Independence Palace, Minsk, Presidential residence in Minsk, Belarus

Independence Palace is a government building on Pieramožcaŭ Avenue in Minsk, next to the BelExpo exhibition centre and State Flag Square. Its symmetrical facade is almost entirely glass, divided by vertical fins and horizontal bands into a taller central block with five entrance bays and two lower wings. A circular gold emblem sits above the middle bay, and a thin flagpole rises from the flat roof. Inside are several hundred rooms across about 50,000 square metres.

The palace opened in 2013; its first official events were the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the CIS heads of state meeting on 24–25 October 2013. On 11–12 February 2015 it hosted 15-hour talks between the presidents of Ukraine, France, Russia and the German chancellor, ending with the Second Minsk Agreement. Alexander Lukashenko was inaugurated there on 6 November 2015.

The palace hosts state ceremonies, including the inauguration of Alexander Lukashenko on 6 November 2015 and the 15-hour talks of 11–12 February 2015 that produced the Second Minsk Agreement. Its ceremonial hall holds a full copy of an 18th-century Slutsk sash woven in 2013 from gilded and silk threads, weighing 500 g, and a carved levkas panel showing the orders awarded to the BSSR.

The building is located near the BelExpo exhibition center in an easily accessible area of Minsk. Visitors should be aware that the grounds are subject to security restrictions and access to certain areas is limited.

The gold emblem above the central entrance is the state coat of arms, 5.6 m across and weighing 1,200 kg. The 18 m flagpole carries the presidential standard, sewn from a 3.6 by 3 m water-repellent fabric that resists fading in the sun.