Car-Free Day in Minsk

One of the busiest streets of the Belarusian capital transforming into a pedestrian street, an eco-festival and a rock concert right on the roadway, an evening bike race along the main avenue of Minsk and, of course, the support of all those who gave up their cars for a day to try the alternatives, such as cycling and walking... On the 2016 World Car-Free Day, the Belarusian capital joined the international green marathon which is celebrated in 2,000 cities and towns in 40 countries.

The Car-Free Day was the final event of the large-scale campaign European Mobility Week. This year, Minsk joined the campaign officially for the first time. Mayor Andrei Shorets signed the European Mobility Week Charter on 9 September. It is worth noting that only three Belarusian cities participated in the European Mobility Week in 2015. This year partaking in the campaign were 17 cities and towns. In different parts of Belarus, people voiced their support for the environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Polotsk, for instance, organized a city-wide picnic and opened its first bike lane, while Grodno measured the noise levels and tested the quality of air in Kirova Street, in the historic center of the city.

On 21 September, Naliboki Forest hosted an international cycling race Bike 4 SDGs to support Sustainable Development Goals initiated by the United Nations Development Program. The race gathered over 500 participants from 35 countries: people with disabilities, athletes, healthy lifestyle enthusiasts, representatives of international, state and public associations and businessmen. The program of the sports event included races of different distances, canoeing trips down the Isloch River, walking tours of the Naliboki Nature Reserve, educational games for children and other themed activities, an evening concert and fireworks celebrating the Sustainable Development Goals.

The European Mobility Week culminated in Belarus with the Car-Free Day. Thousands of people across Belarus chose to leave their cars at home and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk instead.

Check out the best photos from the celebrations in Minsk and other cities of Belarus in our photo story...

Photo: Oksana Manchuk