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

Who's to determine everyone's abilities and needs? If it's some "chosen ones", then it'll be the harshest dictatorship ever occured

+100
Первый раз с вами согласен.

Yes, but Basil77 - Khrushchev was a politician and an idealist... Just because he said it, doesn't mean it happened!

And I don't think Marx said that families were wrong... (Can't remember even hearing about it, other than here - but I am no expert on communism - where does this information come from..?) Maybe it was some later communist who said that? And as far as I know, all that Marx said about religion was that it is used to manipulate people, and that it's untrue. But he didn't say to ban it, did he? (Personally I find the idea of banning religion VERY unpleasant and some of the things that the USSR did against the church are disgusting!)

But to be honest, my knowledge about communism is a bit fluffy, I read about it a very long time ago and have probably forgotten lots of important points, and I am not interested enough to re-read anything. And regarding the USSR: I only saw the "nice" sides, since I visited as a tourist, and was a kid on holiday... And saw it on TV. It's clear that people like Crocodile and others had some truly awful and crappy experiences in the USSR, I want to respect that.

Originally Posted by Hanna

It's clear that people like Crocodile and others had some truly awful and crappy experiences in the USSR, I want to respect that

У Крокодила был ужасный опыт в СССР? Можно по-подробнее, это какой такой опыт? Его заставили стоять в очереди за бананами или что-то ещё более ужасное?

Originally Posted by Юрка

У Крокодила был ужасный опыт в СССР?

Well the venerable Crocodile hasn't gone into any specific details but he disliked it enough to leave the country, and he hasn't said anything good about it here, ever, as far as I can recall. I am pretty sure it was not to his taste!

Thanks for explaining Whiteknight! I actually went there yesterday, but it took about 2 hours on the train station before I figured out how to get there.... (the easiest way was with a Marschrutka, but I took the train back!)

Had a lovely time (will post some pictures) for a few hours, but after that there was an absolutely horrendous thunder storm. I got completely soaked.... Thunderstorms seem really common in Belarus! There have been 3 since I arrived, and they are massive! Thunder, flashing and the skies open up!

Would you still want to meet up, and have time? Perhaps we can go for a walk, a coffee or something to drink? I'll send you a text, I think your mobile number is somewhere in this thread.

And on the Belarus salaries: Frankly there must be quite a big variation. Some people in Minsk are clearly on much more than the 1500 figure mentioned here.... and maybe there really are people living on a few hundred "y.e." a month. Respect to them, must be really hard and frustrating. I think it depends greatly on how much they pay in rent per month.

Originally Posted by Hanna

I am pretty sure it was not to his taste!

Это наверняка. Кстати, сам Крокодил мне тоже не по вкусу. Спорит по каждому поводу, зануда. Он наверное, был у нас преподавателем в ВУЗе.

Originally Posted by Юрка

Кстати, сам Крокодил мне тоже не по вкусу.

=) Вы просто не умеете их готовить (с)

Originally Posted by Hanna

Yes, but Basil77 - Khrushchev was a politician and an idealist... Just because he said it, doesn't mean it happened!

I never said it did, I was replying to Dmitry's post.

And I don't think Marx said that families were wrong... (Can't remember even hearing about it, other than here - but I am no expert on communism - where does this information come from..?) Maybe it was some later communist who said that?

It was Friedrich Engels' idea, he was a gay after all so it's no wonder he suggested this crap. But it doesn't matter, I'm shutting up about -isms for now. Sorry for creating another off-topic here. I'd better wait for you to post another pictures of beautiful Belorussia.

I'm sorry for offtopic, but somewhere in this thread I saw that salary in belarus is about $1500 (if i remember right). So, today i've read the news and found this: TUT.BY | НОВОСТИ - В Речице состоялась предупредительная забастовка пивоваров - Общество - 24.05.2011, 09:11. .. Numbers in this news is a little bit far from $1500

)) Yeah our climate is under influence from Baltic but it has continental character, that differs from marine scandinavian and UK. So in may there are usually heavy rains with thunders. There is a poem by Fyodor Tutchev about this phenomenon

Люблю грозу в начале мая,
Когда весенний, первый гром,
Как бы резвяся и играя,
Грохочет в небе голубом.

