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

Originally Posted by Ann

Eric: So there aren't many tourists in Belarus from the west? What would they think of a Chinese-looking person carrying an U.S. passport? What if I try to speak Russian to them? Will that make things better, or worse?

Ann, if you are Chinese, then I think that most people in this region would automatically assume that you were from one of the ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, where people look more or less Chinese too. There are some people from those countries who have settled in the European CIS countries. I saw some, both in Ukraine and here in Belarus. Not a lot, but a few families and individuals - all speaking native Russian.

You don't need to show your passport a lot anyway.

If you were to travel alone, just do what I do: Keep a low profile, smile and be friendly (but not in an OTT way - just low-key). If you are struggling to communicate, apologise for speaking poor Russian - people are tolerant towards that.
People here are very friendly towards strangers, must be the culture thing (?)

As for the US political question: Most people in the CIS area are very up-to speed on politics - and a bit cynical about it. They are more intellectual than Western Europeans in general, and much more so than Americans. I think they are smart enough to see you as an individual, not an representative of US foreign policy.

Belarus DOES offer visas to Americans - I saw some info about it at the Belarus consular section at their embassy in London. There can't be a lot of Americans visiting Belarus as tourists though. But there might be Americans visiting for NGO type work or other projects. Also - the "bride" market is still in full swing.

But I think you can count on that people will NOT expect that you are a Chinese American. At first, they might wonder why you don't speak Russian.

People can expect you to be Chinese or other South-Eastern Asian, we have students from this region. And we are starting projects with China.

Originally Posted by Dmitry Khomitchuk

If you can go to the western part of the country visit Brest and Grodno.... Sorry but I think they just never or rarely saw UK passport...... Belarus is filter, we are getting grants from European Union for border guard, so forgive them.

Thanks for the tips, Grodno sounds great!

And yes of course! The illegal immigrants....! I didn't think of that. I look rather Northern European though but it's understandable that he checks my EU passport then - particularly if there is an agreement with the EU to be extra vigilant.

And by the way, my passport is Swedish not UK -- but from an EU border check perspective, it's the same thing.

Sorry, I will remember that you are from Sweden.

Got a new, really charming hotel room in the same hotel, so all well - no further complaints.
I like this city - I'll stay an extra day and maybe attend a show, like circus; or an opera.

The speed test server is in Minsk, quite far away, hence the poor down speed.

Photos from Gomel, Belarus
Taken with my mobile phone. Terrible weather for sightseeing - rainy, windy and very cold.

Unfortunately my mobile phone ran out of memory pretty fast.

Part of kids amusement park very near my hotel:



Went on a ride like this in my childhood, when visiting Russia. Loooveed it!
First time I see a ride like this since that time.




More from the town park in Gomel:




The park is full of pretty little birds houses:








Here, you can cross the street without risking your life.
Very nice Walk Now signs, indicating how long is left etc.



Renovation of murals:

I am in a city of half a million, that does NOT have any international fast food chain. No McDummy, no Starbucks etc, etc. There are some really good fast food places for Russian food and cafe food though.
This is one of very few countries where you can experience such a rare situation.
Also, there is no neon advertising. The advertising is very discreet and in order to see shops etc, you have to read the signs or look through the window.

Originally Posted by Hanna

I am in a city of half a million, that does NOT have any international fast food chain. No McDummy, no Starbucks etc, etc. There are some really good fast food places for Russian food and cafe food though.
This is one of very few countries where you can experience such a rare situation.

The next one is North Korea, I suppose.

People there (as well as there =) ) can hardly recognize the letters "KFC" or the word "Starbucks"...

By the way, weren't you expecting to come across such things when being off there?

Originally Posted by Eric C.

By the way, weren't you expecting to come across such things when being off there?

No not really, because I honestly did not think that anywhere in Europe had escaped such commercialism. Also, in Minsk, there is at least one McDonalds. So there is not an outright ban on it. This lower level of commercialism, and the fact that public buildings, public transport and housing are in a somewhat better shape is the big difference one notices between Ukraine and Belarus. There are less obviously poor people, and no rich people being driven around in luxury cars.

The "feel" of society here is a bit like in my childhood in Sweden... Extremely safe, extremely clean, almost as well-kept buildings and no flashy ads or commercials. A few things are mildly Soviet-like, but the overall impression is much different from those days. People are very happy to talk to strangers, and the service you recieve is good. There is no shortage of anything. I decided to take up your "challenge" Eric, and go to a smaller town. There is one near here, called Vetka. I'll take the bus there and check it out - it's famous for handicraft etc and was badly affected by Chernobyl.

