history of the city, but also the memories of families, their friends and relatives.

- During the repair, the palace did not stop its work, but moved to the shore of the Komsomol Lake - to the Avenue of the Winners. Despite the change of location, its demand has not decreased, the interlocutor added.

Since the return of the Palace of Civil Rites to its former place (September 10, 2026), more than 120 couples have married here. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 marriages have been registered. About 100 couples have legalized their relationship, where one of the newlyweds is a foreign citizen.

Now here register not only marriage, but also the birth of children.

The most active period for marriage registration is from June to September. Especially popular are the so-called mirror dates.

Unity of souls

- The Palace of Civil Rites always meets the newlyweds, especially if they offer their own scenarios for the ceremonies. A couple - a new family - can light their candle from two large parents, become on a towel. Some brides prefer the father to bring them to the registration room. Many newlyweds come before relatives, so that the invited guests will see them at the moment of the ceremony, says N. Kalinina.

For reference

According to the National Statistical Committee, Belarusian women marry for the first time at an average of 26.7 years, men at 29 years.

60.9% of participants of the comprehensive republican sociological survey conducted in July-August 2026 by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences called family one of the main priorities in life.

Photo by Sergei Pozha and Belt