Thread: Russia-Belorussia-Ukraine-Russia trip.

I'm planning Russia-Belorussia-Ukraine car trip next week. The purpose of the trip isn't exactly the touristic, I'm just visiting some relatives in both countries, but I'll take a camera with me and if it happen to make some interesting photos (although the weather in our latitudes now isn't perfect for photographing, but still), I could post them here, if someone interested. Here is the route that I plan:

Originally Posted by Basil77

I'm planning Russia-Belorussia-Ukraine car trip next week. The purpose of the trip isn't exactly the touristic, I'm just visiting some relatives in both countries, but I'll take a camera with me and if it happen to make some interesting photos (although the weather in our latitudes now isn't perfect for photographing, but still), I could post them here, if someone interested. Here is the route that I plan:

Yes please do post pictures. Especially hot Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian woman snaps!

Thank you,

Scott

Can you rent a car and do that?

Originally Posted by fortheether

Yes please do post pictures. Especially hot Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian woman snaps!

Well, I'll hardly can make many photos of this type cause I'm going with my wife.

Originally Posted by sperk

Can you rent a car and do that?

I don't need to, I already have one. Also as far as I know Moscow car rental services don't allow to use rent cars for remote (especially abroad) trips.

Well, I'v returned and since I'v announced this trip here I think I have to give some report about it. The trip was nice, but as I wrote above it wasn't touristic so I haven't visit any historical sites or so. I just made some pictures from the road so I'll post some of them here. One sad remark: tonight, while watching the celebration of Berlin Wall Fall on TV, I was thinking about the fact that while Europe opened it's borders at that time and now celebrating this, we, here in former USSR, vice versa built up new borders and walls that never existed here before, I still remember the times, than you could cross for example Russian/Ukrainian border without even a stop only reading the sideroad sign "Ukraine (or whatever) welcomes you!"

About the trip. It's already late and I have to wake up rather early tomorrow (oops, already today), so I'll post a couple of pictures from the first part and will continue tomorrow.

Tranzitting throw Moscow:





The condition of the road to Belorussia (Minsk Federal Highway) is good, for Russia you could say even perfect, so it's just a pleasure to drive on it :



The weather was fine for that period of the year so I even pictured some contryside peisage from the car window (somewere in Smolensk region) :



The are many war memorials along the road since there were many battles in that area during WWII and the War with Napoleon (I didn't picture them since their fotos could be found elsewere). Then you pass the Smolensk region by the Minsk Highway you cross the Dnepr river, and it's very small there. Then I cross it I am always remembering a quote from Gogol about "Rare bird, who can fly even half of the Dnepr's wideness". Of course he meant not THIS part of the river, but it's still funny for me. Unfortunately I'v been too lazy to stop and picture the river, sorry.
Soon I'v been at the Belorussian border. Russian and Belorussian citizens can cross it without stop (in case if they bought insurance police already). I stopped only to buy one (it works in Ukraine and Moldavia also). After crossing the border you can notice that you are in a different country (road signs in Belorussian; even some unknown for me road signs).
Here is some crazy Belorussian road sign (I can only guess what it mean ):



to be continued...

Great pictures and interesting to hear about the trip. So you've got family in both these countries?

"Ukraine (or whatever) welcomes you!"

Well - together you are stronger.... that's why we are uniting in Europe... They'll probably change their view on Russia back to generally positive eventually. Maybe when the Ukranian gov. changes. Did your relatives have a view on it?

I'd love to visit the historical towns and castles in Belarus... and Ukraine would be interesting too.

Can I ask something...? Is Russia noticably better off than these countries? I mean do people in Russia live better?

I think Orthodox churches are so incredibly cool looking... Did you take any more photos with churches?

Sorry, I hadn't time yet to continue the report, I'll do it a bit later. Johanna, quick responce:

Originally Posted by Johanna

Great pictures and interesting to hear about the trip.

Thanks.

