# National Library of Belarus, Minsk > The National Library of Belarus is Minsk's 73.67-metre glass “diamond” on Independence Avenue. Visitors come for the observation deck on floors 22–23: **15 BYN** for an hour up top, 10 BYN for students. It is open daily, with the ticket desk running 12:00–22:30. One hour is enough — time it for sunset, when the LED façade lights up. Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/national-library-of-belarus - City: [Minsk](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk), Belarus - YesGo score: 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Opening hours: Observation deck daily until 23:00; ticket desk 12:00–22:30 (15-minute breaks at 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00); last lift 22:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - Observation deck: 15 BYN for 60 minutes - Students and school pupils: 10 BYN - Tour with Book Museum and deck: 17 BYN before 18:00, 25.50 BYN after - Ticket desk: Daily 12:00–22:30, breaks at 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 (15 min) - Last lift: 22:30; the deck closes at 23:00 - Deck entrance: At the back of the building, not the main doors - Photos and video: Allowed - Payment: Belarusian roubles; foreign cards work unevenly — carry cash - Metro: Uschod, line 1 (Maskouskaya line), ≈ 5 min walk - Address: 116 Nezalezhnasci (Independence) Ave, Minsk - Coordinates: 53.93142, 27.64584 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **73.67 m** — building height (Wikipedia gives 73.6–73.7 m) (source: National Library of Belarus (nlb.by), “NLB today”; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **16 June 2006** — the new building officially opened (source: National Library of Belarus (nlb.by); English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Floors 22–23** — indoor deck with café, and the open rooftop deck (source: National Library of Belarus (nlb.by); English Wikipedia) - **Rhombicuboctahedron** — a 26-sided solid — hence the “diamond” nickname (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2002–2006** — construction (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Vinogradov & Kramarenko** — architects of the building (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Media Architecture Biennale) - **115,000 t** — weight of the building, not counting books (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 10 million** — items in the collection (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1922** — the library was founded (source: English Wikipedia; National Library of Belarus (nlb.by)) - **Francysk Skaryna** — bronze statue of the first Belarusian printer at the main entrance (source: National Library of Belarus (nlb.by); Minsk tourism portal (minsktourism.by)) ## Observation deck tickets and opening hours The lift to the observation deck costs **15 BYN** per person, or **10 BYN** for students and school pupils, and the ticket gives you 60 minutes at the top. The ticket desk is open **every day from 12:00 to 22:30**, the last lift goes up at 22:30 and the deck closes at 23:00. You do not need a library card. Tickets are sold at the desk at the back of the building. It closes for 15 minutes at 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00 — if you are aiming for sunset, arrive a little early rather than right on one of those breaks. **Paying:** prices are in Belarusian roubles (BYN). Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards work in Belarus, but not reliably, and American Express is unlikely to work — bring some BYN cash from an ATM in the city centre. > **The deck entrance is round the back** Don't queue at the grand main doors facing the Skaryna statue. The ticket desk and the glass lift to the deck are on the rear side of the building — walk around the “diamond” from the avenue. Allow a few extra minutes for this if you're racing the sunset. ## Is the National Library of Belarus worth visiting? Yes — it is the best way to see Minsk from above, and the building itself is one of the most unusual in the former Soviet Union. Budget about an hour. If you only care about the old town and churches, you can skip it; but for a first evening in Minsk, a sunset on the roof followed by the light show is hard to beat. It is about 12 minutes by metro from the centre, so it fits easily into an afternoon or evening. Daytime visits are fine for the views; the building looks its best after dark. ## How to get to the National Library of Belarus 1. From the Town Hall in the Upper Town, walk down to Kastrychnitskaya metro station — 5–10 minutes. 2. Take line 1 (the blue Maskouskaya line) towards Uruchcha. 3. Ride six stops to Uschod — roughly 12 minutes. 4. Exit towards Independence Avenue; the glass “diamond” is right there, about a 5-minute walk. 5. Walk round to the back of the building for the deck ticket desk and the lift. 6. Head back the same way and get off at Ploshcha Pieramohi (Victory Square) to continue your evening. ## The light show: when the library glows at night The whole glass skin of the building doubles as a giant screen. According to the Media Architecture Biennale, 4,646 colour-changing LED fixtures were installed around it. After sunset the façade cycles through patterns, flags and images until late evening. The best plan: go up about half an hour before sunset, watch the city change colour, then come down and look back at the building. The full silhouette is best seen from Independence Avenue near Uschod station or from the Svislach river bank behind the library. ## What to see at the library - **The rooftop deck** — Independence Avenue running towards the centre, the Svislach and miles of city. - **The indoor deck on floor 22** — glass-walled, warm and handy in rain or winter. - **The panoramic lift** with a glass wall, which makes the ride up part of the show. - **The Book Museum** — the history of Belarusian printing and rare editions from the collection; easiest to see on a guided tour. - **Four galleries** (Atrium, Labyrinth, Rakurs, Panorama) with changing exhibitions — the gallery complex costs 3 BYN. - **The Francysk Skaryna statue** — the 16th-century printer and humanist, book in hand, by the main entrance. - **The LED façade** after dark. ## Why is it shaped like a diamond? The building was designed by architects **Mikhail Vinogradov and Viktor Kramarenko**; construction started in 2002 and the new library opened on **16 June 2006**. The main volume is a rhombicuboctahedron — a solid with 26 faces — set on a curved three-storey base, which is why locals call it the Belarusian diamond. The faceted tower holds the book stacks, with about 10 million items, and the building weighs some 115,000 tonnes before a single book goes in. The library itself dates from 1922. