Thread: Minsk

Anyone here been to Minsk? Did you enjoy your time there?

I have never been there myself but in germany i met some people who go there on a class trip every summer. It must be cool if they keep going back...

I've been there.

I've actually been born there.

Originally Posted by Frequent_Guest

I've been there.

I've actually been born there.

Awkward verb tense misuse alert!
Awkward verb tense misuse alert!
Awkward verb tense misuse alert!

I'm sure you meant to say:

I've been there.

I was actually born there.

(unless you've been born more than once, in more than one place, in which case you were quite correct, though it seems a little unlikely )

Well, Frequent being a cat and all (as is evident in his avatar), he does get nine goes at it.

It's a humor!

Originally Posted by brett

Well, Frequent being a cat and all (as is evident in his avatar), he does get nine goes at it.

Or at least it may give me some credit in making grammar mistakes.

Yes, it would. I must admit you're the best cat at English that I 've come across.
Just to pin another hole in your English (not that I get pleasure in bringing you down ), did you mean "at least it may give me some excuse for making grammatical mistakes", instead of the word 'credit'?

I wonder about Israel. Is it only in the disputed region that Israel is a tough country to live in. Do you get to have a safe and hopeful life where you live? Or does the conflict directly get to everyone all over Israel?

Originally Posted by brett

Yes, it would. I must admit you're the best cat at English that I 've come across.
Just to pin another hole in your English (not that I get pleasure in bringing you down ), did you mean "at least it may give me some excuse for making grammatical mistakes", instead of the word 'credit'?

Oops! Another furball.

Originally Posted by brett

I wonder about Israel. Is it only in the disputed region that Israel is a tough country to live in. Do you get to have a safe and hopeful life where you live? Or does the conflict directly get to everyone all over Israel?

Let me see... How does the conflict get to me...
There are metall detectors and armed security people at every mall entrance.
And then some of them are constantly poking around checking every trash can or loking under your seat when you ride a bus.
Then there are constant traffic jams because of road blocks.
Every now and then they close a street or evacuate a building to check some suspicious object.
Something you dont see on the streets is having to pay taxes to keep an army like no other country of comparable size has.
When you eat in a restaurant waiter will bring you your check and will ask politely if you're willing to pay the "optional" fee for the security guy sitting at the entrance.

If you don't mind all of the above, the life here is a piece of cake.

But at least where I live missiles don't fall on the roof. And people don't have to ride in armored buses.
And they don't have to drive to and from their work every day escorted by army jeeps.

So the life is quite hopeful. I would like it to be safe, but you can't get everything at one.

Is Minsk a Russian city? If yes, you have to add also Belgrade!

Originally Posted by Партизан

Is Minsk a Russian city? If yes, you have to add also Belgrade!

I love Belgrade!!

So Minsk? - whats it like for foreigners?

Originally Posted by Rimbaud

So Minsk? - whats it like for foreigners?

That's a pretty broad question...
Having just returned from there I would say it was great. Others may feel differently. Just remember, Belarus was called the "last dictatorship" in Europe.

Did you have a hassle free trip?
How did you travel around?
I take it Russian is the primary language?

Did you have a hassle free trip?
How did you travel around?
I take it Russian is the primary language?

-Thanks!
Rimbaud

No, I didn't experience any real hassles. I got into Minsk by train from Warsaw, Poland. I wish they had some high-speed trains in that part of Europe, but apparently they do not. So you can expect a ten-hour train ride if you go this route. Approximately the same time frame to come by train from Moscow. It's about five hours by train from Vilnius, which is the way I left Minsk. As long as you have your passport and visa in order, you should not have a problem with border patrol, although it is a bit nerve-wracking.

Make sure you register with the proper authorities if you are staying more than three days in Belarus. If not, if the police stop you and you don't have the proper paperwork, you will be detained and need to pay a fine.

How did I travel around Minsk? With my two feet! LOL Not sure what you mean, but I was centrally located near Victory Square during my stay and could walk most places. Taxis are very cheap if I wanted to go somewhere further out. You also have a very good (and inexpensive) bus and metro system.

Yes, Russian is the primary language in Minsk. People know and understand Belorussian, but its primarily spoken in the outer rural areas.

The people in Minsk are very friendly. Not a lot of tourists go there, although I met more Americans than I expected. Sounds like you are interested in going, so I say...do it!

~Lee
ps I did not put Minsk in this section as a city in "Russia"! This section was created after I started this thread, and someone moved it here.

Originally Posted by Партизан

Is Minsk a Russian city? If yes, you have to add also Belgrade!

No, because although Minsk is in Belarus', it has a large Russian population and Russian is the main language.

Please dont take my post too much seriously, I know the difference between Minsk and Belgrade and I was joking a little bit..But anyway, its a fact that the capital city of Serbia is welcoming each Russian friend who likes to visit our city, its a fact that Serbia and Russia are in brotherhood, and a Serb in Moscow and a Russian in Belgrade feel both always the same: They feel that they are at home! Right now I am sitting in an internet coffe in the central part of Belgrade and listening to "Kalinka".. I dont know if you can listen Russian songs in Zagreb, Budapest, Praha, Vienna at internet or other coffees..I hope you understand that..But besides, you dont like Serbs, right?

Belgrade is welcoming to many people i think!
The Irish are made feel at home there anyway, from my own experience.

Of course the Russian/Serbian relationship as friends is well known.

If you ask me, everybody is welcome in Belgrade, and everybody should feel like at home, but its a special thing between Russians and Serbs..