World Tourism Organization, Belarus ranks one of last places in Europe by number of visits by foreigners. Film crews from popular travel shows also rarely visit us, although you can find many episodes filmed in all neighboring countries on the Internet. TUT.BY looked at what foreigners talk about Belarus in video blogs and travel shows.
In 2009, the host of the cult program Top Gear, Richard Hammond, said the word “Minsk” several times on camera. This was connected with his ride on a pink motorcycle manufactured by MMVZ on the roads of Vietnam. And a year later, as part of the popular American TV show “Who Do You Think You Are?” "Friends" star Lisa Kudrow found her roots in Belarus. Recently, the National Geographic channel aired a film about the Wargaming company, and Animal Planet showed the program “”. Most other mentions of Belarus in ratings television programs in the US and Europe were related to politics, Chernobyl and Lee Harvey Oswald.
“Bad Notes” with Dmitry Krylov
The creators of Russian and Ukrainian shows About travel only recently discovered Belarus. In 2012, filming of the program “Unlucky Notes” by journalist Dmitry Krylov took place in Brest and Kamenets. Two years later, the presenter again visited the Brest Fortress and released another program on June 22.
"15 republics"
In 2014, as part of the “15 Republics” project, a film crew from the Ukrainian TV channel “1+1” came to Belarus. On YouTube video received 109 thousand views. Journalists visited Zhlobin, Mogilev, Soligorsk, Minsk, Zaslavl and Belarusian villages to study how Belarus changed after the collapse of the USSR.
The presenter was amazed that at the Mogilev railway station they were asked to hide their camera, since it was a military facility, and they were surprised by the toll roads. However, the driver of the group bought a BelToll sensor late and on the way back the transport inspectorate issued them a fine of 200 euros. In the same issue, they went to Vilnius and compared the countries.
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If popular Russian YouTube bloggers have been coming to Minsk to shoot new videos for several years, then for editors of entertainment television programs, 2016 became the year of discovery of Belarus. In the spring, the programs “Heads and Tails” were held in Minsk. Shopping”, the British presenter of the NTV channel John Warren also returned to Belarus. After filming a show about the country “Let’s Go Let’s Eat,” he and TUT.BY are of the opinion that Belarus needs to change its image.
In October, the 17th episode of the second season of the Russian show “Russo Touristo”, dedicated to Belarus, was released on the STS TV channel. In it, presenters Leonid and Ekaterina Morgunov got used to the new Belarusian money, prepared vereshchaka and toured many museums. “Minsk is a gorgeous city. You can still taste processed cheese made from cheese, potato chips and birch sap from birch trees. Minsk is one of those cities that are addictive. I want to come here again and again,” the authors concluded.
"I Travel the World" and "Mirror"
Last year, two film crews from popular Turkish TV shows came to Belarus. In the summer, the program “I Travel the World” was filmed for Kanal 7 with the well-known TV presenter Ozlem Tunca in her homeland. The show appeared in 2010 and has won several television awards in Turkey. A month later, the popular Turkish presenter Saim Orhan filmed a report about Belarus for his project “Mirror”.
“I Travel the World” was released in two episodes, one of which received more than 150 thousand views on YouTube. Ozlem Tunca came to Belarus with a small child, who often appeared in the frame in her arms and tasted Belarusian honey in Dudutki and red currants at the Komarovsky market. In two forty-minute episodes, the film crew showed the Mir and Nesvizh castles, a wedding in folk style, the construction of the Cathedral Mosque, the Mayak Minska residential complex and listened to classics at the capital's Town Hall. At the end of the episode, the presenter met with the Ambassador of Belarus to Turkey Andrei Savinykh and thanked him for organizing the filming.
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Saim Orhan was interested in slightly different Belarusian sights. In the issue of "Mirrors" he went to the "Stalin Line", where he shot from different types weapons, visited the museum of Belarusian costumes and talked with children who are studying Turkish in Minsk. The video has been viewed a little over 22 thousand times.
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“Belarus - how is it really there?”
The video, shot by Pole Michal Sikorski in September 2015, has received more than 473 thousand views. The blogger decided to get to know Belarus better, got into the car and drove through several cities. He began his journey in Grodno. Throughout the entire route, Michal praises Belarusian roads, and the first point of the journey impressed him as a clean, even sterile place, which in architecture is very similar to Polish cities.
In Novogrudok, he visited the House-Museum of Adam Mickiewicz and tried to resolve the age-old dispute about what nationality the poet belongs to. The director of the museum convinced him that Mitskevich always considered himself a Novogrudok resident.
Near Bobruisk, Michal visited the village of Velichkovo, where the estate of his ancestors, who were Polish aristocrats, was once located. After talking with local residents, he came to the conclusion that many Belarusians descended from Poles, but many Poles also descended from Belarusians. And he invited his subscribers to look for roots in Belarus.
