Belarus: Practical Guide
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It was such a surreal moment, when in a split second I suddenly decided to visit Belarus. A dictatorial state, with even the slightest expression of protest or critical thinking being exchanged for jail time without trial… An ongoing war, with the local government collaborating with “the enemy”… The entire country being hysterically marked as a red zone with a “state of emergency” travel advice - “don’t go there, we won’t save you” my country dramatically wrote on their official statement… No flights going in our out, land borders systematically being closed, all major travel platforms practicing a general boycott (Booking.com, Air BnB, Expedia, you name it), hell, even my credit card companies refusing to give me my own cash in Belarusian rubbles…
Well hey, sounds like an upcoming holiday destination for me! If anything, this sold it to me even stronger. As by all means, this is not going to be some bland experience, interchangeable for any other country in that corner of the world. I’m going to see some stuff, feel a rollercoaster of emotions, learn new perspectives. I’ll allow myself to peak under that mass-media-created veil and form a temporary part of the day-to-day reality… as an observant, of course, but with the intention to spend every waking minute in the nearness of locals. Eager for those moments of comfortability in which they share, drop their act and let me in. Tell me what they’ve been through and what it’s really like.
A government never equals their people, period. In the case of Belarus, many of its citizens seem to be double victimized: Not only do they undergo a regime of terror and oppression by their own government, they can’t count on any international support or sympathy as the foreign public opinion aligns them with that exact same government that screws them over.
My gut feeling told me this was going to be valuable, I just needed to be around the Belarusian people. I was drawn right to it and had to give in. A decision that was spot on, creating a memory that travels with me for a lifetime.
Well hey, sounds like an upcoming holiday destination for me! If anything, this sold it to me even stronger. As by all means, this is not going to be some bland experience, interchangeable for any other country in that corner of the world. I’m going to see some stuff, feel a rollercoaster of emotions, learn new perspectives. I’ll allow myself to peak under that mass-media-created veil and form a temporary part of the day-to-day reality… as an observant, of course, but with the intention to spend every waking minute in the nearness of locals. Eager for those moments of comfortability in which they share, drop their act and let me in. Tell me what they’ve been through and what it’s really like.
A government never equals their people, period. In the case of Belarus, many of its citizens seem to be double victimized: Not only do they undergo a regime of terror and oppression by their own government, they can’t count on any international support or sympathy as the foreign public opinion aligns them with that exact same government that screws them over.
My gut feeling told me this was going to be valuable, I just needed to be around the Belarusian people. I was drawn right to it and had to give in. A decision that was spot on, creating a memory that travels with me for a lifetime.
But first I had to get there, which is easier said than done.
Preparation: Do I need a visa for Belarus?
(This is accurate for a Dutch citizen anno 2023/2024, crossing a land border - please use this as a reference, but verify the exact process for your passport and check for possible changes or updates.)
If you’re not flying in at Minsk airport, you probably don’t. Generally speaking, most nationalities receive 30 visa-free days if they fly in… but hey, that’s pretty damn useless if all European air traffic going in or out has been cancelled for the unforeseeable future. To cross a land border, you do need that piece of paper in your passport. I kinda got spoilt with the online visas, which gives you the paperwork you need within a few clicks and an instant credit card payment. To get into Belarus, however, you have to personally pass by the Belarusian embassy in whatever country you happen to be (for me that was Estonia), leave your physical passport so you can’t go anywhere in the meantime, and pick it up 1-2 weeks later. Oh, and the office is only open for 2 hours twice a week, right in the middle of the day, with an hour-long line of others waiting for their turn as well… so have fun with that. Also, be ready to not be talked to, but barked at. In Russian, as nobody speaks English and the Belarusian language is oppressed by the government. Belarusian government officials sure now how to hype you up for a visit to their country, I can tell you that much.
On top of that, besides a payment (EUR 35 when I applied), they need a whole bunch of paperwork, including filled out forms, Belarusian health insurance, passport photos and official accommodation bookings for every night you intend to be there. I didn’t get it straight immediately. As I already have an international health insurance plus a traveling insurance also covering medical bills, valid in Belarus, I figured I was a-okay. Spoiler-alert: I was not. They scribbled 2 insurance company names on a piece of paper and sent me back out into Tallinn, a journey of about 2 hours up and down, and asked me to come back in 20 minutes before their office would close. I went to both locations they ordered me to go. One didn’t exist anymore, and upon a phone call they told me they only have offices in Latvia now, not in Estonia. The second one only accepted Estonian citizens, no foreigners. So hey that’s great, I had no options at all and I wasted a few hours of my time (a few days, honestly, as I had to wait again for the next 2 office hours). Final solution: Balta, one of the Belarusian insurance companies, let me apply online and the embassy office told me I could email them the copy of my policy. Fine. And you know what? As I think this was an absolutely ridiculous way to get money out of a tourist that’s already fully medically covered, I never actually bought the insurance: I just forwarded the policy paper and they never checked. Ha.
Preparation: Do I need a visa for Belarus?
(This is accurate for a Dutch citizen anno 2023/2024, crossing a land border - please use this as a reference, but verify the exact process for your passport and check for possible changes or updates.)
