Belarus

Introduction

Minsk: Catholic chirch (The Red Chirch)

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One of the eastern European nations to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early nineties, Belarus is a fascinating excursion into 20th century history. A Soviet state, it was invaded by the Nazis in 1941, treated brutally by Germany in the subsequent occupation, and eventually returned to Soviet control in 1944. But the damage had been done; a quarter of the country's population was dead by the time the Red Army took over.

Sixty years later, Belarus enters a new phase of its life, as it seeks to join the club of capitalism. But the remnants of WWII and the Soviet occupation remind visitors and Belarusians alike of the country's torturous past.

Brief History

The region that is now modern-day Belarus was first settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century. They gradually came into contact with the Varangians, a band of warriors consisting of Scandinavians and Slavs from the Baltics. The Varangians later became one of the tribes that helped to form the Kievan Rus. The Kievan Rus' state began in about 862. Upon the death of Kievan Rus' ruler, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the state split into independent principalities. After a Mongol invasion in the 13th century, most principalities were integrated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During this time, the Duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The joint victory allowed the Duchy to control the northwestern border lands of Eastern Europe.

In 1569 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was created. The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was invaded and divided by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria, The Belarusian territories were acquired by the Russian Empire and were under control of Russia until the first World War. As did more parts of the Russian Empire, Belarus declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarusian People's Republic, this independence was short lived. After the war the BPR fell under the influence of the Bolsheviks, and became the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919. After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Byelorussian lands were then split between Poland and the Soviets after the Polish-Soviet War in 1921, and was one of the founding members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922. At the same time Western Belarus remained occupied by Poland.

In 1939, West Belarus, was annexed by the Soviet Union as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 and Belarus remained in Nazi hands until 1944. Casualties were estimated to between two and three million (about a quarter to one-third of the total population), while the Jewish population of Byelorussia was devastated during the Holocaust and never recovered. The borders of Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn to a point known as the Curzon Line.

Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences. This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. The Byelorussian SSR was significantly exposed to nuclear fallout from the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in neighboring Ukrainian SSR in 1986.

In March 1990, elections for seats in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the pro-independence Belarusian Popular Front took only 10% of the seats, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates. Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990, by issuing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. With the support of the Communist Party, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991. On 8 December 1991, Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia formally declared the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. From 1994 until now Alexander Lukashenko has won the Elections for President of Belarus.

Geography

Belarus shares international borders with Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Latvia and Lithuania. The country lies between latitudes 51° and 57° N, and longitudes 23° and 33° E. Belarus is a landlocked country and relatively flat. It contains large tracts of marshy land. About 40% of Belarus is covered by forests and there are many streams and 11,000 lakes. Three major rivers run through the country: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnieper. The Neman flows westward towards the Baltic sea and the Pripyat flows eastward to the Dnieper; the Dnieper flows southward towards the Black Sea. The highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill) at 345 metres and the lowest point is on the Neman River at 90 metres.

Regions

Belarus is divided into 6 provinces (Voblasts).

• Brest Province
• Homyel Province
• Hrodna Province
• Mahilyow Province
• Minsk Province
• Vitsebsk Province

Cities

• Minsk
• Grodno
• Brest
• Gomel
• Vitebsk
• Mogilev

Sights and Activities

Mirsky Castle Complex

Mirsky Castle Complex (Мірскі замак) is an amazing sight located just outside of Mir or a day trip from Minsk]. Construction of the castle was begun in the 15th century with a Gothic architecture style. Around 1568 the castle got a new Lithuanian Duke as owner who decided to finish the castle in a renaissance style. It was abandoned for about a century then it was restored in the 19th century. When the Nazi's took it over they turned the castle into a Jewish Ghetto. Today it is a very popular tourist sight and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Niasviž Castle

Niasviž Castle was the estate of several very wealthy families from 1533 to 1939 outside of Niasviž. In 1939 the Soviets expelled the Radvila family and turned it into a sanatorium and stopped maintaining the grounds. Today the castle is undergoing extensive repairs, although sadly in 2002 the upper story of the palace was destroyed by a fire. The Niasviž Castle castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Forests and Lakes

For the nature lover that does not like to climb mountains, Belarus is the ideal country. 34% of the country is covered by forests that are the habitats to several different wild animals and plants. Also there is over 11,000 lakes to explore and swim in. Remember to be careful in the wilderness in the south eastern part of the country because 70% radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine settled in Belarus.

