Town hall and shopping arcades

Town hall (from нем.Rathaus Rathaus — the council house, it is borrowed through польск. ratusz) - body city or посадского management and self-management, originally merchant justice, later a municipal duma; the building name where this body sits. Originally town halls have arisen in the German trading cities, have been arranged by their partners in other countries later.

In territory of Belarus of a steel town hall появлятся with acquisition by cities of the Magdebourg right - the right of the independent city which inhabitants were released from feudal duties, from court and the power воевод and other state persons. The first in Grand duchy Lithuanian this right Brest (1390), then Grodno (1391), Slutsk (1441), Kiev, Polotsk (1498), Minsk (1499), Mogilyov (1561) has received, Mozyr (1577), Vitebsk (1597), Orsha (1620), Mstislavl (1634).

Strip shopping centre is a commercial building divided into some small shops that join one another. They are united by open gallery with an arcade or colonnade. In the Middle ages these shops formed the face of a city and were widespread. Preserved ancient strip shopping centres are historical and architectural monuments (Minsk, Nesvizch, etc.).