National academic theatre of Yanka Kupala was built by the architect Karl Kozlowski in 1890. Its original name was the Minsk provincial theater. In the theater were made by touring companies from other cities and countries. At this stage Vsevolod Meyerhold in 1908 put "puppet show" Block. There were Komissarzhevskaya, Davydov, Varlamov, Savina.

After the Revolution, September 14, 1920, the theatre was re-inaugurated as the Belarusian state theatre. Immediately in the repertoire has been pronounced a national theme. In the first season were staged performances of "Ruined nest" Yanka Kupala "Kupalle" M. Carota, "Pavlinka" Yanka Kupala. Under the leadership of F. Zhdanovich were organized ethnographic expedition for the collection of Belarusian folk art.

During the great Patriotic war, the theatre was not only in the rear, but went to the front, in hospitals.

In 1944, the theatre was awarded the title of Yanka Kupala. In 1948, for the play "Konstantin Zaslonov" A. Mouzon theatre received the state prize of the USSR.

In 1956 the building was renovated under the supervision of architect A. Dukhan. The building was considerably enlarged, the auditorium was comfortable, but it has completely lost its original architectural appearance.

In the 1960s during the Khrushchev thaw, the theatre, the Yanka Kupala national steel and all-Union event. Joined the theater Directors innovators Boris Lutsenko and Valery Raevsky, as well as the younger generation of actors, whose art combined a high classical craftsmanship and contemporary theatrical trends. Plays: Lavonia in orbit" A. macenka, a Crank N. Hikmet, "people in the swamp" by I. Melia became a sensation.

Currently the Yanka Kupala theatre – bright personality with their classical traditions and contemporary theatrical experiments. This is a favorite theater not only of Minsk, but viewers all over the world. Recently the theatre of Yanka Kupala "the Abduction of Europe, or Theatre Urszula Radziwill" created a furor in London.