Facts about Belarus that shock foreigners. And many Belarusians too

Stay in the country without registration for more than 5 days

If you are staying at the hotel for more than 5 days, the hotel staff will do it for you. But if you settled in an apartment or with relatives, then you need to register yourself. Otherwise, there will be problems when crossing the border and you will have to pay a fine.

Saying "Belarus" and "You are very clean"

Belarus is the Soviet name for a country, such as Moldova and Kyrgyzstan or the Baltics. It is correct to say "Belarus", as it is written in UN documents. And many Belarusians do not like it when the country is called Belarus. You won't get it in the eye, but the attitude towards you will be better if you name the country correctly. Clean streets are the only thing that tourists see in Belarus. And they often associate this with the authorities, which also makes many Belarusians nervous. We believe we have a lot more than clean streets. Therefore, it is better not to talk about it.

Settle in Russian rubles and other currencies

You can pay in Belarus only in Belarusian rubles or by card in any currency. Russian rubles, dollars and other currencies are not accepted anywhere (otherwise it is illegal). But in Belarus there are no problems with currency exchange - you can safely change it at any bank without risking falling into an undervalued rate. The rate is almost the same everywhere, there is no commission and a receipt is issued.

Joke about a bomb in the subway or airport

You can easily go to jail for such jokes in Belarus. And this has already happened. A Russian woman at control at the airport joked about a bomb in a bag, but the aviation security officers did not appreciate the joke. I had to spend some time in a pre-trial detention center, and then several months under house arrest. The most harmless joke about it will be a test for you.

Take pictures of the KGB and train stations

In fact, it is possible, but there is a risk. There is a list of objects in Belarus that cannot be filmed. Moreover, the police do not show this list to anyone, it is for internal use. But there were cases when tourists were detained for trying to rent the building of the registry office and the cinema in Ivye. And the newspaper photographer " TVNZ"- for a photo of the building of the Academy of Sciences. But, as a rule, no one touches tourists.

Drink alcohol on the street

In Belarus, you cannot drink alcohol on the street, even beer. Even on the balcony of a house (hotel) is not allowed. V in public places is possible only in special open areas at the cafe.

Park on the sidewalk

Especially in the city center. This is often abused by drivers with Russian license plates. In Minsk, such cars can be evacuated to an impound parking lot. And citizens themselves often record violations on their phones and send them to the special channel of the capital's police "Interception".

Drive through Belarus to Russia by car

Foreigners can enter Russia only through international checkpoints. And they are simply not on the border of Belarus and Russia. Therefore, you cannot travel by car to Russia in transit through Belarus. There is no border between the countries, but passports are checked. Ukrainians and Poles are deployed and sent to international checkpoints - the nearest ones in Ukraine, Latvia and Minsk airport.

Walk past the Central Supermarket

This place is unique. People come here to drink beer or coffee with cakes. Here you can meet a bum and famous writer treating a homeless person with beer. And pay attention to the moldings on the walls and ceiling.

Walking drunk on the subway

Or if you’re a girl and feel insecure in your heels. There really was such a case in Minsk. Blogger Elena Stogova claimed that she drank some champagne and was in heels. But the metro guards decided that the girl was drunk and did not let her into the metro. So drunk people are really not allowed into the Minsk metro by the guards. Of course, one is not forced to breathe into the tube, but one looks at the gait.

As you know, not the whole world knows about a rather big country in the very center of Europe. To this day Belarus remains unpopular for tourism, although we have enough attractions, there is something to see. What do foreigners say about Belarus before and after their trip?

American Richard Gilbert decided to travel all over Europe, and Belarus, naturally, was included in the list of must-visit countries. “My friends did not know what this country was and where. And I myself thought that Belarus is more like a village. The first thing that caught my eye when I arrived in Minsk is what kind of tall people... They are just giants. Minsk is very clean and quiet. Even in the center. And at night and even more so on the street you will not meet anyone. To see Minsk, however, one day is enough. But I liked it here, and I will definitely tell my friends that this is not the poorest country in the world and it is worth coming here. "

Edel Pons, a Spaniard by nationality, Cuban by nationality, but a resident of Norway, is not coming to Minsk for the first time. He says that his soul lies both in Belarus and in Russia. “Yours is incredibly good. Calm, clean, beautiful. Before that, I lived in Russia for four years and decided to change my comfort zone. It is to Belarus that I want to move over time. There are not many people in Norway who would like to at least look at Belarus. They have completely different outlooks on life, although many of my friends from Europe know about the existence of such a country. This is a country, in my opinion, for those who do not strive to make millions, because there is little potential for building a career here. "

Americans Sarah and Tom say that few people in their homeland know about the existence of such a country. “We just opened the map of Europe and realized that we had already traveled to Italy, Spain, Germany and other European countries and knew everything there, when suddenly we noticed Belarus. Never heard of such a country before, but why not. One of our friends even heard the name of the country. In fact, this is not always the case. On the Internet, we met many Americans who have visited Belarus, who reassured us and assured us that there was nothing to be afraid of. And the truth is, there is nothing. Minsk is very even beautiful city, true, Soviet-style, but very clean. On the first nights spent in Minsk, we thought that Belarusians absolutely do not know how to hang out, do not go to bars and clubs, but as it turned out later, you just need to know the place. It is difficult to say whether we will come back to you someday, because a separate visa to Belarus is needed ”.

