The days of Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk

Try to imagine that: Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk, Belarus.

Ever since I learned that Lee Harvey Oswald spent some years in Belarus, I was tempted to find out more about his whereabouts in the country. From a historical point of view, it seemed fascinating that an American citizen was living in the former Soviet Union amid the Cold War. Let alone the fact that this man was also a US Marine. And, of course, the man who killed John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

So, when I visited Minsk, the capital of Belarus, I thought it would be interesting to do a little research. Apart from the places he frequented, I also wanted to see his flat and, if possible, to visit it. Therefore, in this article, I will share some facts about the days of Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk with some of my photos.

Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk: The background story

Oswald was born in October of 1939 and, as a teenager, was interested in Marxism. Rumour has it that he was a subscriber of the Pravda and was in direct contact with Trotskyists. “I am a Marxist, but not a communist,” he often stated.

In the last months of 1959, Oswald arrived in Moscow. He claimed to have exclusive details about an American spy plane, and soon he applied for Russian Citizenship. The local authorities didn’t take him seriously, and the KGB was totally unimpressed. Soon, his tourist visa was about to expire, which meant that Oswald should return to the States.

However, a few days before the expiration of his visa, Oswald decided to take action. He broke on purpose one of his wrists. The Russians were alarmed: this could bring international attention, bad publicity, and a potential diplomatic incident. Hence, they decided to extend his visa.

The authorities were, of course, skeptical. What was this American man really doing in the USSR? Was he a spy? After extending his visa, they decided to monitor him closely. And for this reason, they sent him to Minsk to work.

The days of Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk

The arrival of Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk took place in the first months of 1960. Back then, Minsk was a sleepy city and a place that none cared to visit. Only a few foreigners lived there, and Oswald was the only American. The authorities, of course, wanted to keep an eye on his whereabouts, and they supplied him with a furnished apartment. The flat was in one of the most prestigious areas of Minsk, the Vulica Kamunistyčnaja. The direct translation is Communist Street.

Oswald was given a job at Horizon Electronics Factory, producing TVs and radios. According to the sources, Oswald was living a quiet life in Minsk. He worked, spent time at home, and visited a few friends. On the other hand, the KGB never stopped to suspect him as a spy, and his apartment was bugged. They have even made a tiny hole in the wall in order to observe him closely.

In March 1961, he met his future wife, Marina Oswald Porter (born Marina Prusakova), and they married six weeks later. Prusakova was born in Severodvinsk in 1941, and she stayed there until she was 16. In 1957 she moved to Minsk to stay with her uncle, a Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs colonel, and she met Oswald at a dance.

But as time went by, Oswald started feeling stuck in Minsk. The Soviet paradise that he imagined was not there. He wrote the following lines in his diary: “The work is drab, the money I get has nowhere to be spent. No nightclubs or bowling alleys, no places of recreation except the trade union dances. I have had enough.”

The return to the USA

In 1962 Lee Harvey Oswald requested a permit of repatriation from the authorities of the Soviet Union. It was, of course, supplied to him without any questions. Both Oswald and Prusakova returned to Texas, together with their one-year-old daughter.

On November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald left home, heading towards the Texas School Book Depository, now known as the Dallas County Administration Building, where he has been working. Around 12:30 p.m., Oswald shot President John Fitzgerald Kennedy from that building.

The Dallas Police Department arrested Oswald an hour later. He was charged under Texas state law with the murder of President Kennedy and that of the policeman J. D. Tippit, who had been shot a short time after the assassination. At 11:21 a.m. Sunday, November 24, 1963, as live television cameras covered his transfer to the Dallas County Jail, Oswald was shot and killed in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters by a nightclub operator, Jack Ruby.

Marina Oswald Porter still lives in the United States. She believes that Lee Harvey Oswald is innocent.

An area inspection: Oswald’s apartment in Minsk

Communist Street is indeed a beautiful street. Oswald’s apartment is in No. 4 of the street, and there are plenty of residential buildings around it. The location is truly prime: a quiet street overlooking the Janki Kupaly Park. Moving forward to the left, you can see the most beautiful park in the city, Gorky Park.

Oswald’s apartment is still in place, but there is no signage commemorating his days in Minsk. The apartment is rented. Unfortunately, you cannon visit his flat.

The day I stood in front of the building, I saw a couple of local guides offering tours to visitors. The attendance was obviously low, but there seemed to be some interest, at least. I didn’t join any tours, and I kept circling the building, trying to find somebody to talk to. A few people walked in and out of the apartment block, but none cared to speak. They were either fed up with visitors or didn’t speak any English at all.

I then took a long walk in the park in front of the building. The river Svislach was tranquil. Several benches in the park were occupied by locals having lunch in silence. Despite being in the very middle of the city, I failed to hear any traffic. I tried to imagine Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk, walking around this park after work.

I remembered Don Delillo’s book “Libra,” a thriller about JFK’s assassination involving Cuba and intelligence services. Then I recalled Norman Mailer’s “Oswald Tale’s,” where one can also read about how much he argued with his wife.

Everything is blurry

There is a lot of confusion and disagreement about JFK’s assassination. Some say that Oswald acted alone, while others claim that he was just a pawn in a big conspiracy. The truth is, of course, hard to figure out, and sometimes the historical events don’t offer clear answers, just different perspectives.

After exiting the park, I walked towards the famous Victory Square, which is close to the flat of Lee Harvey Oswald in Minsk. It was a hazy autumn day. Oswald should have seen several days like this while he was in town. A young couple walked in front of me. They talked in English, but the girl had a strong accent; she was probably a local. They were in their early twenties, around the same age that Lee and Marina were back then. I followed them for about fifty meters. The guy seemed bothered, he spoke in a low voice, and the girl mainly listened to him.

At Victory Square, I let them go. I wondered if this young guy could ever become an assassin. Then, I stared at the light fog over the Square. There are a million reasons to build a Victory Square in every city on Earth. But back then, it seemed to me that this one was dedicated to another kind of victory, one that we never celebrate that much. The victory of remaining sane when your dream of finding some sort of paradise falls apart.

[ Sources: BBC, Boston Globe, and Wikipedia. ]

More about Minsk: A rocket man in Minsk & Things to do in Minsk

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Last Updated on December 8, 2021 by George Pavlopoulos