Minsk gave the blogger the impression of a metropolis where people dress normally, there are a lot of good cars and foreign products in stores. And prices are the same or slightly higher than in Poland. In general, Belarus seemed to him a country in which he could live. Here, he said, he felt free and safe, since there are a lot of police in the city. In conclusion, he came to the conclusion that Belarusians are accustomed to living in a world of orders and prohibitions, and cited the example of prohibitory stickers on the doors of restaurants and cafes.
Michal’s visit coincided with the 2015 election campaign, therefore, reflecting on the differences election campaigns, he concluded that, based on the cultural and historical past, Belarus and Poland should be allies, and advocated the abolition of visas between the countries.
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Geography Now! Belarus"
On the YouTube channel Geography Now! the host named Paul introduces viewers to the countries of the world. Within 10 minutes, he provides basic information about states using statistics, foreign media and local assistants.
The video about Belarus begins with the phrase: “This is a country where people in Russian say: “Don’t call me Russian.” The video was released on May 15, 2015 and was viewed more than 402 thousand times.
Talking about the country, Paul pronounces the word “rushnik” and plays on the name of the city of Brest (breast - breast in English - Note TUT.BY). He dwells in more detail on tourism issues: “Border guards have the right to refuse entry to anyone they consider unworthy. If your nationality is not from Eastern Europe, it will be a little more difficult for you to get into the country. And this is one of the reasons why Belarus is one of the least visited countries in Europe. If you don't speak Russian or Belarusian, or if you don't have a Belarusian friend who can vouch for you, the trip can be quite problematic and costly, not including the visa. However, Belarusians love guests, they are just suspicious of you.”
Next, the presenter talks about the urbanization of the late 1980s associated with the Chernobyl accident, the most widespread natural resource- peat, hockey and praises Belovezhskaya Pushcha, where you can meet bison.
“The average temperature in summer is about 18 degrees, so you won’t see bikinis here. The Belarusian people are what really makes this country stand out mysterious country“, says Paul and is surprised that with 80% of people who consider themselves Belarusians, only 20% speak Belarusian.
The video was heatedly discussed by foreigners, and the most popular comment was: “Bison, hockey, a lot of forests, having a powerful ally, at the same time trying to create cultural differences so that the world doesn’t think that you are of the same culture... Belarus is European Canada?»
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"Minsk: amazing sights"
Norwegian Harald Balder visited Belarus last fall. The video about the country became the most popular on his channel and received more than 88 thousand views.
Harald arrived in Minsk by train from Gomel with a friend. Judging by the video, during the trip in a compartment with fellow travelers, they fully experienced Belarusian hospitality. The capital seemed clean and picturesque to him. After sightseeing, the Norwegian went to the Dozari club, where, according to his observations, there are more “hot girls” than in Bucharest. The next day he decided to attend an event that took place near the Sports Palace. After passing the inspection, he described his feelings: “In totalitarian Belarus, you will always be under surveillance and videotaped.”
While walking around the capital, the Norwegian concluded that the most beautifully dressed young mothers live in Minsk, and cited as an example several shots of them walking with their husbands and children around the city.
The next evening, Harald again went to the Minsk clubs, where he once again admired the friendliness of Belarusian women: “Not a single Minsk girl grinned when I approached her.” Then he and a friend ended up in the police station for drinking alcoholic beverages in the wrong place. The video was filmed without commentary; he later described his impressions of Belarus in a blog:
"We enjoyed a cold beer on the bench shopping center with several girls. Everything was fine until two uniformed thugs showed up and arrested us. Turns out it's illegal to drink in public. When at the police station my friend admitted our ignorance and stated the obvious: we didn’t know it was illegal, one of the officers replied: “Everything here is illegal!”
Apparently this incident was one of the last days imposed a negative impact on the entire duration of the Norwegian’s stay in the country. In his blog, he writes that it is impossible to maintain anonymity in Belarus: you are searched everywhere, filmed and interrogated about your intentions.
He called the Belarusian service “hellish” and cited as an example the purchase of train tickets and service in one of the Minsk cafes, after which he decided to go to dine in establishments with a self-service system: “All the Belarusians that I have met, without exception, are more or less amazing, overwhelming most waiters, shop assistants and government bureaucrats are complete idiots. They're clearly trying to piss you off, even if all you did was try to buy a train ticket. My travel companion, who speaks Russian well, encountered one such woman on railway station. After asking for three tickets and ending the sentence with the word “please,” she rolled her eyes, sighed, and looked away.”
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The most positive impressions on tourists were caused by the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and Belarusian women: “They all look like they are well off. How they can afford it is a great mystery. At average salary At $300-400 a month, girls have to spend a huge chunk of their income on this to look as good as they do. I expected Belarusian women to be cold and uncommunicative. This turned out to be 110% false. All the girls I spoke to were always smiling and wanted to chat, even the married ones.”
