Nyamiha

File:Niamiha flood 2004.jpg

flood on July 25, 2004

Niamiha (Belarusian: Няміга Russian: Немига) is a river in Minsk. Today it is contained within a fabricated culvert.

The first mention of the river in historical chronicles is connected with a disastrous battle, which took place here in 1067, when the forces of the prince of Kyivan Rus' defeated the forces of Polatsk princedom. The mediaeval epic The Lay of Ihor's Campaign refers to the "bloody river banks of Niamiha."

For a long time it was the second largest river flowing through Minsk, until it was adapted for its urban location by containment within a network of pipes. One part of the river was put into a pipe in 1926, and the rest in 1955. Today the river is a minor feature of the city environment, and the name Niamiha more commonly refers to a nearby street.

Entrance to "Niamiha" metro station, 2005

Niamiha (or Nemiga) Street is part of a shopping district famous for its amber craftwork. The Niamiha metro station on the street of the same name was the site a recent tragedy. On May 30, 1999, a sudden thunderstorm caused a number of young people to race for shelter during an open-air concert nearby. The stampede was funneled toward the underpass of the metro station, and many people were killed in the crush when they started slipping on the wet pavement, falling, and trampling each other. The official death toll was 53, but it is rumored that over 100 were killed.

Another incident on Niamiha Street occurred on July 25, 2004, when a two-hour downpour in Minsk caused the storm sewers to overflow. Niamiha Street and environs were flooded.