Brest, Belarus, Sovietskaya Street

It is about 1.7 km long, running north-south. between Ordzonikidze Street and the river, crossing Mitskevich Street, Pushkin Street, Mayakovsky Street, Gogol Street, Budyonny Street,Dzerzhynsky Street and Masherov Avenue

The previous names:

Russian period

the southern half was Millionnaya (Million) Street, the northern half was Politseyskaya (Police) Street

(left) the part of the street that was called Politseyskaya before WW1,
(right) the part of the street that was called Millionnaya before WW1.

Polish period

ulica Dąbrowskiego (Dabrowski Street)

Soviet period

Sovietskaya Street

The street was laid out in the mid-19th century. In the 1970s, it was closed to car traffic and transformed into a pedestrian shopping area, much like those found in many European cities. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Mall of Brest' in English, akin to the one in London.

Sovietskaya Street is truly the heart of the city, the main tourist attraction. It is a tree-lined pedestrian promenade that runs through the heart of the downtown shopping district.

With its restaurants, outdoor cafes, and bars, the mall is a delightful place to sit and people-watch..

The pavement is made of red and gray flagstones. The street underwent a considerable reconstruction in 2007-2019. That was a part of the city's preparations for the coming millennium of Brest. That's why, some pictures are titled like before the Millennium reconstruction and after the Millennium reconstruction.

The view of the street before the Millennium reconstruction.
Click to see more pictures, taken before the Millennium reconstruction.

Main attraction

Millennium Monument of Brest

Brest Millennium Monument was opened on July 25, 2009. That is the main landmark at the intersection of Sovietskaya Street and Gogol Street

High reliefs on the monument depict significant events in the town's history.

There is an old legend about a tiny settlement that eventually grew into the city we know today.

The construction of the first wooden fortress of Berestye (Brest)

The warriors of Brest at the pivotal battlefield of Grunwald or the First Battle of Tannenberg, (in Lithuanian) Žalgiris

The victory of the united troops of Lithuania and Poland. The regiment of Brest was among them

That was Brest, where the first book (Brest Bible) was printed in the country.

The picture was taken during a reenactment on the Day of the City.

In 2008, the old trees by the monument were uprooted. Young trees appeared in the street in the course of the Millennium reconstruction. Among species, quite rare for Brest, you will find hereabouts golden chain (Laburnum) that is native to temperate and subtropical Eurasia. Laburnums bear yellow flowers, similar in structure to those of the pea, in late spring in Brest.

The Laburnum trees here are quite small for the time being. The trees withstood frosts in Brest. Their first flowers appeared in May 2010.

Reenactment on June 21,2012

Participants of the re-enactment of the war-outbreak in 1941 are marching along the street in June 2012.

Glimpses of the street

Let's take a walk along the street from its northern end.

A new indoor garden is located at the northeastern corner of Sovietskaya and Mitskevich Str. next to the old building of Pushkin State University. It was designed by Brest architects. The construction was completed in December 2010. That winter garden is an excellent facility for biology students. It also attracts tourists who wish to immerse themselves in a green paradise of tropical vegetation, especially during the cold months.

The Russian church of early 20th century at the corner of Mitskevich Street

The memorial by the church commemorates the Russian sailors.

Passers-by can take refuge from snow or sun under a blue, umbrella-like gazebo dotted with stars, topped with the figure of an angel scattering stars.

The hub of the street is the intersection of Sovietskaya Street and Pushkin Street.

The houses on either side of the street were originally two stories high. An additional story was added to each of them after the war.

the house at the north-western corner in winter

the view of the same house 100 years ago.

Sovetskaya street, Brest, Belarus, Monument "Old Town"

The quirky monument in the shape of tiny old houses with big cats, sitting on the roofs, is named "Old Town". It is situated near the intersection of Sovietskaya Street and Pushkin Street. It is not tall (2.8 m) and anyone can touch and stroke the lovely cats of the monument. It was designed by a teacher of a Brest high school Ruslan Usmanov. unveiled on December 31, 2008. As a matter of fact, it was erected to refurbish the old ventilation duct. It was made of silumin (a high-strength alloy of aluminum with silicon content of 12%).

The stretch of the Mall between Pushkin Street and Mayakovsky Street is devoted to the history of the city.

The redbrick house of the former Town Hall is still seen at the corner of Sovietskaya St. It was originally two storeys high. Now it is surrounded by taller buildings. To rise the height of the building, an additional story was added after the war.