So you've got family in both these countries?

Yes. To be strict I have some relatives in Belorussia and my wife has some at Ukraine (she was born and raised there).

Did your relatives have a view on it?

On ties with Russia? Of course. Absolutely all of them think that it's a tragedy that we live in separate countries now

Can I ask something...? Is Russia noticably better off than these countries? I mean do people in Russia live better?

Noticably? No. After visiting all them three in short period of time I can compare and had the feeling that the best social conditions are in Belorussia. Of course if you live in Moscow or Kiev you have many possibilities that can't be found in Belorussia, but... If I have to live in a small provincial town or village I'll choose Belorussia without doubts.

I think Orthodox churches are so incredibly cool looking... Did you take any more photos with churches?

Yes, a couple:


This one locates in the city of Vitebsk, Belorussia.


Town of Konotop, Ukraine.

Originally Posted by Basil77

I think Orthodox churches are so incredibly cool looking... Did you take any more photos with churches?

Yes, a couple:


This one locates in the city of Vitebsk, Belorussia.

It is not truly Orthodox church. Initially it was a Catholic church.

Originally Posted by Johanna

I think Orthodox churches are so incredibly cool looking...

Here's the masterpiece of the Byzantian style - Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev:



And here's my favourite Gate and Resurrection Cathedral in the New Jerusalem monastery:

Originally Posted by Basil77

Here is some crazy Belorussian road sign (I can only guess what it mean ):

Originally Posted by Wowik

It is not truly Orthodox church. Initially it was a Catholic church.

Unfortunately I don't know the history of this exact church. Are you sure It was catholic in it's past? Today, as you can see, it has orthodox crosses on top. I found an article about it:

http://www.belarus-magazine.by/en.ph..._from=&ucat=4&

The church was restored only several years ago, it was completely raized during WWII, as the rest of the city. The city itself is rather ancient (it was founded in 974), but it was almost completely destroyed during WWII. When Soviet army retook it from nazis in 1944 there were only 118 inhabitans alive from 200000 pre-war population and only a couple of buildings left. Today's population of the city is about half of a million. Unlike many other Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian ancient cities and towns since it's historical downtown was completely razed the city hasn't narrow streets in it's center. The streets are very wide. My impression from that trip about Vitebsk - very beautiful and clean. I wish to see it in summer full of flowers and blooming gardens and I hope I will have a possibility to go there next summer. Here are some extra pictures of Vitebsk that I made:







P.S. The little bug on the last two pictures is my son. When I was trying to make these pictures he was constantly trying to appear in the focus of the camera. I told him: "Sonny, please come aside, daddy is going to make some pictures for posting in the net." He answered: "No prob, dad". Then I made shots. On the little camera screen this bug was unnoticable, I only saw him after downloading photos to PC.

Basil, I know I am the over-emotional American female of the forum... but I must thank you sooooooo very much for once again allowing us into your life. You have no idea how much it means to me that you share your photos with us. Everytime I see photos of places I have never been and most likely will never get to go...and especially photos of a world which was closed off to me my entire youth, well... I just cannot explain it. Even the ones of the traffic jams on your daily drive to work! You bring joy to me. Thank you.

As an American male I thank you also. I love to see snaps of places I've never been.

Scott

Thanks to all of you who is interested. Special thanks to Johanna, Rockmom and Fortheether for kind words.
Well, I'll try to continue the story . After spending a couple of days in Vitebsk, I went to my next destination - Ukraine (exact point - some place in a contryside in Sumy region). The condition of the road from Vitebsk to Ukrainian border is perfect (I think that all main Belorussian road are in such condition), I had to cross the country of Belarus from it's north to south and the road lied before me:



Belorussian province looks noticably better than Russian and Ukrainian. (Not so depressing, I haven't seen any abandoned building or uncultivated field. I think that it's so because they were lucky and recieved not such a huge amount of "West Democracy" poison ). I went out then it was still dark and made a picture of sunrise somethere in a contryside in Mogilev region:



Interesting fact about Belorussian roads: they paint roadsigns right on the pavement in color (this picture made in the city of Gomel, Belorussia):



A little while a beautiful country of Belorussia was behind and I came to the Ukrainian border:



To be continued...

