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Independence Palace

Minsk

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This enormous addition to Minsk's totalitarian architecture is the country's new presidential palace in all but name. Architecturally uninspiring, the glass-fronted eyesore has hundreds of rooms spread over 50,000 sq metres and is a symbol of Alexander Lukashenko's permanence in Belarusian politics.

It is now where Luka hosts visiting international leaders, as he did in 2014 when he helped broker a (short-lived) peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Completed in 2013, the palace has been compared to similar structures in Turkmenistan and North Korea. It is not open to the public.

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ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼'s must-see attractions

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