Information that skyscrapers would be built within the boundaries of Maksim Tank and Timiryazev streets (near the Korona shopping center) leaked into the information space a couple of months ago. But residents of the private-sector area that will be demolished for the new construction had known about it for a long time. In recent years, they gradually moved out, hauling away their belongings, and over the past summer they accelerated: the houses emptied in a flash. Onlíner looked at how they look now and searched for those who still haven't left their family homes.

If you look at this piece of the private sector from above, the roofs aren't even visible behind the dense green trees. It's immediately clear that a human hand hasn't touched this area for decades.

The houses stand along two roads — a small branch of Maksim Tank Street and Slavny Lane.

Around it are a busy intersection, a bridge, a railway, modern high-rise residential buildings, and industrial facilities. On one side rises the Parus residential complex, on another — Kaskad, Chaikovsky, Stolichny, and on the third — houses built in past decades.

Once this green corner was called "the last private sector within Minsk's first transport ring." True, it used to be a bit larger; some houses were demolished long ago. The remaining ones will be torn down for a certain project about which there is still little information — only rumors. Here's what the author of the Telegram channel "Litovskaya o zhilye" wrote about it:

— A premium residential complex "Heart of the Capital" will appear here. They hint at something fantastic and 50 stories tall, something like "Moscow City."

But don't expect sales to start this year, and next year — unlikely. Renders, they say, already exist. The investors are domestic business. They aren't launching advertising yet — it's too early. Such large projects aren't built in a year, so there's no point in "overheating" potential buyers.

Most of the houses are typical examples of wooden architecture: carved window frames, tiled roofs. It's hard to say exactly when they were built here. Locals say it was at the beginning of the last century.

There are also newer buildings and extensions that appeared in the 90s and later. The presence of new constructions is easy to explain: as a rule, they were added to old houses as part of reconstruction (when demolition was still far off and reconstruction was permitted).

So, what is actually happening now on the future construction site? Some houses have been dismantled to the ground, others stand with boarded-up windows, and still others have lost their fences. Why? This was explained by a young man who was doing some work on his former homestead but did not want to show his face.

— We were told that homeowners can remove windows and other valuable building materials in order to sell them in time, — says Igor. — That’s why almost all the houses are left without windows. They are quickly snapped up on resale platforms.

The young man spent his childhood here and went to school, but as soon as he got the chance, he built an apartment and moved out. He only visited his parents occasionally, and now he is helping them move. He feels no regret about the lost family nest.

Not only windows were put to use. One of the houses has almost entirely gone for “spare parts,” and you can easily see what it looks like from the inside.

We continue along the lane. Furniture, belongings, and pleasant household trifles have disappeared from the once-lived-in rooms. But some artifacts remain lying there waiting for the bulldozer: preserved jars, books, old dishes, suitcases, toys. All of this found no place in the owners’ new homes.

When access to the courtyard areas was opened, it became clear that most of them are far from small. Owning such territory in the city center is something unreal. But you can see that no one has looked after them for a long time.

Nature is taking its course: greenery quickly enveloped the vegetable gardens, paths, garage walls, and fences.

Moreover, the houses have not been empty for that long. We meet a resident of the neighboring apartment buildings who often walks through the private sector to the store. According to her, life was still here at the beginning of summer; the owners came and did something in their yards — even a car with foreign license plates was spotted. And now there is not a soul here.

The situation is clarified by our anonymous source Igor. The fact is that in January of last year, locals received long-awaited letters stating that the demolition would definitely happen. Active moves began in the summer of last year. And this past winter, when severe frosts raged, almost no one lived there anymore.

Where did the people move to? According to Igor, the developer himself realized their property rights. Two options were offered: take money or choose a suitable apartment in the capital within a certain amount. Moreover, no one spared money here. There is a rumor that in one of the houses as many as 28 people were registered — their cash payment amounted to almost a million at the exchange rate. In general, no one was left offended.

For example, Igor's neighbor, a man who also did not wish to be photographed, is building a house in Ratomka with the money he received:

• I took the money. I took it in shares, while others took it by square footage.
• Overall, are you satisfied with the compensation?
• I am. I bought myself land. I have everything there.
• Do you know what will be built here?
• Look it up on the internet. The company “Multihouse” bought us out.

By the way, companies with that name do exist on the market, but there are no high-rise developers among them. So it was not possible to confirm this information.

When the very last residents of the atmospheric private housing area move out, the territory will be fenced off. According to Igor, this will happen very soon. Demolition will begin, and it will become impossible to walk through the historic streets.

We will witness a new turn of history — instead of huts, glass high-rises will be on display.