At the corner of the former Town Hall

After the Millennium reconstruction a clock tower, a tiny brother of Big Ben, appeared at the Mall of Brest. Being 6m high, the tower is not as tall as its Big Brother in London, yet it shows the exact time and plays nice tunes each hour.

There are two murals on the wall of the house next to the Clock Tower. It commemorates the first printing house in Belarus in the 16th century where the first book (Brest Bible) was printed.

This mural commemorates the mint of Brest in the 17th century.

The house, former girls' gymnasium (high school), looks quite new today after the refurbishment, like many old structures around after the Millennium reconstruction.

To the left of the former school is BelTelecom building

BelTelecom building

Two gazebos with semitransparent domes appeared after the Millennium reconstruction here. A small figure of the medieval city sentry, bugling at the top of the tower, surmounts one gazebo. Bugle or trumpet calls were used in many European cities to signal the opening and closing of city gates at dawn and dusk. Such calls were also used to warn of fires and other dangers.

The bugler over the gazebo by the Clock Tower.

The guardian over the gazebo near the big mural of the 17th century.

A big panoramic mural provides the view of the Old Brest in the 17th century.

Artists finish their work (2007).

At the corner of Mayakovsky Street In 2007, a beautiful relief appeared on the wall as a tribute to the historic event when Brest was granted urban rights by a royal charter in 1390.. That made it a free city as the second in Lithuania after Vilna.

Didas Persia Shopping Center

The shopping center built by "Persia Didas" occupies the bigger part of the eastern side between Mayakovsky Street and Gogol Street.

In front of the center passers-by find some small attractions.

by trying on a Lucky Boot

or by dropping some coins into the bag of the old mint of Brest.

We pass by the Millennium Monument. There are some more pictures of the monument at the top of the page.

In the inter-war period a bank, set up by the Jewish community, was in the house on the western side. Today it houses several shops.

Even quite new structures look quite old here.

The redbrick building on the eastern side of the street once housed the first telephone exchange. The building was rebuilt in the 1990s. Today it houses a cafe. The building to the right is a bank office.

Once there was the main synagogue in the street. It was constructed in the mid-19th century after the city was relocated 2 km eastward to construct the Brest fortress.

In the 1970s, a huge glass-walled barrel of Belarus cinema hid the facade of the former synagogue.

Belarus Cinema
It is located at the northeastern corner of Budyonny Street and Sovietskaya Street.

Before the renovation

After the renovation

Belarus Cinema is equipped with Dolby Surround, 3D. That is a concert hall as well.

A view from the cinema

a pattern of the pavement

Opening ceremony of the national movie festival in 2012.

The edifice in an old style opposite the cinema was built in 2009-2010.

The big fountain by the Belarus cinema was an ideal place on a hot summer day.

Sovetskaya street, Brest, Belarus

2003

the views around the fountain by the cinema (2008)

Alas, the fountain has been dismantled in 2014 in the course of redevelopment.

The glamor of the Old Brest at the reenactment during a Day of the City in July 2014.

A new fountain appeared on the site of the old one in 2018.

The views opposite the cinema on the south-western corner of Sovietskaya Street and Budyonny Street. A night club, casino and other entertainments are under one roof.

The same place in the 1980s before the complex was built. That was an outdoor cafe in the shape of a wooden castle. It reminded of the medieval wooden castle of Brest, that was destroyed in the 19th century. Today a relief on the Millennium Monument reminds of the castle.

On the way between Budyonny Street and Dzerzhynsky Street

Summer 2009, the pavement is being replaced.
After the reconstruction.

Dzerzhynsky Street crosses the street at a sharp angle here.

Old low-rise houses at the corner of Dzerzhynsky Street look quite attractive after they were renovated in 2003 and in 2009.

Old Street Lights

The stretch between Dzerzhynsky Street and Masherov Avenue is illuminated every night with old-fashioned lanterns on the lampposts. The street lights attract tourists every evening.

That is the edict of the city mayor regarding the lanterns with kerosene lamps that are lit in the street every evening.

Each evening, the lamplighter lights the kerosene lamps in the lanterns.

This clock indicates when the lamps will be lit tonight. (Left) the old clock, (right) today's clock.

This part of the street after the reconstruction in 2009. The old-fashioned lampposts and the cobbled pavement create the atmosphere of the Old Brest-Litovsk.

an old drug store on the western side (before the renovation)

the drug store (after the renovation)

Location of the drug store at Wikimapia.org

A new structure in an old style was built in 2007 at the corner of Masherov Avenue, yet it looks as if it were built before WW1.

More in the project "Old and New Brest"