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

Originally Posted by Eric C.

So, it's not a people's holiday, right? Just for the select few...

Watch for example last year's parade at youtube and you'll understand that your remark is just stupid. Half of Red Square is occupied by music band (last year it was more than a thousand military musicians from more that 15 countries). The other half is for marching troops. There is not much place for the guests left. Red Square is rather small - they didn't plan huge squares in middle ages somehow. Besides, most of the guests are veterans from all over Russia and other countries. I think it's fair. People who like to watch this live and not on TV are standing at nearby streets.

Originally Posted by Basil77

You can't get to Red Square at 9 May without invitation ticket and they are not for sale. Only for special guests.

I thought so. Can you go watch the performance in the evening?

Originally Posted by Ann

I thought so. Can you go watch the performance in the evening?

Yes, AFAIK usually it's open perfomance for everyone, you just have to pass the security check.

Originally Posted by Basil77

In Minsk there is also military parade on 9 May but I dunno if you can get to the main square without invitation or not. You always can take a position at some nearby street and watch the passing troops though.

Похоже, в Минске парад проводят не на площади, а на каком-то шоссе:

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Похоже, в Минске парад проводят не на площади, а на каком-то шоссе:

Thanks for checking that! The celebrations in Minsk are big enough for me. I like this CIS holiday because I have always liked the songs. And nowadays I don't consider [Russian] army intimidating, so would not mind seeing a parade - and it's such a big holiday to Russians and other CIS people. I'd like to experience it!

Originally Posted by Basil77

joined Karl XII at the battle of Poltava. In modern Ukraine he is considered kinda hero (at least it was so at Yushchenko times).

Yes, I've read in Swedish papers, that Ukraine ordered statues of him. Which was surprising to Sweden because Karl XII has become a hero to extreme nationalists etc (neo nazists etc). Nobody in Sweden was aware that he was a hero in Ukraine.

He used to be a big hero in the past, for taking on Russia... But by doing that, he caused the downfall of Swedens little Baltic empire, so really, I actually don't know why anyone considers him a hero. If he had not challenged Russia, we might still have Finland, and Norway (+their oil...). But that's why Sweden has almost completely stayed away from wars, ever since then. Everyone was incredibly fed up with endless wars, and the loss to Russia was completely devastating.

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

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...

Many thanks to you, Hanna, for posting about your travels, best wishes for a safe and enjoyable trip.

From Basil's, post, some things famous in other circles: literature by Pushkin and opera by Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky stayed at a place in Ukraine, museum there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamiank...kasy_Oblast%29
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%...D1%82%D1%8C%29

Mazepa Ivan Mazepa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Мазепа, Иван Степанович — Википедия

Poltava Полтава (поэма) — Википедия
Poltava (poem) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opera by Tchaikovsky: Mazeppa (opera) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KIEV - ELEGANT CAPITAL OF UKRAINE!

Greetings from Kiev, to which I arrived this morning; by train of course. If anyone is interested about hearing about my experience of travelling by train in this area, then just say!

When I arrived I quickly discovered that ALL public signs are in Ukrainian, and official announcements on the railway station. I assume that Ukrainian is can be understood by native Russian speakers, just like I (Swedish) can understand Norwegian and Danish. BUT for someone who can barely manage in Russian, the sudden switch to Ukrainian is very confusing. I am not saying I dislike Ukranian... but since I am trying to learn Russian, I would have liked it better if the signs were in Russian. When speaking between themselves, and addressing strangers, people in Kiev seem to use Russian though.

The Kiev train station, like the one in Odessa, is very nice looking and elegant inside. There is a very modern part on the other side - nothing special about that though - it's the usual steel and glass.



At first, I could not understand where the metro was, or even which exit lead where... (It would be good if they had tourist info booths on these large stations). Anyway, I bought a map and left my luggage in the luggage storage room.

Time to look yet again, for the illusive travel iron (my old one broke, I really need it, and I was not able to find it in Bucharest, Kishinev or Odessa....) All my clothes are wrinkly! I decided to try "ЦУМ" the large department store.

When I finally found the metro (not linked to the actual trains station, you have to go out, cross a small piazza, and then you see, it; it's marked "При[something] Вокзал - very nice building".)

I took the metro to a station called Khrestachyk.... Walked out and immediately saw a very large elegant plaza, with a very tall elegant sculpture on it, called "Мать Родина". [edit, no it was not that, it was something else, a women, gold and on a very high pedestal] There are several other sculptures and fountains, one of some Vikings!



This area is full of architecturally interesting and beautiful buildings, from the 18th and 19th century, Stalin era, later Soviet and some contemporary. There are parks everywhere. I saw the square where the "Orange Revolution" took place - it was almost empty apart from some crowd control barricades.

I could not see anything that looked like a department store, so I asked some old ladies. They were also tourists, so shouted out to a guy. He said he was going there too, so I walked with him. It turned out that he was visiting the city from Minsk (Belarus) and was catching a train back this evening.



We made it to the department store, which was very big, and open despite the (Christian) holiday today. The style and layout of this department store reminded of Soviet style, but naturally, all goods were modern. At the top floor I found it! A Rowenta travel iron for 350 gryvna. Hurrah, now I can look civilised again!

The Belarussian guy and I enjoyed each others company, despite the communication problems, and ended up going for a walk around town, having lunch and coffee, sightseeing some churches and seeing the river Dnepr. To me, this is a cool river to see because it's where the Vikings sailed when they visited Russia etc, and sailed to Istanbul. We also took a ride up a little funiculaire, to a large Orthodox church.



