I expected Minsk to be a much older city than it was. I was amazed when we arrived to see that it was substantially a new city rebuilt after the devastation of the bombing in the Second World War when as much as 85% of the city's buildings and the entire infrastructure were destroyed. The city was rebuilt to be the centre of Europe, with sidewalks as wide as four car lanes and immense squares only the Soviets could create. As a result, the city feels deserted. Sadly Minsk never lived up to the expectations.