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Arriving between 12:00 and 22:30 - [ ] Checked today's sunset time — aiming for 30 minutes before - [ ] Some Belarusian roubles in cash - [ ] Student ID for the 10 BYN ticket, if I have one - [ ] A warm layer — the rooftop is windy - [ ] Phone charged for photos ## The library vs other Minsk evening sights | | National Library | Victory Square | Upper Town & Town Hall | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 73 m deck and light show | Obelisk and eternal flame | Historic centre | | Where | Independence Ave, Uschod metro | Independence Ave, centre | Centre, by the Svislach | | Entry | Paid lift | Free | Free | | Time needed | ≈ 1 h | 20–30 min | 1–2 h | | Best time | Sunset and after dark | Evening, lit up | Day or evening | Only the library gives you the whole city from above. With one evening, start here at sunset and take the metro back to the centre. ## Minsk viewpoints compared Every Minsk spot with a view rated by YesGo. - [National Library of Belarus](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/national-library-of-belarus) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 15 BYN; students 10 BYN ## An evening along Independence Avenue Sunset on the library roof, the eternal flame on Victory Square, the Island of Tears and the Trinity Suburb by the river, and the Town Hall to finish. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [National Library of Belarus](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/national-library-of-belarus) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 15 BYN; students 10 BYN 2. [Victory Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-victory-square) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24 hours 3. [Island of Tears](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/island-of-tears) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 4. [Trinity Suburb](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/trinity-suburb) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; museums extra 5. [Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-town-hall) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 10 BYN, square free ## Good to know Reader hours and deck hours are different: the reading rooms keep their own timetable, while the deck runs daily. The official deck page gives two opening times for the deck itself — 11:00 and 12:00 — but the ticket desk opens at 12:00 either way, so plan on that. ## Tips - Go up half an hour before sunset, then watch the LED façade from the avenue. - Students and school pupils pay 10 BYN — bring your ID. - The rooftop is exposed and windy even in summer; take a jacket. - The café is on floor 22, on the same level as the indoor deck — good for a coffee with a view. - Guided tours cost more after 18:00, so book a tour by day and save the deck for the evening. - Four metro stops take you to [Victory Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-victory-square) for the rest of the evening. ## Questions ### How much does the National Library observation deck cost? 15 BYN per person, 10 BYN for students and school pupils. The ticket covers 60 minutes at the top. ### What are the observation deck opening hours? Daily. The ticket desk is open 12:00–22:30 with 15-minute breaks at 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00; the last lift is at 22:30 and the deck closes at 23:00. ### How do I get to the National Library of Belarus? Take metro line 1 to Uschod — six stops, about 12 minutes from Kastrychnitskaya in the centre — then walk about 5 minutes. The deck entrance is at the back. ### Which metro station is closest? Uschod on line 1 (Maskouskaya line). Its exits lead to both sides of Independence Avenue, right by the library. ### When is the light show at the National Library? The LED façade comes on after sunset and runs through the evening. Watch it from Independence Avenue or the river bank behind the building. ### Is the National Library of Belarus worth visiting? Yes, for the view of Minsk and the unusual architecture. One hour is enough; sunset is the best time. ### Can I pay by card? Prices are in Belarusian roubles. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards may work, but not reliably, so bring cash. ### Are there guided tours in English? The library's price list includes foreign-language group tours (180 BYN per group before 18:00). The individual tour with the Book Museum and deck is 17 BYN. ### How tall is the National Library of Belarus? 73.67 metres according to the library, with 23 floors. The open deck is on the roof. ## How we checked Prices, ticket-desk hours, breaks, floors and the entrance come from the library's official website and are marked official. The official deck page gives two deck opening times (11:00 and 12:00) while the ticket desk opens at 12:00 in both, so we show 12:00. A spring 2026 travel article quoted 10 BYN for the lift; the current official price list says 15 BYN, which we use. The library gives the height as 73.67 m, Wikipedia as 73.6–73.7 m. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. The nearest station is Uschod; the metro route and walking time are marked verifying. Card acceptance is based on unofficial travel guides. ## Sources - National Library of Belarus (nlb.by): observation deck page — hours, ticket desk breaks, floors, entrance, 30.10.2026 - National Library of Belarus (nlb.by): service price list — deck, tours, galleries, 30.10.2026 - National Library of Belarus (nlb.by): “NLB today” — height, galleries, Book Museum - English and Russian Wikipedia: National Library of Belarus; Wikidata Q971450 - English Wikipedia: Uschod (Minsk Metro) - Media Architecture Biennale Awards: National Library, 2006 — media façade - Minsk tourism portal (minsktourism.by): Monument to Francysk Skaryna - ATM Fee Saver and other travel money guides, 2026 — card acceptance in Belarus (unofficial) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.