Minsk's Popular Tiles: Beauty or Beast?

Minsk's ubiquitous Belgos tiles: A design choice with a trade-off? Minsk, Belarus — A seemingly unremarkable ceramic tile is making waves, not for its groundbreaking design, but for its ubiquity in Belarusian state buildings. As one Minsk resident observes in a recent short video, the Belgos tile, with its distinctive three-dimensional pattern, is a common sight across the city. "The tile itself is nice," he states, "but it wears down quickly." This highlights a potential tension between aesthetic appeal and practical durability in public works projects. The video's popularity suggests a broader interest in the topic, prompting questions about the selection criteria for materials in public spaces and the balance between cost and longevity.