Гремят раскаты молодые!
Вот дождик брызнул, пыль летит...
Повисли перлы дождевые,
И солнце нити золотит...

С горы бежит поток проворный,
В лесу не молкнет птичий гам,
И гам лесной, и шум нагорный —
Все вторит весело громам...

Ты скажешь: ветреная Геба,
Кормя Зевесова орла,
Громокипящий кубок с неба,
Смеясь, на землю пролила!

Yeah I'd really like to meet with you! There is quite a problem to get a chance to talk with English spoken person here. So I would be very appreciated! If you have Skype you can find me there my nick is iwhiteknight

I think the language situation in Belarus is similar to that of Norwey, where there are two official languages: bokmol and nynorsk. One is spoken by majority of the population, while other is created of various dialects of western coast.

Norway has a completely incredible amount of very distinct dialects... It's because it used to be quite difficult to travel around the country, and people were just staying in their own village (until recently). So each place spoke in their own way and it didn't matter very much if it became incomprehensible to everyone else. Norway has belonged to both Sweden and Denmark at different times. Bokmål is not really a dialect (it means "book speech"), it's just a way of writing, which looks quite a lot like Danish.
However, when Norwegians speak, it's much more similar to Swedish than to Danish.
Nynorsk is a way of writing Norwegian which is more similar to how people actually speak (at least in some parts of the country). But the majority don't like this way of writing anyway, only some people do, and there is a lot of debate about it. Norwegians are supposed to learn both ways of writing and it complicates things a bit for them, and wastes time.
The problem is that their written language (Bokmål) is designed to look like Danish, and it does not correspond to how people actually speak. I think that instead of having 2 written languages, they should have a reform and combine the two.
Or, they could just use Swedish Norwegian is essentially Swedish with a funny accent, a few words that are different, and different spelling.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Norwegian is essentially Swedish with a funny accent, a few words that are different, and different spelling.

Or maybe vice-versa

A woman is reading in the park



Nationalistic campaign that can be seen across Belarus


In a suburb of Minsk
Wow, it looks and feels exactly like my childhood! The layout is so similar, and the nature.
But such suburbs are not the same in Sweden anymore.






My outing to Minskoe More ("Minsk Sea")

Train station after terrible thunderstorm


If you come from a Northern country, there is nothing more relaxing than the sight of pine trees and Birch trees (in England, they hardly exist). The nature of Belarus seems identical to Sweden's, even though Belarus is much further South. Not sure why.

I have noticed that Belarussian shops sell juice made from Birch sap. It tastes sweet and very good.

Originally Posted by Hanna

The nature of Belarus seems identical to Sweden's, even though Belarus is much further South. Not sure why.

Because climate in Scandinavian peninsula is affected by Gulf Stream, places in Siberia and North America wich has the same latitude have much colder climate.

Approaching the sea



The beach (there is much more... ) Basically they have created an artificial beach (by dumping lots of sand on the shore of the lake) for about 2 kilometres. There are some benches and tables etc for people to use while enjoying the beach. My grandfather and his neighbours created a small beach in the same way, at his summer cottage (dacha).



By the canal-side in Central Minsk



The Swedish Embassy (note that the building is pre-war, unusual in Minsk!)



Palace of the Republic



MUST-VISIT (for Women) IMPULSE shopping centre [Импульс]
Near the Kamarovskiy Market is an absolutely amazing shopping centre aimed at younger women. I have never seen such a thing; Definitely not up-market but clean and well organised. It consists of little booths absolutely crammed with makeup products, clothes or jewellery. To get anything, you have to speak with the saleswoman, who gets it from the back of the shop. An amazing range of products is available - I was looking for something and found it, which frankly I had not expected. This is not a place to shop for high-end expensive looking fashion, but it's a great place for bargains and simply an experience to visit. Recommended!!!

