What Life Is Like In Belarus

Minsk  

Ashwin Bhardwaj, The Telegraph: What it's really like inside Europe's 'last dictatorship' 

 “It’s just like going back to the Soviet Union.” 

“It’s basically a province of Russia.” 

“You will be thrown in jail for anything.” 

This is what people told me before I visited Belarus in 2018. The country, which sits between Poland, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltics, and is often dubbed Europe’s “last dictatorship”, is currently in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. When I visited, however, during a six-month journey along the border between Russia and the rest of Europe, I – like most people – knew relatively little beyond these stereotypes. 

A friend encouraged me to shave off my beard before walking into Belarus along the Augustów Canal from Poland. He was once detained when entering Russia, he told me, because the police said his beard made him look Chechen. As it turned out, the Belarusian border guard only wanted to offer me tea. 

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WNU Editor: I've been to Minsk and other parts of Belarus more times that I can remember in my life. 

Belarus is not like going back to the Soviet Union. 

It is definitely not a province of Russia though many share the same language and culture..

And if you are thrown into jail it is because of politics or you have committed a real crime. 

In my experience I have found the people of Belarus to be the kindest and the most generous in eastern Europe. 

They also have a certain innocence that I admire. And yes. Many are incredibly naive. 

But I can leave my wallet and cell phone on a table in a crowded bar and go to a bathroom and come back knowing that it will still be there. There are not many places in the world where you can do that. 

Minsk is a city that has a modern look alongside Soviet-style architecture, and it is a cheap place to visit or live (from my perspective). 

What I really like about Belarus is the the countryside and its forests. If you want to experience a primeval forest, Belarus is the place to go. 

But if you are in these forests as a migrant without shelter, you will die. There is a damp-nest in the cold that is dangerous, especially with winter now approaching. 

As for the politics. Regular readers of this blog know that I hate Lukashenko. The sooner this tyrant and his cronies are gone, the better that life will be for the people of Belarus.