Kiev is very beautifully planned; lots of large squares, sculptures, memorials and best of all - plenty of public parks! Most houses in the city centre are good looking in one way or another - just pretty, or architecturally interesting.There are cheap and relatively clean public loos available everywhere, which can really make a difference when you are walking around sightseeing.



There are plenty of good restaurants and cafes around.I wish there was one that made soy milk or rice milk lattes, but that may be asking too much. This part of the world basically does not cater much for people with allergies (I have a rather bad allergy for milk products).

Eventually I parted ways with the Belarussian guy (I might call him when I get to Minsk - I still haven't got around to buying a SIM card though) Would have preferred to email instead, but he said he did not have email.... is internet unusual in Belarus?)

I collected my bag at the station, and headed for the metro again, to travel to the station Dvoretz Sporty. However I could not work out how to change trains, because the Kiev metro has almost no metro maps on display.



Just as I was standing there feeling confused, I noticed that VI Lenin was looking down on me from a massive bronze face on the wall, lol! The Kiev metro (as mentioned by forum members earlier) is very impressive, very deep underground, and very impressively decorated. It would look A LOT better without advertisements though - they ruin the effect. Each station has its own theme and style. It takes several minutes to rid the escalator up or down.

Again, a guy came to the rescue! He ended up helping me with my super heavy bag all the way to the hotel. I am in a hotel up on a hill, overlooking a large sports stadium that seems to be under construction. Since I am on the 9th floor I have a nice view of town - to bad I didn't get a room on the top floor, I'd say this building is 30 floors high!

Kiev has 5.5 million inhabitants. Bigger than all the Scandinavian capitals put together! I had no idea it was so large!

Originally Posted by Hanna

When I finally found the metro (not linked to the actual trains station, you have to go out, cross a small piazza, and then you see, it; it's marked "При[something] Вокзал - very nice building".)

Приміський вокзал = Пригородный вокзал (по-русски) = suburban train station

Yes, I've read in Swedish papers, that Ukraine ordered statues of him. Which was surprising to Sweden because Karl XII has become a hero to extreme nationalists etc (neo nazists etc). Nobody in Sweden was aware that he was a hero in Ukraine.

Not to say he is a hero but Mazepa hoped to use him to get independence from Moscow. So nowadays his statue is a memory of the hope for independence of Ukraine.

AFAIK Karl XII was a great general, who won many battles. But as a ruler he was unable to make use of his victories and his first defeat turned into a complete disaster.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

AFAIK Karl XII was a great general, who won many battles. But as a ruler he was unable to make use of his victories and his first defeat turned into a complete disaster.

It's unbelievable that he continued to wage war against a much bigger country with an advanced army, almost unlimited space and many more people.. Of course that would never work out, at least in a longer perspective! Because of him, we are not a big and important country, but an unimportant country in the outskirts of Europe, and some territories that ought to be Swedish are now Finnish. I really don't know a lot about this period in history, but it seems pointless to blame Russia for more or less simply defending itself. I am definitely not interested in going to Poltava - would be totally depressing.

Is this kind of thing (as the crowd in this clip) invitation-only too? Or is it normal people, did they pay to go?



Yeah, I know this kind of stuff is a bit cheesy.... but it's fun! In Sweden we have sing-along peoples parties too, but not on such a large scale as in Russia! They can be such fun though - everyone singing nice songs that all know.... we have them in the late midsummer nights, when the sun is still shining at night. Also, we have no big dramatic event, like that, to celebrate...

If he had not challenged Russia, we might still have Finland, and Norway (+their oil...). But that's why Sweden has almost completely stayed away from wars, ever since then. Everyone was incredibly fed up with endless wars, and the loss to Russia was completely devastating.

Это неправда. Финляндию Швеция потеряла в результате войны с Россией в 1809 году. Норвегия принадлежала Дании во времена Карла 12 и была передана Швеции после Наполеоновских войн, а независимость получила в 1905 году. В 18 - начале 19 века Швеция только с Россией три раза вела войну.

Originally Posted by Marcus

Это неправда.

Yes, that's true when I think about it... Sorry about sloppy mistake! You are very knowledgeable about history! Generally, that war is considered to be the biggest failure in Sweden's history and I didn't want to get into it too much, or double check on Wikipedia. But right should be right! Next time I'll check my facts.


Wow - I have never seen such fast internet in my life!

Originally Posted by Hanna

Wow - I have never seen such fast internet in my life!

I heard that internet in Eastern Europe generally surprisingly faster than in Western Europe because infrastructure was buit recently and more modern equipment was used.

Originally Posted by Basil77

I heard that internet in Eastern Europe generally surprisingly faster than in Western Europe because infrastructure was buit recently and more modern equipment was used.

I think I failed and maybe the pony express is faster....

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I think I failed and maybe the pony express is faster....

Rockzmom - Move to Kiev! Extremely cool city for lots of different reasons. Fantastic buildings, nice parks - quality shopping, cheap shopping, good food, seems completely safe - and a ride on the metro is 10 cent USD. People are mostly friendly and cool...

No just kidding, but what is going on with your internet connection? Have you only got dial-up, not broadband? If that's supposed to be broadband, then you are being ripped off! There are quite a lot of things you can't do online, with such bad speeds.

Он будет вести войну против целой коалиции стран, но так бывало раньше. Швеция много раз побеждала Россию и другие могущественные государства. Шведская армия считалась самой сильной в Европе, по храбрости и умению шведские солдаты не знали себе равных. Под Полтавой у них почти не было шансов, хотя в какой-то момент им удалось склонить чашу весов на свою сторону, у них было вдвое меньше солдат, 4 пушки против 100, и они атаковали укреплённые позиции.
Если что-то непонятно, спрашивайте.