Harut Voskanyan from Armenia came to Minsk to study according to the program for three months. “In Belarus, I met many interesting people... First we were accommodated in a hostel in the Grove. At that moment I was insanely angry and did not envy at all the Belarusian students, who have to spend three hours of their time every day to get to and from the university. Later I moved to the very center and saw Minsk better. I even managed to go to Mir and Nesvizh. Belarus is beautiful and clean, everyone says that. But the girls whose beauty Europeans admire are not so great. We have better! (laughs). But I can say this. You have many young people in Belarus with great potential who, unfortunately, do not use it. Many of my friends know about Belarus, many have been here, so even before my trip I heard a lot about you ”.

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.

It looks like a huge spaceship that cannot take off in any way. Moreover, the soil is swampy, it was calculated incorrectly and the library is gradually sagging. It will definitely not fly into the sky, rather it will 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 simply amazes with her clumsiness.

I am really very interested in what the architects thought when they built this school and how they ended up in their profession at all. It's just beyond my imagination. It turns out that this is architecture and this is a school building. After leaving the building, do not be surprised if your vision of space changes.

J. believes that a photographer at work is much more interesting than that object that he is shooting. And the people of Minsk do not understand at all what I found here for shooting.

Take, for example, a bus station that demonstrates a typical modern urban structure. It is the perfect anti-model for anyone studying architecture.

The idea is good, that's understandable. The central pillar supports the disc, protecting passengers from bad weather. The canopy evokes a feeling of lightness, we forget that it is over our head, that it protects us, we forget about its pressure. But the architects of this building completely failed their beautiful idea. It is 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 a clumsy execution.

Another, eleventh poster "I love Belarus!" There are not many advertisements on the streets here. But large formats of propaganda posters are eye-catching. They say, the Belarusian people, be proud, love your country, do not 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 themes tickle patriotic feelings a little.

Bad taste is simply striking here, and it is logical to assume that they were made with funds collected from taxpayers.

Small train in which children ride.

At some point, the walk was interrupted at the store.

I wanted to buy sausages. And I want them to cut it into slices for me. I speak Russian badly, but no one is trying to understand me, here they are very excited about meeting a foreigner. They are closed in themselves. Even in stores they don't look you in the eye.

And so, like a clown, I toss my sausage in front of the cashier, joke and laugh to make the atmosphere less tense, but the cashier remains indifferent. To joke with her is the same as with a prison gate. My 1 euro turns into 10,000 rubles. I'm a millionaire! I shove all the bills together. They fall out of my hands, and no one is laughing at the checkout again. Okay, about Belarusian money and the economy - later.

I met J. at her house, and we took the subway to one of her friends, A. I met a lot of new people, and we had a great time together. I told about my first impressions about Belarus and a little about France. Laughed at the sausage story. I decided to make a film about it. We played Lu-Garu, this game is called "mafia" here. We ate salads, 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. Feel like a sloppy French guy.

Victory Square, Eternal Flame:

Upon returning home, we talked with J. 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 makes them worry, their despair is impressive.

This is sad, but at the same time terribly interesting.

I know that the Belarusians I met are not typical for the bulk of the population. They are certainly more open and interesting, but they still suffer from the burden of dictatorship, which affects their minds. Who knows what I would think if I was born here, if I grew up here? Would I have the same thoughts? Hard to say.

When speaking 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 a dictatorship cannot but affect consciousness.

Propaganda uses racism, nationalism, isolation, fear.

I think fear is the most effective weapon.

At that time, I received on my phone the results of the first round of the presidential elections in France. I was very disappointed with the scanty support of the Green candidate. Previously, I would be very upset at such news, but after learning how it happens in Belarus, you start to look at many things differently. Here the votes are falsified, Lukashenka (who-cannot-be-named) is “re-elected”, gaining 80% of the votes, and very few are satisfied with this. And now I'm just glad that you can vote in my country.