I think Belarus' economy is less strong, but the country is really trying to do the right things to build it up. It doesn't help that the EU and particularly the US has imposed sanctions. I respect what they have done here, although I don't know too much of the exact details

There are some good supermarkets, bakeries, fishmongers etc, but none of the big European super market chains like Tesco, Carrefour etc - likewise no foreign fast food shops. Frankly, I like that.

It's very pleasant to walk around in a town free of ads - you appreciate the buildings, the people, the nature etc more when you are not bombarded with aggressive marketing messages. I don't know a lot about the political situation here, but I have absolutely no sense of oppression. People generally speak proudly of "our republic" when they explain something related to Belarus.

Yesterday there was a dance in the park - free performance and lots of people of all ages dancing to traditional music - not something you'd see in Western Europe either. Not far away, some teenagers had put on a techno concert, also free and open to all. I am not surprised at all that it's what the majority prefers.

The idea that information isn't freely available here is ludicrous - you can get Russian and Polish TV as well as British, French and US satellite stations. You can go online and there is media that is not state owned.

I am sure there are many political problems that I can't see, and that the current government makes mistakes like all governments do.

But despite my overall favourable impression, it would be interesting to find out exactly what it is that the oppositioin is unhappy about. There are always two sides of the coin.

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I will put this travel blog on hold for a while now, and focus on language instead!
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There are different oppositions in Belarus. One is just paid by the west, and others really have a different view. I've heard that Belarus is coming to hard economic times. Big inflation has started. Plants have problems with raw materials. Unemployment is growing. Am I right?

Originally Posted by Marcus

There are different oppositions in Belarus. One is just paid by the west, and others really have a different view. I've heard that Belarus is coming to hard economic times. Big inflation has started. Plants have problems with raw materials. Unemployment is growing. Am I right?

From what I heard, they faced a default on their local currency, but their Central Bank keeps denying that fact, therefore they have two exchange rates on each foreign currency - the official and the market one, the latter is higher by ~ 50 - 100% than the former. People can't buy any foreign currency through exchange offices because they simply don't have it there - no one wishes to sell the currency they have by the low official rate. And apart from that, now banks there can't get foreign currencies from the Central Bank like they usually did before - the Central Bank stopped selling foreign currencies to banks. That all has led already to fantastic long lines near exchange offices, and many people from there compare the situation to the one they faced in the 1990s.

Oh really! I did not know that.
The prices for most things are extremely cheap, even on the official course.

Marcus, I actually thought you were Belarussian because you have responded quite authoritatively in threads about Belarus - are you Russian or something else?

I think Dimitri and N8m are the only regular users from Belarus then.

I'm Russian. I answered only when I knew exactly. Do you talk to people there, Hanna?
I love reading your posts, they are never boring. I have some questions about Russian language to you. I don't know whether to ask them now or later.

Thank you! I am really glad if anyone enjoys reading my posts...
And it's incredible that I grew up right next to Russia and yet knew so little about the history, the people etc.

My friends are super impressed that I am able to communicate in Russian (to say "speak" would be to exaggerate!)

But they think I am crazy to go on this trip alone - they more or less think I'll be shot by the Russian mafia, imprisoned by the KGB, attacked by Russian hooligans drunk on vodka & robbed by gypsies..... or something like that!

I will certainly tell everyone that Ukraine and Belarus are lovely countries, each in it's own right. More tourists should go there. My next beach holiday will definitely be at the Black Sea, maybe Crimea somewhere.

The eviction of Belarus from the Council of Europe is completely wrong.
It's unfair to the people of Belarus, seems a bit immoral and the reasons are mainly invalid, I think.

After spending a few days in Belarus, I am prepared to say that there are a lot of LIES and deliberate misinformation about this country! Some of it might be spread on purpose.... and then others who have no other information repeat it because they believe it is true. And so the untrue myth about a terrible dictatorship has spread. Eric C for example, thought that people were not allowed to enter or leave Belarus!

Even the Lonely Planet guide is telling a lot of tosh that is simply not true, from what I can see with my own eyes!

The Bradt guide (by a British author) is more truthful and tries to be objective. But it's a few years outdated and thing have got better in the country I think.

Hanna, have you desided already about your Russian courses? Actually I've just realised that I can ask my aunt about that - she teaches students at Vitebsk Medical Institute Latin and French and they have plenty of foreign students so she should know a few things on this subject. If you still haven't decided about Russian courses I could call her right now and ask about this subject.

Originally Posted by Hanna

The eviction of Belarus from the Council of Europe is completely wrong.
It's unfair to the people of Belarus, seems a bit immoral and the reasons are mainly invalid, I think.

Like the eviction of the OSCE mission from Belarus at the beginning of the year by will of their authorities. As you said, each coin always has two sides...

Hanna, have you noticed any differences between Russian spoken in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus? Are there differences between textbooks and living speech? What was new for you in Russian language? Have you changed your views on Russian language?