They say that from the outside we know better: we, Belarusians, are interested in how people of other nationalities and cultures judge us. The recent World Hockey Championship in Minsk made it possible to confirm in some places and in others refute stereotypes about Belarus and its inhabitants. And now on the Internet you can find many reviews from championship guests from different countries about your stay in Belarus. It’s very interesting to read them: what can foreigners say about our country, other than the notorious “yours is clean and beautiful”?..
“Zhytstse Palessya” decided to again visit the students of Moscow State Pedagogical University named after I.P. Shamyakin, who came to us from abroad. The guys talked about their first and subsequent impressions of the city and the university, whether the realities of Belarusian student life are difficult for them, and much more.
This year, 9 people will receive diplomas from Moscow State Pedagogical University named after I.P. Shamyakin foreign students: 8 citizens of Turkmenistan and a female citizen Russian Federation.
Student from Turkmenistan: “We don’t feel like strangers”
The Faculty of Philology, with its strong traditions and philosophy of unity and cohesion, accepted the girl as if it were family, and she is trying not to let her down. – 4th year student of the Faculty of Philology. As a future historian, she is interested in the past of the country in which she is studying, and is convinced that the main task for her compatriots who have become students Belarusian universities, there must be a strong knowledge that will help you achieve success in your homeland.
– Before I came to study at the university, I had never been to Belarus. But I heard a lot about it from my friends and acquaintances, who at that time were already studying in your country. In general, I have many friends who study in other countries, but when I was choosing where I would study myself, I decided to choose Belarus. There's a lot about her good reviews“They say that Belarusians are hospitable, tolerant people, and they generally treat foreigners with respect,” says Enesh.
We are talking in the dormitory room, which my interlocutor shares with her classmate Ogulnabat, although Enesh herself, to my surprise, calls her friend Olya: Belarusian fellow students come up with Slavic “analogs” of Eastern names, which successfully “take root” and become part of the everyday life of Turkmen students.
“I like studying in Mozyr, I don’t regret at all that I came here,” the student admits. – I like the nature here: the beauty is indescribable. My friends and I often walk in the city park “Pobeda”. I know Mozyr almost like it’s my own. hometown. And I myself am from the city of Mary, this is a regional center in Turkmenistan, much like your Gomel.
– Is it difficult to adapt to life and study in Belarus?
– At first, of course, it is very difficult for every foreigner. But difficulties in learning can be overcome if the main goal of your visit is to get good education, become a literate person. Then everything will work out.
– You speak Russian fluently. Did you know the language before coming to our country?
– Yes, I spent a lot of time teaching him. My parents always convinced me that I needed to know Russian because it would come in handy, and they turned out to be right.
– Did you manage to find out during your studies? Belarusian language? Did you like him?
- Yes, I really like it. Russian is the state language in Belarus, but any nation is obliged to develop its native language. By the way, the Belarusian accent is felt in the local Russian speech, it makes it softer. Of course, it was interesting to learn, albeit not the entire Belarusian vocabulary, but some individual words and expressions: what “kali laska”, “provytanne”, “dzyakuy”, “vinshuyu”, “da pabachennya” and some others are already known.
Together with her friends, Enesh traveled to the cities of Belarus, visiting religious places of our country on excursions.
– Brest Fortress“left us with very strong impressions,” the girl recalls. – In general, historical places are closer to me, considering that I am a historian by profession. We were in the Mir Castle, in Nesvizh - we really liked it, madly interesting story and culture.
– What opinion have you formed about modern Belarus? In what distinctive features Belarusians?
– Each nation is unique in its own way. My opinion is that it is not so important what nationality a person is, what is more important is his human qualities. But still, the Belarusians lived up to my hopes: they are hospitable, tolerant people. Tolerance towards people of other nationalities and religions is yours distinguishing feature. Many other nations could do with learning from the Belarusians, and we should also strive to be like that.
– Do you plan to work in your specialty after graduating?
- Certainly! The teaching profession is in great demand in our country. Teachers are respected and their work is paid decently. Moreover, I will teach history. I like the saying that a people who do not know their past will not be able to build a worthy future.
I start talking about finances. Is it expensive for Turkmens to live and study in Belarus? Are the prices high? Judging by the confusion of my interlocutor and her roommate, the answer is yes. But, as she explains, it is still possible. For many Turkmen students, studying in Belarus is quite affordable.
You have to visit your relatives only once a year, during summer holidays: the way home is also quite expensive, about 500 dollars. Enesh misses home very much, but says that after returning to his homeland he will always remember Belarus warmly, and if he has the opportunity to visit, he will do so with pleasure.
Student from Nigeria: “Russian is not useful in work, but knowledge of a foreign language is useful”
Our old friend Okereke Kilechi Richie (material about students from Nigeria, China and Turkey who came to study at the I.P. Shamyakin Moscow State Pedagogical University can be found in the newspaper issue dated December 17, 2013 - author's note) is already in Mozyr 7 months. He arrived in the city to study at the preparatory department of the pedagogical university. The university is actively working to expand cooperation with foreign countries, inviting students from African countries It’s been in the plans for a long time, but so far Richard is the first of them. And being the first is always not easy: when we last met, the guy didn’t know Russian at all, and he was a bit gloomy in appearance. Now he has already settled down a little, learned Russian, has become more relaxed, even cheerful. This time we are meeting without an interpreter.
