Every second Sunday in August, those who literally create the appearance of our cities celebrate their professional holiday. In 2026, Builder's Day falls on August 9th. For the Belarusian National Technical University, this date is an occasion to take stock of the work of a huge mechanism that annually brings hundreds of talented engineers, architects and designers to life.
"Dear students, teachers, employees and veterans of the Belarusian National Technical University!
I sincerely congratulate you on your professional holiday – Builder's Day.
The profession of a builder has always been and remains one of the most noble, creative and respected in society. Your work is the foundation of a comfortable life for people and the foundation of a strong economy. Everything that surrounds us, from cozy residential neighborhoods to complex industrial facilities, bridges and roads, is created by the mind, talent and hands of engineers and builders.
BNTU is proud to be the main forge of personnel for the construction industry throughout its history. Our graduates design and build iconic facilities across the country and beyond, implement cutting-edge technologies and remain faithful to the traditions of the profession. Great credit for this belongs to the teachers, who impart to students not only fundamental knowledge, but also love for their work.
I wish you good health, inexhaustible energy, reliable projects and new professional heights. May all your plans come to life successfully, and peace, warmth and prosperity reign in your homes!
Rector of BNTU
S. Kharitonchik"
History and traditions of the holiday
Builder's Day has a rich history dating back to the mid-1950s. At that time, the country was actively recovering and was in dire need of large-scale construction of housing, factories and power plants. It is believed that Nikita Khrushchev's visit to the construction of the Zhiguli hydroelectric power station served as the impetus for the creation of the holiday. Impressed by the scale, pace of work and dedication of the people, the management decided to record the achievements of the builders at the state level. In the autumn of 1955, a corresponding decree was issued, and on August 12, 1956, the holiday was celebrated for the first time. By the way, the large-scale opening of the famous Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow was timed to coincide with the first Day of the builder. Since then, this date has been celebrated in Belarus and a number of other countries to this day.
Over the decades of its existence, Builder's Day has acquired many interesting traditions. Perhaps the most important of them is "labor gifts", when new iconic objects are timed to coincide with the holiday weekend: metro stations, residential complexes, hospitals and roads.
For example, in Belarus, on August 7, 2025, on the eve of the holiday, a new rock processing site was launched at the Granit Mining and Processing plant in Mikashevichi, which allowed the production of smaller fractions of crushed stone. The capital's Keramin OJSC traditionally dates the completion of the modernization of workshops by the first days of August. The creators of the infrastructure are not far behind: road trusts report on the completion of major stages of asphalting, as was the case with new four-lane streets and bike paths in Soligorsk, and Trust No. 15 Spetsstroy OJSC is handing over the most complex underground collectors for residential districts under construction just in time for the holiday.
Belarusians are also actively pleased with housewarming parties: GPO "Minskstroy" traditionally transfers new facilities to the city by the beginning of August. So, in August 2021, innovative residential buildings with electric boilers were commissioned on Stolichnaya Grushevka, and new schools, kindergartens and neighborhoods in Loshitsa and the Minsk-Mir complex are replenished with ready-made buildings almost every year.
There are also informal rituals, such as the initiation of young professionals into the profession. At the construction site, newcomers are offered to eat a piece of bread with a generous portion of salt – a symbol of the very weight that they will have to share with their colleagues. Then the young builder needs to hold his hands over the fire to feel the heat of the future work, and finally, his protective helmet is gently hit with a brick, after which a professional oath is pronounced.
Builders do not forget about the ancient signs. When pouring the first cube of concrete into the foundation, customers or architects often throw coins for luck to ensure the financial stability and durability of the object. Bridge builders have retained their own, stricter custom: at the moment when the first heavy construction equipment is launched on the new bridge, engineers and project authors stand directly under the structure, proving absolute confidence in the accuracy of their calculations. Honoring industry veterans and awarding the best employees, which traditionally takes place on the eve of the holiday weekend, also remains an invariable tradition.
The builders of the Polytechnic
Modern construction is a complex and multifaceted process that requires the participation of specialists from a wide variety of profiles. At BNTU, personnel training is structured in such a way as to cover all stages of the life of any facility. The idea and visual appearance of the future building are formed at the Faculty of Architecture, whose graduates create concepts for both residential buildings and large public spaces. To make life appear in the built walls, specialists from the Faculty of Energy Construction are involved in the work – they design complex systems of heat and water supply, ventilation and hydraulic structures.
No microdistrict or factory can function without high-quality infrastructure, roads, bridges and interchanges, the development of which is undertaken by engineers of the Faculty of Transport Communications. In turn, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering provides the industry with technological support: it trains specialists who are able to design and maintain construction equipment and automated production lines for materials. The professionals of the Faculty of Instrument Engineering are responsible for strict quality control and perfect measurement accuracy at the facilities.
The historical core of the Technical University, the Faculty of Civil Engineering, unites and completes this large–scale process. It is here that engineers and managers are trained to manage processes directly on construction sites, conduct real estate expertise and develop new, modern building materials.
BNTU graduates have largely shaped the modern architectural appearance of Belarus. It is their authorship that owns the objects that today are rightfully considered the main business cards of the country. This is both the futuristic building of the National Library and the modern complex of the metropolitan railway station, designed by Viktor Kramarenko and Mikhail Vinogradov. The Polytechnic students also made a huge contribution to the creation of iconic memorials: the famous "Khatyn" was created with the participation of Leonid Levin, and the Brest Fortress-Hero complex was co–authored with Georgy Sysoev.
They have left an equally vivid mark in the history of their own university, having designed a unique infrastructure for it. The recognizable main building of the BNTU was built according to the graduation project of the veteran graduate Lubomir Ryminsky. Later, the ensemble of the university library and the famous dormitory complex with a spire on Independence Avenue were designed by Georgy Sysoev. The legendary 15th building on Borisovsky Tract, which is called the "ship", has become a striking example of modernism thanks to architects Igor Yesman and Viktor Anikin.
BNTU construction achievements
In recent years, the material and technical base of the BNTU has been developing rapidly. The construction, reconstruction and modernization of university facilities are under the supervision of Vice Rector Alexander Kazak, the man behind the construction of the Palace of the Republic and other iconic facilities.
One of the key events of 2026 will be the completion of the reconstruction of the 15th building. Students and teachers of four faculties will return to the renovated walls, where windows were replaced, the facade was insulated, new ventilation and smoke extraction systems were installed, and fire safety was upgraded.The new educational and laboratory building of the Faculty of Energy, commissioned in January 2026, as well as dormitory No. 19, which was opened in January 2025, also deserve attention.
Work is also actively underway on other facilities: as part of the reconstruction of the building at 47 Surganova Street, Building 1, an innovation and production center for the production of medical devices is being created. This is an important step in the development of the BNTU medical field, which is already providing the country with sought-after products. In addition, the modernization of many student dormitories continues. So, the dormitory No. 4 on the ave. is waiting for major repairs with modernization. Independence, 61.
Being involved in the construction industry means leaving a visible mark in the history of your country. BNTU continues to confidently hold the brand of a leading university, whose graduates prove their professionalism every day at real facilities. Happy holidays, dear creators!