Hanna: How late do you stay out in the evening? Are there any businesses such as cafes or bookstores that close late (10 or 11 p.m.)?

And, by the way, Hanna, don't forget to post here your impressions on visiting that small town near Gomel (desirably with photos), I'm really looking forward to that. =)

Originally Posted by Basil77

Hanna, have you desided already about your Russian courses? Actually I've just realised that I can ask my aunt about that - she teaches students at Vitebsk Medical Institute Latin and French and they have plenty of foreign students so she should know a few things on this subject. If you still haven't decided about Russian courses I could call her right now and ask about this subject.

No, and I would be very grateful if you could find help me find out! I think there must be more available than what I have been able to find while searching online. My findings are not very impressive.
There seems to be only a few unaffiliated course in Belarus. The price is very low - I am sure you'd pay twice or three times that, anywhere in Russia and probably 10 times more in Moscow. But it's the same language, no different accent and probably equally well qualified teachers, and I already have a visa.

I want an intensive course of maybe 3 weeks. All that I found is in Minsk - but any location is fine for me. I think I'd need to SPEAK with these places to see if they can accommodate my situation or not. Belarus is a tad bureacratic. If they can't, then I'll do a course in Russiar, either now, or later.

I found only these in Belarus:
http://lider.by/courses-description/...#comment-26499
Курсы русского языка для иностранцев.
MSLU INTERNATIONAL - For Foreign Students - The Division of Russian as a Foreign Language

Originally Posted by Ann

Hanna: How late do you stay out in the evening? Are there any businesses such as cafes or bookstores that close late (10 or 11 p.m.)?

Yes - they close quite late.... Later than I am used to. But shops are not open as late as 11. More like 8 or 9. And remember, sightseeing is exhausting. After 7-8 hours you've had a pretty full day.

Originally Posted by Marcus

Hanna, have you noticed any differences between Russian spoken in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus? Are there differences between textbooks and living speech? What was new for you in Russian language? Have you changed your views on Russian language?

No I can't tell any difference between the speech. In Moldova, most of the people who spoke Russian with me were probably not native speakers. But I could not really tell. Although in fact, a lot of people in Moldova are born in Russian speaking places of the ex-USSR - so I guess that makes them native speakers. But I think that maybe, like you said, Belarussians speak a tiny bit more slowly and are maybe expecting grammar to be at least reasonably close (mine is not...)
I am not sure how good I can ever get at Russian. It's just so very difficult.

There is a bit of difference I think between Belarussian people and Ukrainians. Ukrainians felt a bit "warmer" and more sponteneous. Whereas the Belarussians feel more organised, proper and more shy. But it is only a very slight difference and I think it's just a very faint reflection of the same North/South mentality divide that exists elsewhere in Europe - for example if you compare French with Spanish people, Germans with Italians etc.

The people in Odessa were the most fun! For example, one woman came up and asked if she could give me a hug, because she thought I looked lonely walking around sightseeing on my own!

Older people seem to still feel unity with the other ex-Soviet countries, at least the Russian speaking ones. They talk a lot about how things were in the USSR in a positive tone. On the train I sat next to a little group that was chatting. It consisted of a Belarussian and Ukrainian woman respectively (they were old friends) and a man who was Russian. A guy from Uzbekistan and me were not participating in the disussion. Listening to what they were saying, there was no feeling that they were from 3 different countries at all, and I don't think there was any major difference in how they were speaking.

Originally Posted by Eric C.

And, by the way, Hanna, don't forget to post here your impressions on visiting that small town near Gomel (desirably with photos), I'm really looking forward to that. =)

I was meaning to do it yesterday, but I did not get around to it. Looking out from the train window, I can say that the small villages look very similar to what I saw in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. The houses in Belarus were in a somewhat better state of repair than in Ukraine or Moldova. Most looked better maintained, painted etc. It is not rich, but nobody is starving, and everyone has all the clothes they need, and things like a mobile phone. I am aware that I am (undeservedly) "richer" than most people from around here, and the last thing I want to do is be vulgar about that, or treat anything like a spectacle. I am not a rich person in Western Europe, just reasonably "well off" at the moment. I too have been broke and worried about the future at times in my life. I would be extremely cautious about how and when I go to a village, so it would be natural and in a respectful way. For example viewing handicraft or a museum in a village would be an opportunity. Just turning up and starting to photograph, without being able to speak Russian well enough to explain my interest, would feel wrong. So I put it off for the time being. I take your point that there may be poverty in these villages though. But bear in mind that these poor people are the biggest supporters of the current regime in Belarus because it helped keep the worst of post-communism decline at bay for old and rural people.

Basil77 has been in a Belarussian village I think - maybe he can tell you.