Bialowieza

The Bialowieza Forest, which is shared with Poland is one of Belarus' natural highlights. It is one of the last remaining true wilderness areas anywhere in Europe and consists of an immense forest range with evergreens and broad-leaved trees. On top of that, it is also home to some rare and endangered animal including mammals like the wolf, the lynx and the otter. But the creature that is really special is the European Bison, of which there are several hundreds reintroduced into the park. Therefore, the park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Other Sights and Activities

• Victory Square - Located in Minsk is an excellent public square with several public structures and monuments.
• National Library of Belarus - Check out this space age building in Minsk.
• Cathedral of Saint Sophia - This beautiful white cathedral is in Polotsk.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Belarus has a continental climate with generally warm sunny summers and cold winters with regular snowfall. Daytime temperatures in summer (June to September) are around 25 °C (with a record of around 35 °C), in winter (December to February) around -6 °C. Nights are 15 °C and -10 °C respectively but can drop below -25 °C sometimes. Precipitation is fairly even during the year, although July and August are somewhat wetter. Winters have snowfall. Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is in its geographical center, so the weather in Minsk would be more or less the same for the whole of central Belarus.

Getting There

By Plane

Minsk International Airport (MSQ) is Belarus' main international airport, servicing flights to and from airports throughout Europe, as well as to Tel Aviv. It is the main hub of Belavia, the national airline. If you plan to land in Minsk MSQ Airport knowing about certain issues concerned with medical insurance, immigration, passports control and the airport building itself will save you plenty of time.

There is a second, smaller airport in Minsk (Minsk-1 Airport) and another international airport at Gomel.

By Train

Belarus is well connected by train and most trains originate and terminate in the capital Minsk. Popular lines include the main line between Berlin and Moscow, via Warsaw, Brest and Minsk. Another line connects Vienna with Warsaw, Brest and Minsk. Other destinations include Riga, Vilnius, Kaliningrad, Kiev and Odessa.

1. # There are currently no trains running between Minsk and Riga, to continue on by train to Riga a connection bust be made in Vilnius. (June 2009)

By Car

Getting to Belarus by car is not impossible, but it requires patience at borders and also arranging the paper work before you intend to go to Belarus. International driving licence is required, as is sufficient insurance, with Belarussian extra insurance bought at the borders. Be sure to have your visa in order as well, as it is not unheard of for people to be refused entry, especially by car. You need to register with the first hotel you intend to go to before entering the country for example.

By Bus

Buses connect Minsk and some other main cities with several European cities, mainly the capital of surrouding countries, including regular services to Warsaw, Riga, Vilnius, Kiev and Moscow. Trains are generally a better option though, as roads are not in a particularly good shape.

Getting Around

By Plane

Belavia theoretically flies to and from Minsk, Brest, Homel, Hrodna, Mahileu, Mazyr and Vitsebsk.

By Train

Belarus Railways operates an extensive rail network with frequent departures to and from Minsk from most major cities and towns, as well as smaller regional places.

By Car

The quality of roads in Belarus is very average and renting a car by yourself is not recommended, although a few companies have cars at the international airports and a few other places. Also, the unreliable supply of fuel is a problem and police controls can get irritating. You need an international driving permit and thrid party insurance or you will get a fine.

By Bus

There are plenty of buses to all places in the country, but services are slow and buses are not comfortable, neither are most roads. Better to take the train if possible.

By Boat

There are no passenger services on ferries in Belarus.

Red Tape

The following nationals do not need a visa for Belarus:

The following countries do not need a visa.
Armenia, Cuba, Georgia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia,, Serbia Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

All other people need to apply for a visa in advance. More information on the Governmental website. Only if there is no Belarussian embassy in your home, you can get a visa upon arrival, but only at the international airport in Minsk. You still need an invitation and all other requirements like mentioned in the first link.

Unless you are on a UK passport you will need to buy a local medical insurance policy (US$ 2-5) for a short-term visit. This is particularly an issue at MSQ Airport where you cannot cross the border without a local policy.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The official currency of Belarus is the Belarusian Rouble (BYR) (plural: rublei). Banknotes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000, 50 000, 100 000 rublei. As of 2008, there are no coins being minted by the country.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Belarus. It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Belarus. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended.

If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk (travelling by bike, handling of animals, visits to caves) you might consider a rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis, typhoid as well as hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months. It is also recommended to have a vaccination against tick borne encephalitis when you go hiking and/or camping for 4 weeks or more in the period of March to November.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Belarus is a tourist-friendly country and normally tourists confirm that they feel safer here than anywhere in Europe. While crime rate is surely not zero, there are plenty of police around and following normal safety rules you will get around without a problem.

Keep Connected

Internet

A lot of places are appointed with WiFi hotspots but you have to buy a card and go through the login routine to get online. In Minsk, one of the central computer clubs would be in Central Post Office, just across the street from Minsk Hotel.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Belarus is: 375
To make an international call from Belarus, the code is: 8~10

Post

External Links

• Official Governmental Website