As they were abandoning the city the German invaders blew up the pride of the Byelorussians the Minsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. The Germans packed off to Germany all the theatre's rich equipment decorations, costumes, musical instruments, library and furniture. They even ripped the upholstery out of its seats, to say nothing of its curtain. They turned the theatre into a deportation point for the Soviet civilians they condemned to death camps. Photo show shows, the Minsk Opera and Ballet Theatre on the day the Byelorussian capital was liberated from the German invaders. Supplied By: SCRSS - Society for Co-operation in Russian & Soviet Studies