– Last time you said that you felt out of place because everyone was looking at you on the street...
– Everything is fine, I got used to it a little, although I didn’t look any less (laughs).
– Do you like Belarusians?
- Yes, you have good people, Very beautiful girls. No one is offended, everything is fine. I also like studying at the university: when I first arrived, I could not understand anything, but now it has become much easier. There was also a time when I thought that after finishing the preparatory courses I would go to university in Gomel. But now I want to stay and study here more and more.
– You master the Russian language quite quickly. What helps you with this?
– I don’t even know, probably, that I mostly communicate in Russian, there is no other way out - I have to remember. The Internet is also good for studying.
- How do you spend it? free time?
– I walk around the city a lot with friends. Sometimes I walk alone; I already know the city quite well. Previously, I only went out into the city accompanied by someone, but recently I went to Gomel myself. I also do music. I play the guitar and rap well.
– What can you say about Belarusian prices?
– If you compare with our prices, it’s more expensive here. My studies cost me $2,200 a year. I mostly spend my money on food.
– What products do you buy?
– Fruits, vegetables, meat. I’m already a little used to Belarusian cuisine. I love borscht and pilaf. I like it, it's delicious.
– I wonder if you were offered to stay in Belarus, would you agree?
- Well, I want to go home. I miss…
– Will you fly home after the exams?
- No. It's expensive, almost $1000.
– And after you receive your diploma, do you plan to work in your specialty?
- Yes, in engineering. I want to enter the Faculty of Engineering and Pedagogy.
– I wonder if the Russian language can be useful to you in your homeland? Will knowledge of it play an important role in finding a job?
- No, but knowledge foreign languages- this is good in any case.
Student from Russia: “People in Belarus are more moral than here”
Vasilina Busel, who comes from the Tyumen region of the Russian Federation, has very little time left to complete her studies at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. She is completing her 5th year majoring in Mathematics. Informatics".
We meet the girl in one of the cafes in the city center. Vasilina looks like an athlete: tall, fit. Indeed, in a student’s life there is a place for volleyball, handball, even mini-football, as she herself says later.
But first of all I ask: where does a girl from the north of Russia have such a surname - Busel? Vasilina smiles: her father comes from these places. He went to the Tyumen region to earn money and stayed there. Several years ago he returned to his homeland, his daughter followed him. So in total, Vasilina has been living in Belarus for 7 years, although she has Russian citizenship.
– I was born and lived in the provincial town of Muravlenko. The city is young, but actively developing: oil production is underway. The climate in our area is harsh: in winter the air temperature can drop to minus 60. And if you also live in a hostel, where power outages and heating system breakdowns are common, then you can imagine what it’s like. But nothing, they somehow managed without complaining too much. There is practically no off-season there: either winter or summer. There was a time when snow fell on June 1st. True, he immediately melted, but still. But the climate in Belarus is much more favorable for life.
– Do you like studying in Mozyr?
– Yes, this is good preparation for adult life. While studying, she also worked as a waitress in this cafe.
– Are your classmates and teachers interested in where you came from, do they ask about your homeland?
- Yes, they are interested. Teachers often ask about the climate in my native land. Friends sometimes joke about “residents of the Far North.” By the way, the life of the peoples of the North today has also stepped forward; for example, high technology and the Internet are not alien to them (smiles).
– Over the years spent in our country, what impressions did you have about it and its inhabitants?\
- In general, everything is fine. I don’t think that some are better, some are worse: the main thing is to have a roof over your head. It’s not for me to judge where good people live and where bad people live. Although, when I recently went to my hometown, I simply didn’t recognize it: I looked at the people, especially the young people, as they say, “shkolota,” and I felt very sad for my city. In Belarus, people are probably more moral. The leadership of your country has a responsible attitude towards educating the younger generation, and I like it.
– As for finances: is it expensive for a student from Russia to live and study in Belarus?
– Average, I’ll say this. I'm not a picky person. Although our salaries are higher than here, prices are also higher, renting housing is more expensive. In general, both in Belarus and in Russia prices rise at the same rate. As for studies, the university has agreements under which Russian students can study on the same basis as Belarusians. But medical care is like for foreigners, even taking a blood test costs money.
Vasilina will soon pass state exams, after which she plans to go home. She was not assigned, but says that she would not mind working in her specialty.
We also asked several questions to the head of the international relations department of the I.P. Shamyakin Moscow State Pedagogical University T.N. Chechko.
– Tatyana Nikolaevna, you have been working with foreign students for several years and have probably noticed some of their most striking distinctive features...