Photos of an absolutely amazing market called "Kamarovskiy".
Why is this market so cool? It is extremely large, completely clean, very well organised, no crooks or dishonest vendors...
I have never seen something like this in my life.












Outside the market, a bronze horse sculpture and a fountain.
Sorry about the bad quality, I am a terrible photographer and I have not yet read the manual for my camera




A park named for Simon Bolivar of Venezuela

I am going to read the manual for this camera now.
The quality of my pictures is terrible.

I hope you got something from the pictures anyway.
Minsk is a very pleasant and impressive city in many different ways.

--------------------------------

EDIT: Apparently you are supposed to first focus on the object by pressing the button halfway down.. Then when it's focussed, you should actually take the picture.
Hm....

COMING SOON:
Pictures of places I am about to visit:
-Botanical Gardens
-Minsk, the City of Heroes - War memorial
-Troitskoe Suburb - an area restored to look like several hundred years ago.
-and Dudutki Village (a traditional Handicraft village - if I can figure out how to get there...)

I also want to find out where the Russian embassy is, and submit a visa application, since I have finally got my Minsk registration sorted out, thanks to Yuri's (landlord) dodgy contacts...(according to the registration, I am staying at a hotel called "Turist".)

There is a really horrible memorial which I don't want to go to alone, just too sad. It is called Khatyn, and it's about war crimes by the Nazis in Belarus. Among other things, inhabitants of several villages were locked inside of buildings and burnt alive.

Almost 3 million Belarussians died in the war - that's 1 of 4 people in the country at that time. All of Minsk was destroyed. It IS surely a small miracle to rebuild and recover so quickly.

Originally Posted by Hanna

-and Dudutki Village (a traditional Handicraft village - if I can figure out how to get there...)

I also want to find out where the Russian embassy is, and submit a visa application, since I have finally got my Minsk registration sorted out, thanks to Yuri's (landlord) dodgy contacts...(according to the registration, I am staying at a hotel called "Turist".)

There is a really horrible memorial which I don't want to go to alone, just too sad. It is called Khatyn, and it's about war crimes by the Nazis in Belarus. Among other things, inhabitants of several villages were locked inside of buildings and burnt alive.

Almost 3 million Belarussians died in the war - that's 1 of 4 people in the country at that time. All of Minsk was destroyed. It IS surely a small miracle to rebuild and recover so quickly.

The bus number 323 Minsk-Dudutki starts from Autostation "Восточный" near the hypermarket "Gippo" ул.Ванеева, 34 in the morning 9-40 and afternoon 12-55. The museum doesn't work in monday.
Russian Embassy is situated on the street Гвардейская, 5a go to Nemiga by metro, then walk to the bus station in the direction of "Дворец спорта" then you should go by bus #1 or #69 past the monument "Stella - "Minsk a Hero City" ,
Right after Stella there is your bus stop (Гвардейская) quit and cross the road to the perpendicular street, then go down this street straight forward until you see at the right hand a two level building with a russian flag. Before in this building was a kindergarten were I spent my young years )

"If you want to imagine what was Minsk at bygone times and to feel the atmosphere in which ourancestors lived, you should visit the Traetskaye Pradnestse (the Trinity Suburb), which is the restored medieval center of Minsk."

The first paragraph of a souvenir photo book given to me by my friend Irina. She moved after she graduated college. Lovely area.

"Let the restored area of the Traetskaye Pradmestse remind us of this town, which was lost. Lost but not forgotten."

Last sentence of the English portion. (Written in Belorussian, Russian, English and German)

I can recommend a Belarusian cultural event "The Show on The Grass"
Крамбамбуля і J-Морс разам зграюць “Канцэрт на траве”. : Будзьма разам!
If you need a translation I will post it later