Thread: Travel Blog; CIS/ex-USSR countries (i.e. Russian speaking)

Originally Posted by Hanna

If anyone reading this is in Minsk and wouldn't mind watching the celebration with a foreigner (Swedish) then drop me a note!

Hi, I've just returned from Crimea to Minsk, so yesterday I celebrated The Victory day in a train . If you like, we can meet the other day I'll be glad to communicate with you! I can even order some sightseeing around Minsk if you like.

What's concern russian language courses - almost every foreign languages center has a russian departament for foreigners
Курсы русского языка для иностранцев.
Курсы иностранных языков
http://lider.by/russkiy_dlya_inostrancev.html
Факультеты и кафедры - Факультет русского языка для иностранных граждан
Общий курс русского языка \\ Streamline - курсы иностранных языков.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Hi, I've just returned from Crimea to Minsk, so yesterday I celebrated The Victory day in a train . If you like, we can meet the other day I'll be glad to communicate with you! I can even order some sightseeing around Minsk if you like.

What's concern russian language courses - almost every foreign languages center has a russian departament for foreigners
Курсы русского языка для иностранцев.
Курсы иностранных языков
Русский для иностранцев | Курсы и обучение в Беларуси - Лидер образовательный центр
Факультеты и кафедры - Факультет русского языка для иностранных граждан
Общий курс русского языка \\ Streamline - курсы иностранных языков.

Yup, here is your excellent post! And while looking for it, I also found the one that you made about the shops that "might" sell soy milk . Now that I have "found my feet" here in Minsk I'll get there and check it out. I can't make up my mind about whether to take lessons or not. Still thinking about it.

Your explanation about the Lenin Square metro station makes sense too... The only thing about these different names, like you said, is that it confuses visitors. For example, I did not know the word that that means "Independence" - and it's a different word in Russian v. Belarussian so I was not able to guess. And you are surely right about the Soviet decoration on that metro station! The other confusing place is the street that people call "Skariny" which is in fact marked everywhere on maps and street signs as "Independence" - somebody I met on the train to Minsk warned me about that though.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

I remember a sign "Soy milk" on the Brovki str. Between University of Informatics an Radioelectronics buildings. if I have not mistaken right after the second block wich address is 6-Brovki str., But it was quite long time ago. I've never seen this stuff in shops. The only thing i can think of is here also I know a health meal shop in the Metro Pushkinskaya. May be there you'll find some kind of the stuff, I'm really not sure

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

) Actually it seems to me that the government policy do everything to destroy Belarussian language as well as every little bit of Belorussian self-consciousness. Just IMHO

Interesting viewpoint. So Lukashenko's funny comment that a Belarussian is a Russian with a quality mark did not convince you, or the "Мы Беларусь!" campaign on town? Maybe it's more rhetoric and no real action. And I sympathise with the point that you made about Belarus being "landlocked". Yes, there is something a bit sad about a country that has no coast.

Belarus politics is too complicated for me to understand. I always take a positive viewpoint and try to look for the good points in things and there are many good things here to point at. But I can understand peoples extreme frustration at things like currency devaluation or the status of a language they love (i.e. Belarussian in your case).

It-ogo was writing a while back how he wanted to speak more Ukraininan but somehow it just feels complicated and he sticks with Russian because it's more convenient.

Originally Posted by Hanna

It-ogo was writing a while back how he wanted to speak more Ukraininan but somehow it just feels complicated and he sticks with Russian because it's more convenient.

It's obvious for every Belarus, I think, that without the real governmental support of the belarussian language, culture and traditions they are going to extinct very soon. The only enthusiasm of a few people is not enough. But our government do nothing to support it and as I can see by many examples such as deny of performances, of some musical bands, theaters and so on they aim to eliminate self-conscious people from the society. It's very sad . It reminds me a social pressure in Bask Country during the WWII, but their national idea was tried to be eliminated by enemies...