– Yes, for example, Turkmen girls are feminine, sociable and hospitable, homely. They are more flexible in communication than their male compatriots and than Belarusian female students. As for the guys from Turkmenistan, they are characterized by mutual assistance, tenacity of character, and masculinity. They are fond of sports; almost every day after classes they can be seen on the volleyball court. In general, Turkmens are distinguished by their loyalty to traditions and hospitality.
Richard, a student from Nigeria, has a more difficult time than most other international students: at our university he is still the only representative of his country. But many teachers note his diligence in studies, responsibility and diligence: Richard studies with pleasure, purposefully, he has clear prospects - to get higher education in the field of mechanical engineering and work in their specialty in their country.
– How difficult is it to teach foreigners?
– Of course, there are difficulties, especially in the first and second years. After all, this is a period of adaptation: a new linguistic, sociocultural environment. What is being done to alleviate these difficulties? So, for example, in the case of students from China and Nigeria, we assign a curator to a foreigner. Initially, this is an employee of the international relations department, and then a student of the Faculty of Philology who speaks English (as a rule, foreigners speak English well). The curator accompanies the foreigner in his studies and everyday life for one semester.
Elena MELCHENKO
Photos from personal archives
Tourists who visited our country do not hide their impressions. Collecting their reviews on foreign blogs and guidebooks, I had to laugh a lot and sometimes feel sad.
The most cultured sports fans live here
"Belarus is wide plains, picturesque villages, ancient castles and monasteries, as well as dense forests, picturesque landscapes and thousands of lakes free for swimming. And the most cultured sports fans live here."
(worldtravelguide.net portal, UK)
"There are over 7,000 lakes in Belarus, no matter where you stay there is bound to be a lake nearby. To find one, ask around. Belarus has wet summers and harsh winters, so if you are going swimming, make sure you do it in the summer ".
(rboittier, UK)
ABOUT MINSK
There is a patriotic consciousness in people
“In my life I have never seen such clean cities as Minsk. And this is not because someone controls people on the street or beats them if they throw garbage. No, people simply have a patriotic consciousness, high morality, I really liked that about them.”
"Minsk has a glorious history and deserves to be the capital. But, unfortunately, the city was destroyed many times, and constant wars buried its prosperous past. The modern face of the city does not reflect the rich ancient history Belarusian people."
ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND TRADITIONS
Nobody speaks English
“I was in Belarus and I think that they have one problem - they don’t know how to drink. I tried not to come to the apartments of some of my friends, because a lot of people always gathered there and everyone drank a lot.”
(jasonmaylett, UK)
"Absolutely no one here speaks English. Not even words."
(Ushastik, Ireland)
"Never give anyone in Belarus even number flowers. Locals They think it's a bad omen."
(Travelnotes guide, USA)
“Never quarrel with Belarusians, even as a joke, it can end in a fight. But if you have a fight, treat them to vodka, then they will definitely forgive you.”
(DIRTY_HARRY, Israel)
“Don’t talk about politics with anyone in Belarus. It’s quite possible that the person who brings up this topic is a secret agent.”
(Tobias_Plieninger, Germany)
“When you go to Belarus, take less good clothes and jewelry with you so as not to seem like a show-off. Here, it takes a Belarusian about a year to buy what you can afford every month.”
(blue-viggen, UK)
“I was amazed that in Belarus they know such a group as Pink Floyd and U2. I was told that only songs like “Kupalinka” are popular here.
(Jon, Ireland)
ABOUT BELARUSIANS:
In miniskirts, despite the cold
"Russian women are unique creatures. They put their family above themselves. They are always ready to exchange a brilliant career in order to be with their husband and children. Even if you give a Russian woman little attention, love and care, but show her that you value her as wife and mistress of the house, and you will also admire her beauty, she will be faithful to you until death."
"Belarus" means "White Russia". The most beautiful women! Despite the cold, they always wear miniskirts and look so beautiful and feminine! Mostly Belarusian women have blond hair and pale skin, and their eyes are green. They look like real pure, white Russians!"
(A-Friend-Of-Belarus, Serbia)
"There are more than 300 Russian female names. There are those that come from deep history, but are still very popular. It is also interesting that for Russians each name has its own meaning or meaning. It may seem strange, but if you If you know the meaning of the name of the girl you met, you will be able to understand what she is like, as if from a horoscope.”
(portal city-of-brides.com, USA)
“There are beautiful and sexy girls in Belarus. Since there are fewer men, and every Belarusian woman dreams only of a family, they have to look better in order to compete.”
(mypartnerforever.com portal, UK)
ABOUT THE SERVICE:
Only the seller has the keys to the storefront
"Many large stores in Belarus, especially non-food stores, operate huge amount service personnel. There is a salesperson near almost every counter. Only this seller has the keys to the display case behind which the goods are displayed, like in a museum. If you want to watch something, you must contact him and he will let you watch it. Once you select an item, you will have to go to another seller to pay."
