ue ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁done . ▁The ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁whole ▁collection ▁was ▁trag ically ▁unf avor able ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Patri otic ▁War . ▁In ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁it ▁would ▁disappear ▁without ▁even ▁leaving ▁a ▁trace . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁War ▁merely ▁a ▁small ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁art ▁was ▁returned , ▁mainly ▁those ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁at ▁the ▁exhib itions ▁in ▁Russia ▁before ▁the ▁War . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁post war ▁dev ast ation , ▁when ▁Min sk ▁lay ▁in ▁ru ins , ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Bel arus ▁allocated ▁considerable ▁sums ▁of ▁money ▁for ▁purch asing ▁works ▁of ▁art ▁for ▁the ▁Gallery . ▁It ▁was ▁already ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁when ▁the ▁can v ases ▁by ▁Bor is ▁K ust od iev , ▁Vas ily ▁Polen ov , ▁Karl ▁B ri ul lov ▁and ▁Isa ak ▁Lev itan ▁were ▁obtained . ▁ ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁Art ▁Gallery ▁with ▁the ▁ten ▁sp a cious ▁h alls , ▁occup ying ▁two ▁flo ors ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁gallery , ▁was ▁finished ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁In ▁those ▁years ▁the ▁Museum ’ s ▁collection ▁had ▁already ▁reached ▁the ▁pre - war ▁level ▁and ▁included ▁about ▁three ▁thousand ▁works ▁of ▁Russian , ▁Soviet ▁and ▁Bel arus ian ▁art . ▁ ▁The ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁was ▁a ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁Museum ’ s ▁exhibition