A stuffy office, a bore boss, a boring home life ... That's it, it's time to rest! After looking through the mass of proposals, you stay in the capital of one of the most beautiful, clean and hospitable countries Europe - Belarus. Great choice! But how to make your vacation filled with only positive moments? How not to darken the impressions of the long-awaited trip to Belarus?

Attention! Every foreigner who is going to come to Minsk should know certain rules behavior in the city. This will save you valuable time and money.

It is not for nothing that Minsk is considered one of the cleanest capitals in Europe. Its residents and utilities carefully protect their city from dirt and debris. The same is required from the guests. Agree, it is much more pleasant to walk along clean, well-groomed streets planted with variegated flowers.

Smoking is prohibited in recreation parks, educational institutions, sports, healthcare, shops, train stations and other public places in Minsk. Those who cannot give up this addiction should look for separate smoking rooms.

Drinking alcohol outside special places(cafes, restaurants, clubs, bars) in our country is prohibited by law. Now for a walk with a beer in hand or for sitting on a bench in the park with a bottle of champagne, you can get a substantial fine.

If you are going to Belarus with children, you should know that in our country minors cannot be on the street without adults after 23:00. In this case, their parents are held accountable. Do not forget that Minsk is full of establishments where children under 18 are not allowed to enter.

It should be noted that photography and video filming of government buildings and military facilities is prohibited in Belarus. If you liked any architectural structure, do not be lazy to ask the guide if it is possible to photograph him. This will save you a lot of problems.

Belarusian "bunnies" are most important

Unlike others European countries, in Belarus, payment for goods and services is carried out exclusively in the national currency. And if in the center of the capital you can find a bank branch or an ATM on almost every street that will issue the necessary currency, then when planning a trip out of town, you should take care of exchanging currency for Belarusian rubles in advance.

Transport links in Minsk are well developed. While moving around the city, you can use the metro, bus, trolleybus and tram. Payment for travel is also carried out in the Belarusian "bunnies". It should be noted that the fines for travel without a ticket are exactly the same both for residents of the republic and for guests from abroad.

Taxis are considered one of the most popular types of transport in Minsk. Foreigners traveling in neighboring Russia are getting used to hitchhiking. To their deep disappointment, there is practically no such practice in Minsk. You can call a car to the desired address by phone or find the nearest taxi rank. As a rule, the fare is paid by the meter and in national currency.

Each state has its own, special rules of conduct. Do you want your vacation to be filled with only positive moments? Before traveling, study the basic laws of the country you like and try to adhere to them while traveling. And then the vacation will become the most enjoyable and unforgettable adventure of your life!

World Tourism Organization, Belarus ranks one of the last places in Europe in terms of the number of visits by foreigners. Film crew popular shows they rarely visit us about travel either, although on the Web you can find many issues filmed in all neighboring countries. TUT.BY watched what foreigners tell about Belarus in video blogs and travel shows.

In 2009, the host of the cult program Top Gear Richard Hammond uttered the word “Minsk” on camera several times. This was due to his trip on a pink motorcycle made by MMVZ on the roads of Vietnam. A year later, as part of the popular American TV show "Who Do You Think You Are?" the star of the series "Friends" Lisa Kudrow found her roots in Belarus. The National Geographic channel recently aired a film about Wargaming, and Animal Planet showed the program "". Most of the other mentions of Belarus in the rating TV programs in the US and Europe were associated with politics, Chernobyl and Lee Harvey Oswald.

"Unlucky Notes" with Dmitry Krylov

The creators of Russian and Ukrainian travel shows have only recently discovered Belarus. In 2012, in Brest and Kamenets, the shooting of the program “ scampish notes"Journalist Dmitry Krylov. Two years later, the presenter again visited Brest Fortress and released another program by June 22nd.

"15 republics"

In 2014, within the framework of the 15 Republics project, a film crew from the Ukrainian TV channel 1 + 1 arrived in Belarus. On YouTube video got 109 thousand views. The journalists visited Zhlobin, Mogilev, Soligorsk, Minsk, Zaslavl and Belarusian villages in order 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 the camera, as it is a military facility, and they were surprised by the toll roads. True, 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 countries.

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If popular Russian YouTube bloggers have been coming to Minsk to shoot new videos for several years now, for editors of entertainment TV programs 2016 has become the year of the opening of Belarus. In spring Minsk hosted the programs “Heads and Tails. Shopping ”, the British presenter of the NTV channel John Warren returned to Belarus. After filming the show about the country “Let's Go Let's Eat,” he was with TUT.BY with the opinion that Belarus needs to change its image.