(DAO, UK)
"Many grocery or convenience stores operate strange (to us) systems. One store can be divided into five departments. You buy milk in one, meat in another, and so on, and this happens in small stores. It turns out that that you pay all the time: take two steps and pay, then two more steps and pay again, and so on.”
(rboittier, UK)
"The hotel staff are something special! Very few people smile or speak to you in a friendly tone - and this is in a fairly expensive hotel (the room cost 40 euros per night). The reception department barely speaks English, but this was not that's the way it is big problem for me. I had a dictionary with me, and my native Serbian language is very similar to the Russian that everyone speaks there."
(Mix, Serbia)
“If you are traveling to Belarus by car, be prepared for a long wait at the border. We drove through Poland to the border crossing of Brest and waited there for 9 hours. So long, because there are not enough checkpoints there, and there are a lot of cars. We were counting on a couple of hours of waiting, but not enough for the system to get everything. necessary documents, - just chaos. If my Dutch friend, who speaks a little Russian, had not helped me, we would have gone back to Poland."
(Harlow, Holland)
ABOUT THE PRODUCTS:
Kefir is delicious
“Apple juice in Belarus is just a dream. It is without any additives, they don’t even add sugar. I think that Belarusians collect apples and squeeze them without any production. Such juice is sold in ridiculous three-liter jars and costs, as far as I remember, a little more than 1 euro.
(Dirim, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
“In Belarus they drink a drink called kefir. It is very similar to yoghurt or Turkish ayran, but less salty and more condensed. Very tasty! And champagne is drunk from alcoholic beverages in Belarus. As far as I know, this tradition dates back to the times of the USSR .
(Said, Türkiye)
ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT
All in black
"I was in Minsk clubs and this is what I noticed: mostly 20-year-olds go there (it even seemed to me that some were not even 18). The music usually plays too loud. Most of the people go to the club in black clothes. I also visited in one strip club, I paid $50 for a Privattan and was disappointed.
(ghardey, USA)
"I went to a nightclub in Minsk and I liked everything! Especially the girls at the disco. They are very beautiful and easy to get to know. I was surprised that they were not prostitutes."
(stephan, Austria)
ABOUT SAFETY
Crime here is low
“Minsk is a really quiet and safe place, probably the capital is the safest place in Belarus. This is due to the fact that there are police everywhere.”
(Carletto76, Italy)
"I would like to say that I have just returned from a trip to Belarus and I can reassure everyone who wants to go there - it is completely normal there. There is no need to pretend that you are poor so as not to be robbed. Also, you should not work right away (Most likely, the translation is incorrect - see. . TUT.BY) , if you see police (although it is true that you should not bother them). The people are lovely and friendly and there's low crime here."
(winterflop, Austria)
"There are a lot of people in Belarus who only care about how to get to your money. For example, when I needed to buy a ticket at the main railway station, no one there spoke English and did not understand what I wanted. But one friendly girl who spoke English, offered to help me. I paid for the ticket in rubles, and only later found out that I had overpaid 30 euros. And I was wondering why the cashier and the girl who helped me were grinning at each other so much. heat up the money."
(dulgros, Germany)
"Visa-free regime - great idea", "trouble with English", "expensive hotels" - foreigners share their impressions of Belarus
The last month of spring traditionally becomes a tourist month for our country. Residents of neighboring countries, mostly Russians, come to Minsk for the May holidays, and they can tell almost more about excursion Belarus than the locals. The recently adopted visa-free regime has added color to the capital's streets and expanded the picture of nationalities: from outsiders who are prohibited from entering, residents of 80 countries have turned into welcome guests (even if only for five days). Onliner.by took to the decorated streets of Minsk to ask tourists about their impressions of the country and its capital.
What do foreigners notice first? What will they tell their friends about and will Belarus be able to captivate foreign guests so much that they want to come back here again (or even more than once)? We asked tourists to tell not only about the good, but also about what could be changed in our way of life to make the life of an “overseas” guest more comfortable and familiar.
A young man named Hock, although born in Taiwan, lives permanently in Australia. A year ago, a travel lover, thanks to the Internet, met a beautiful Belarusian woman. And I decided to find out more about her home country.
What's cool
- I immediately planned to stay longer than five days, so I had to apply for a visa,- explains Hawk. - I have been in Belarus for a week now. I spent most of this time in Minsk. Just yesterday I drove through the whole city on a special red tourist bus - I climbed onto the second floor and looked around the city. I liked it. I heard that there is also a green bus, which also introduces you to the sights, I’m going to take a ride on it.
Minsk is a cool city. I was impressed by the buildings in the center (beautiful architecture) and Independence Square. I also liked Belarusian food, especially vegetable pancakes (I don’t remember what they are called). True, there are not many establishments where you can try national cuisine - I go to Vasilki.
I live in a hotel - I stayed at BonHotel, the hotel is good, and the room prices are comparable to Australian ones - on average $60-70 per night. Nightlife I haven’t studied Minsk yet. But public transport I liked it - so far I have only used buses and the metro, the travel seemed very cheap to me.
