This capital of Belarus was on a great trade route, thus its Russian name, meaning "exchange"
In 
the early 21st century Russia remained a major trading partner, although... [DOC] [TLE] Belarus  Travel guide at Wikivoyage [PAR] Minsk - Belarusian capital and largest city with over 2 million inhabitants; Brest ... 
in between years of Stalinist terror, Belarus attained its independence in 1991.