The 'Boy with a Swan' fountain was the first city fountain to feature a water supply system powered by a pump.
In 1913, the park hosted a grand celebration for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.
The park was originally called Alexander Square, named after the chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky that once stood nearby.
During the winter, the fountain is typically boarded up to protect the bronze sculpture from frost.
The original cast-iron fence surrounding the park is a rare surviving example of late 19th-century metalwork in Minsk.
Alexandrovsky Square is the oldest public garden in Minsk, established in 1872 on the site of a former parade ground. The centerpiece of the park is the 1874 'Boy with a Swan' fountain, the oldest fountain in the city, designed by sculptor Lorenzo Bernini and cast in Italy. The park occupies a square block bordered by the Kupala Theatre to the east and administrative buildings to the west. It features a dense canopy of mature trees, including horse chestnuts, lindens, and maples that provide significant shade. The park is a protected historical and cultural landmark of Belarus. It has served as a central social hub since the late 19th century when it was enclosed by a cast-iron fence. The layout remains largely faithful to its original Victorian-era design with intersecting gravel pathways.
The path directly facing the 'Boy with a Swan' fountain provides the most symmetrical composition.
Visit during the early morning hours to see the fountain before the park becomes crowded with local pedestrians.
Combine a walk in the park with a visit to the adjacent Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre.
Check the park's perimeter for the historical plaques providing context on the site's 19th-century origins.
Do not climb on the central fountain or the historical fence surrounding the park perimeter.
Open daily year-round, though the fountain is typically only operational from late spring through early autumn.