What can be changed
- Simplify the procedure for obtaining a visa. When you are used to flying around the world without any visas at all, all these extra hassles and worries are difficult to perceive. It was very difficult for me. Well, there’s a problem with English - not all passers-by understand what you’re talking about.
Dominic is also difficult geographical history: a man originally from Germany, lives in Ukraine, and came to Belarus to visit his wife’s relatives. This is not the first time he has visited our country and notes the changes.
What's cool
- A visa-free regime has appeared - it is very convenient. Five days, in principle, are enough to resolve basic issues and even explore the country a little (we arrived for four days altogether). The only inconvenience is the connection to the airport.
The city is constantly changing: new buildings are being built, things are being restored, new bars and restaurants are opening. I can note that there is a lot more going on in the Old Town: before the streets were empty, but now there are exhibitions, festivals - in a word, activity.
What can be changed
- Sometimes there are not enough inscriptions on English. In the center everything is fine, but if you move a little further, problems begin. Of course, you can ask passers-by with a question, but not everyone will be able to give advice - young people, in principle, speak English, but older people no longer do. And this is very important. I don’t have any problems, since I speak Russian fluently, but if my father were traveling alone in Minsk, it would be difficult for him even in the metro - the inscriptions there are non-standard. My advice is to promote English at all levels.
Olya and Nastya are representatives of the largest tourist class for us; the girls came from Moscow. In just a few hours, we packed our things, jumped into the car and rushed to Minsk.
What's cool
- The trip was very spontaneous, but it’s always like that with us,- the girls laugh. - Why Belarus? Because vacationing here is inexpensive and not very far from home. Initially we wanted to see the Mir and Nesvizh castles, so we went there on the first day. We were not disappointed - we really liked the castles. On the way back we'll stop by Vitebsk.
Minsk is cool, and your people are very kind - everyone is smiling and happy to give advice. It's captivating. We live in the Tourist Hotel - an excellent option for little money. As for food, we try to try only national cuisine. I like everything. We will definitely tell our friends about Belarus and advise them to come here.
What can be changed
- I would like there to be more activities in the city: something that would attract young people, otherwise in the evenings the streets are empty and quiet. A problem arose with the independent excursion: we tried to download a guide to Minsk, but there were very few options. And when they finally downloaded one of them and listened to it, they almost fell asleep - “it was built in such and such a year, by such and such a person, who was a relative of such and such a person.” Bored, terribly uninteresting. Although it could leave a lot more impressions if everything was thought out and designed for young people.
It would be great if there were original excursions in Minsk, like, for example, in St. Petersburg on the roofs. Or so that you can complete a quest around city attractions. It would also be nice if the metro worked longer and the train intervals were shorter (in the evening you can stand for a very long time). There are not enough good grocery stores - most of them are small with little choice, and prices for goods are the same as in Moscow.
Alexey and Yulia with their two sons, Stepan and Kirill, came to Minsk for the May holidays from the Volga region. For the first time, the head of the family found himself in our latitudes on work matters, and after getting to know the city, he was so inspired that he decided to show the neighboring country to his household.
What's cool
- We decided to spend the May holidays usefully - both to relax and to see how they live in the neighboring state,- Alexey explains. - We arrived by car, so I can safely say that the roads in Belarus are different: there are better ones, and there are worse ones. If we talk about entry into the country, it requires improvement - after all, this is the face of the state. And everything is not bad in Minsk.
We've been here for about a week now. Taking into account the fact that we have two children, we rented an apartment in the center, not a hotel. There are plenty of housing offers in Minsk. But after studying the options on Booking and Airbnb, we decided to look at local housing rental services. It turned out to be more profitable. We contacted the landlords directly, talked, and people agreed to work on their word of honor, without prepayment, which was very nice. The most important thing is that there is no discrepancy at all between what is shown in the photo and the real condition of the apartment. I would like to note that Belarusians are honest and decent people. They are very similar to us in mentality.
I liked the city center - there is no dominance of signs, everything is very organic and laconic. We have already visited the Mir and Nesvizh castles - the impressions are the best. They often say that Belarus is the USSR, but I disagree. We found echoes only in GUM, but again this was said not as a reproach, but in in a good way: a large store with its own goods.
What can be changed
- We need to develop the tourism sector. Even we Russians don’t always know about Belarus and its attractions. Should be normal marketing strategy, it needs to be implemented. You have excellent products and services, but this information needs to be conveyed. It is also worth emphasizing national cuisine- there are not enough establishments with Belarusian flavor and original food. For some reason little attention is paid to this.
Carolina and Marcello are originally from Italy, but study in Moscow, and decided to spend the weekend in Minsk. Young people just arrived in the country yesterday, taking advantage of the visa-free regime, and are now enjoying walking around the city.