Basil,
Great snaps. Next trip ditch the wife and get some snaps of hot Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian women also!

(We really don't know each other so I have to say I'm just kidding. But I'm not.)


Scott

Originally Posted by Basil77

Originally Posted by Wowik

It is not truly Orthodox church. Initially it was a Catholic church.

Unfortunately I don't know the history of this exact church. Are you sure It was catholic in it's past? Today, as you can see, it has orthodox crosses on top. I found an article about it:

The architecture is definitely catholic. Just remove orthodox crosses and you'll see a catholic church.
Just compare:

Originally Posted by Basil77

Unfortunately I don't know the history of this exact church. Are you sure It was catholic in it's past? Today, as you can see, it has orthodox crosses on top. I found an article about it:
http://www.belarus-magazine.by/en.ph..._from=&ucat=4&

Thanks for the article.
Here is one more:
Храм Воскресения Христова - http://www.vitebsk.orthodoxy.ru/temple/ ... tr12.shtml

It was build as Uniat (Greek Catholic) church so the shape of the building is closer to Catholic churches than Orthodox churches.

After uprising 1831 in Western part of Russian Empire all Uniat churches and even many Catholic churches became Orthodox.
http://belchrist.narod.ru/pages/1_kanf_ ... k_1839.htm

Belorussian/Ukrainian border is much harder to pass than Russian/Belorussian one (but IMHO still easier than Russian/Ukrainian). I had only one problem leaving Belarus territory - border guards ask me if I bought a tranzit ticket. Then I told them that anybody didn't even stopped me when I entered Belorussia, they told I still have to by a ticket, wich cost 15$. I was thinking about the variant to live Belorussia trough BY/RUS border (in Bryansk region) and to enter Ukraine from Russia but after a little thinking I decided that I'll spend more on gasoline. And then another problem appeared: for some reason Belorussian border guards refuse to take tranzit ticket payment in Belorussian roubles, they demanded only dollars or euros or Russian roubles. I'v got about a million of BY roubles (about 400$ ) at that time and didn't know what to do with them, but when I tried to reason border officers (something about: "it's your national currency, why can't you take it?") I was given only one answer: "The rules are so". The exchange course at the border bank was robbing (although I had to by some Ukrainian grivnas because my gas tank was almost empty at that moment and I had to by some gasoline soon), so I had to pay ticket's cost in Russian roubles. On that point formalities with Belorussian border guards were over and I went to the Ukraininan side of the border. Since I'v got an incurance already I hadn't pay nothing and after filling migration cards and passing customs and passport controls I was free to go to Ukraine territory. One funny thing: for somewhat reason Ukrainian border guards when you cross Ukrainian border by car put their stamps on the last page of the passport:



At the same time their collegues on trains put the stamps as any other guards: at the first empty place in the passport:



to be continued...

thanks for the report!

It's totally insane that you get STAMPS in your passport for travelling in the ex-USSR.... You even speak the same langauge as these people and have family there!

Surely the CIS countries could at least fix up some kind of Schengen-style arrangement.. ? This must be irritating for everybody, not just Russians..

It's just like you said Basil -- in Europe we got more unity while you got more split up... Sad!

To think that people died to defend the Soviet Union, and now people can't even pass the Belarus/Russia border without paying silly fees in foreign currency! History can be such a crazy joke!

I can travel from Spain, Balticum, Iceland, UK, France.... ETC and NEVER get any stamps in my passport.. Needless to say I have nothing in common with Netherlands... or Hungary... Can't speak the same language and no family connections.. Yet it's an open border if you are driving. No checks, just a sign.