Tsentr Legendarny Dom Pod Shpilem | Ogromnaya Tryoshka Apartments

For a quiet walk, head from Victory Square past the RSDLP Museum and along Kommunisticheskaya Street. Much of it still looks as it did after the postwar rebuilding, and its name has stayed the same for about 50 years, which is unusual in Minsk. At the corner of Kommunisticheskaya and Krasnaya Streets is No. 14, one of the first postwar high-rises, built in 1956. Even alone, you can stroll peacefully along this pleasant, respectable street. The "Under the Spire" coffee shop is tiny and homey, like someone's apartment kitchen. The mushroom pie for 2.50 is clearly homemade, and I can't imagine baking one that good. The pie is excellent. Just be aware there's nowhere to sit.

A landmark of the capital, the "House under the Spire" is listed among Belarus's historical and cultural treasures. It was completed in 1956, after construction began in the postwar years, and stands nearly 43 meters from ground level to the laurel-decorated star. Vladimir Isachenko designed the tower. Its high-strength steel spire was made in Moscow, and the top bears a five-pointed Soviet-era star with laurel. For a time, the tower also served as a so-called "tower reconnaissance post" and had air defense sirens installed.

At 14 Kommunisticheskaya Street, where Krasnaya and Kommunisticheskaya Streets meet, stands the "House Under the Spire." Its tower and spire rise above the building, topped by a five-pointed star. The building is recognized as one of Belarus's historical and cultural treasures.

The shop has changed owners again. Time will tell if that turns out well or badly, but I hope they keep the familiar name and recognition, maybe something like Proviant House with a Spire :)