Independence Square is one of the loveliest squares in the capital, and is tied to the name of the talented Leningrad architect Iosif Langbard. Langbard was from a Jewish family that lived in Bielsk, a quiet town in Grodno Gubernia. He had a talent for drawing and after graduating from grammar school, studied architecture.In 1929, Langbard commenced designs for the development of the center of Minsk - his Government House won an all-Union competition. It was the largest building in pre-war Minsk, even now it is striking in its grandeur. Motivated by success, Langbard contemplated the refurbishment of the entire Belarusian capital. His concept envisaged the preservation of pre-revolutionary architectural monuments, but promoted the "creation of a new city based on Belarusian architectural traditions".The construction of the Government House took from 1930 to 1935, influencing not only Independence Square, but Minsk as a whole. In 1934, Langbard designed the square in front of the Government House (called Lenin Square until 1991). The square was intended to become a social center, ushering in new architecture. And so it happened. It was redesigned on numerous occasions, evolving with the city. Until the end of the 1950s, the square featured a public garden and small stone buildings. In 1963-1964, the old buildings, including those near the Minsk Hotel, were demolished to enlarge the square. Today, Independence Square is a unified complex of commercial, entertainment, and historical-cultural buildings in an integrated layout.