What's cool
- Before coming, we knew almost nothing about Minsk and Belarus. And they would hardly have dared to take such a trip if not for the visa-free regime. But since we have many friends in Moscow and they often visit Minsk, we decided to try it. Before that, we only looked at their vacation photos. You know, expectations and reality coincide so far, there is no feeling of disappointment.
We spent the first night at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel - it was nice, but very expensive. Today we moved to a hostel: 10 euros per night is already a normal price. But finding a place was not easy; almost all hostels in the center were booked for the May holidays.
In Minsk, new establishments open every week for lovers of gastronomic delights and healthy lifestyle. You can read about them and choose where to go on the rest of your day off by following the link.
Are you planning to visit the Mir and Nesvizh castles, but are afraid that your car will let you down? the best specialists for auto repair, look in the section
I'm not exaggerating at all - this building was recognized as one of the ugliest in the world. It looks like a big empty box, visually very awkward.Looks like a huge one spacecraft, which can’t take off. Moreover, the soil is swampy, it was calculated incorrectly and the library is gradually sinking. It definitely won’t fly into the sky; it will rather descend to the center of the Earth. At night, the building is illuminated with all the colors of the rainbow, sometimes even tastefully. And yet she is simply amazing in her clumsiness.
I am really very interested in what the architects were thinking when they built this school and how they ended up in their profession in the first place. It's just beyond my imagination. It turns out that this is architecture and this is a school building. Once you leave the building, don't be surprised if your vision of the space changes.
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J. believes that the photographer at work is much more interesting than that the object he is photographing. And Minsk residents don’t understand at all what I found here for filming.
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Here, for example, is a bus station, which clearly demonstrates a typical modern city structure. This is the perfect anti-model for anyone studying architecture.The idea is good, that's clear. The central pillar supports a disc that protects passengers from the elements. The canopy evokes a feeling of lightness, we forget that it is above our heads, that it protects us, we forget about its pressure. But the architects of this building completely failed their beautiful plan. It’s as if you are being pressed to the ground by an overly heavy pillar and an equally heavy disk - its design is too complex, and therefore too heavy. It's a pity, but this mistake is made very often.
You can start with a good idea and ruin it with clumsy execution.
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The next, eleventh poster “I love Belarus!” There are not many advertisements on the streets here. But large formats of propaganda posters hurt the eyes. Like, Belarusian people, be proud, love your country, don’t forget it.
Transparent hints that the country should be loved as it is and let's not change anything.All possible clichés are used on the posters - nature-family-traditions. These topics tickle patriotic feelings a little.
The bad taste here is simply glaring, and it is logical to assume that they were made with funds collected from taxpayers.
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A small train in which children are taken for rides.
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At some point, the walk was interrupted in a store.
I wanted to buy sausages. And I want them to cut it into slices for me. I don’t speak Russian well, but no one is trying to understand me; people here are very excited about meeting a foreigner. They are closed in on themselves. Even in stores they don’t look you in the eye.And so, like a clown, I throw my sausage in front of the cashier, joke and laugh so that the atmosphere is less tense, but the cashier remains indifferent. Joking with her is like joking with a prison gate. My 1 euro turns into 10,000 rubles. I'm a millionaire! I grab all the bills together. They fall out of my hands, and again no one laughs at the cash register. Okay, about Belarusian money and the economy - later.
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I met J. at her house and we took the subway to see one of her friends, A. I met a lot of new people and we had a great time together. I talked about my first impressions of Belarus and a little about France. We laughed at the sausage story. I decided to make a film about this. We played Loup Garou, a game they call “mafia” here. We ate salads and tea. Healthy food.
Here, when you come to visit, you always need to take off your shoes. I just can't get used to it. I feel like a scruffy French guy.
Victory Square, Eternal Flame:
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Upon returning home, J. and I talked for a long time, and there were moments when I almost cried.
The impression is as if you are transported into the novel “1984”. These impressions are much stronger than just reading a book. Their existence within propaganda is disturbing, their desperation impressive.It's sad, but at the same time terribly interesting.
I know that the Belarusians I met are not typical of the majority of the population. They are certainly more open and interesting, but still suffer from the burden of dictatorship, which affects their consciousness. Who knows what I would have thought if I had been born here, if I had grown up here? Would I have the same thoughts? It's hard to say.
When talking with J. about politics, we sometimes disagreed with each other. True, when I explained in more detail, it turned out that she completely agreed with me. She understands that a collision with dictatorship cannot but affect consciousness.
Propaganda uses racism, nationalism, isolation, and fear.I think fear is the most effective weapon.
At that time, I received the results of the first round of the presidential elections in France on my phone. I was very disappointed by the meager support for the Green candidate. Previously, I would have been very upset by this news, but after learning how this happens in Belarus, you begin to look at many things differently. Here the votes are falsified, Lukashenko (he-who-must-not-be-named) is “re-elected”, gaining 80% of the votes, and very few are happy with this. And now I'm just glad that in my country you can vote.