In October at TV channel STS episode 17 of the second season came out Russian show"Russo Turisto" dedicated to Belarus. In it, the presenters Leonid and Yekaterina Morgunovs got used to the new Belarusian money, prepared the vereshchaka and toured many museums. “Minsk is a gorgeous city. You can still taste processed cheese made from cheese, potato chips and Birch juice from birch. Minsk is one of those addictive cities. 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 for Kanal 7, the program “I Travel the World” was filmed with the well-known TV presenter Ozlem Tunca. 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 gained over 150 thousand views on YouTube. Ozlem Tuncha arrived in Belarus with a small child, who often appeared in the frame in her arms and tasted Belarusian honey in Dudutki and red currants at Komarovsky market. In two forty-minute episodes, the film crew showed the Mir and Nesvizh castles, a wedding in the folk style, the construction of the Cathedral Mosque, the Mayak Minska residential complex and listened to classics near the capital's City Hall. At the end of the episode, the presenter met with the Ambassador of Belarus to Turkey Andrei Savinykh and thanked for organizing the filming.

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Saim Orhan was interested in some other Belarusian sights. In the issue of "Mirror", he went to the "Stalin Line", where he shot from different types weapons, visited the museum Belarusian costumes and talked with children who study in Minsk Turkish language... The video was watched a little over 22 thousand times.

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"Belarus - how is it really there?"

The video, filmed by the 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 the 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 Mitskevich and tried to resolve the age-old dispute over what nationality the poet belongs to. The director of the museum convinced him that Mitskevich always considered himself a resident of Novogrudok.

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 impressed the blogger as a metropolis in which people dress normally, a lot good cars and overseas products in stores. And the prices are the same or slightly higher than in Poland. On the whole, Belarus seemed to him a country in which to live. Here, according to him, he felt free and safe, as there are many police in the city. In conclusion, he came to the conclusion that Belarusians are used to living in a world of orders and prohibitions, and cited as an example prohibitive stickers on the doors of restaurants and cafes.

Michal's visit coincided with the 2015 election campaign, therefore, after speculating about the differences in 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 tells basic information about the 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 has been watched over 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 - approx. TUT.BY). He dwells in more detail on tourism issues: “Border guards have the right to refuse entry to anyone they consider unworthy. If by nationality you are not from of 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 to vouch for you, the trip can be quite problematic and costly for you, apart from a visa. However, Belarusians love guests, they are just suspicious of you. ”

Further, the presenter talks about the urbanization of the late 1980s associated with the Chernobyl accident, the most common natural resource- peat, hockey and praises Belovezhskaya Pushcha, where you can meet bison.

“The average summer temperature is about 18 degrees, so you won't see bikinis here. The Belarusian people are what really distinguishes this mysterious country”, - says Paul and is surprised that with 80% of people who consider themselves Belarusians, only 20% speak Belarusian.

The video was vigorously discussed by foreigners, and the most popular comment sounded like this: “Bison, hockey, many forests, the presence of a powerful ally, at the same time trying to create cultural differences so that the world does not 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 autumn. 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 the Belarusian hospitality. The capital seemed to him clean and picturesque. 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 was held near the Sports Palace. After passing through the search, he described his feelings: “In totalitarian Belarus, you will always be under supervision and under video filming”.

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 in which they walked around the city with their husbands and children.

The next evening, Harald again went to Minsk clubs, where he once again admired the friendliness of the Belarusian women: "Not a single Minsk girl scoffed when I approached her." Then he, along with a friend, ended up at the police station for drinking alcoholic beverages in the wrong place. The video was filmed without comment, later he described his impressions of Belarus in a blog:

“We enjoyed a cold beer on a bench shopping center with several girls. It was good until two uniformed thugs showed up and arrested us. It turns out that drinking in public places is illegal. When at the police station my friend admitted our ignorance and stated the obvious: we did not know that it was illegal, one of the officers replied: "Everything is illegal here!"

Apparently, this incident was one of the last days imposed a negative on the entire stay of the Norwegian in the country. In his blog, he writes that it is impossible to preserve the anonymity of your stay 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 self-service establishments: “All Belarusians that I met, without exception, are more or less amazing, overwhelming most of the waiters, salespeople, and government bureaucrats are complete idiots. They are clearly trying to piss you off, even if all you did was try to buy a train ticket. My fellow traveler, who is fluent in Russian, ran into one such woman at the railway station. After asking to buy three tickets and ending the sentence with 'please', she rolled her eyes, sighed and looked away. "

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The most positive impressions of the tourist were caused by the Museum of Great Patriotic War and Belarusian women: “They all look like they are well-off. How can they afford it - great mystery... With an average salary of $ 300-400 a month, girls have to spend a huge share of their income on it in order to look as good as they do. I expected Belarusian women to be cold and non-contact. It turned out to be 110% wrong. All the girls with whom I spoke always smiled and wanted to communicate, even married ones. "