If you’re not flying in at Minsk airport, you probably don’t. Generally speaking, most nationalities receive 30 visa-free days if they fly in… but hey, that’s pretty damn useless if all European air traffic going in or out has been cancelled for the unforeseeable future. To cross a land border, you do need that piece of paper in your passport. I kinda got spoilt with the online visas, which gives you the paperwork you need within a few clicks and an instant credit card payment. To get into Belarus, however, you have to personally pass by the Belarusian embassy in whatever country you happen to be (for me that was Estonia), leave your physical passport so you can’t go anywhere in the meantime, and pick it up 1-2 weeks later. Oh, and the office is only open for 2 hours twice a week, right in the middle of the day, with an hour-long line of others waiting for their turn as well… so have fun with that. Also, be ready to not be talked to, but barked at. In Russian, as nobody speaks English and the Belarusian language is oppressed by the government. Belarusian government officials sure now how to hype you up for a visit to their country, I can tell you that much.
On top of that, besides a payment (EUR 35 when I applied), they need a whole bunch of paperwork, including filled out forms, Belarusian health insurance, passport photos and official accommodation bookings for every night you intend to be there. I didn’t get it straight immediately. As I already have an international health insurance plus a traveling insurance also covering medical bills, valid in Belarus, I figured I was a-okay. Spoiler-alert: I was not. They scribbled 2 insurance company names on a piece of paper and sent me back out into Tallinn, a journey of about 2 hours up and down, and asked me to come back in 20 minutes before their office would close. I went to both locations they ordered me to go. One didn’t exist anymore, and upon a phone call they told me they only have offices in Latvia now, not in Estonia. The second one only accepted Estonian citizens, no foreigners. So hey that’s great, I had no options at all and I wasted a few hours of my time (a few days, honestly, as I had to wait again for the next 2 office hours). Final solution: Balta, one of the Belarusian insurance companies, let me apply online and the embassy office told me I could email them the copy of my policy. Fine. And you know what? As I think this was an absolutely ridiculous way to get money out of a tourist that’s already fully medically covered, I never actually bought the insurance: I just forwarded the policy paper and they never checked. Ha.
Next: The paperwork of some local Air BnB network I handed in wasn’t accepted. It needed to be from an official hotel or hostel, not an individual renting out a room. Truth being told: I had no idea where I was going to stay yet and planned to hitchhike and couchsurf around the country, like I always do, and I was not going to let the border officials take that joy away from me. So standing inside of the embassy office I simply booked a hostel for 3 weeks with a 100% cancellation policy (and cancelled it after I crossed the border).
Two weeks later, when I took 6 hours to travel back to Tallinn, they did not have my visa ready. They hadn’t even touched my passport yet, as “I didn’t send in the paperwork.” I did, thrice, and I had my outbox to show for it. My hopes were at this point approaching zero as they ordered me to sit down and wait, and I was mentally preparing to give up on the idea of visiting Belarus. Yet, 45 minutes later they reappeared. I saw something what vaguely resembled a smile, and my heartbeat raised. I got it, I got it! Mother of god, they fcking handed it to me, what were the odds! Belarusiaaaaa, I’m on my way!
Two weeks later, when I took 6 hours to travel back to Tallinn, they did not have my visa ready. They hadn’t even touched my passport yet, as “I didn’t send in the paperwork.” I did, thrice, and I had my outbox to show for it. My hopes were at this point approaching zero as they ordered me to sit down and wait, and I was mentally preparing to give up on the idea of visiting Belarus. Yet, 45 minutes later they reappeared. I saw something what vaguely resembled a smile, and my heartbeat raised. I got it, I got it! Mother of god, they fcking handed it to me, what were the odds! Belarusiaaaaa, I’m on my way!
… If you by the way think that you’re done now with the paperwork migraine, you’re in for a surprise: Once you enter the country, you have 2 weeks to report yourself and your place of “residence” in Belarus to the local police. And pay again (about 15 euros). I don’t know why they can’t just include this fee and paperwork in the initial process, as they force you to pre-book everything anyway so they know your place of residence, but this is the situation at hand. Of course, this isn’t an easy nor friendly process either. I arranged it in Mogilev, with the help of a local, without whom I wouldn’t have managed, as I don’t speak Russian and they refuse to speak anything else. Once I showed up at the police office I had to hand in all my belongings and got body searched (!), like I was about to enter prison, then I had to shut up and wait. An hour later, I got subjected to a bunch of questions (why are you’re here? you’re Dutch and you’re here, why?), pay and fck off with a piece of paper. Without that paper I would be in for some drama at the border on my way out. Even though I only stayed 2 nights in my reported residence and it didn’t match the hostel I showed to get my visa, this was never verified and nobody seemed to care.
Getting In & Out
In preparation of this journey, nothing was straightforward and easy. Including getting there, even though there are buses available. As the prices of direct buses from Estonia were through the roof, I decided to take a bus to the Latvian border, take a train to Riga (visiting a friend), then a bus to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius (visiting another friend) and take a bus from there to Minsk (no other Belarusian destinations available). Normally I would just hitchhike, but unaware of what to expect from the Belarusian border and being a tad nervous, I decided not to attract more unnecessary attention to my persona. As the only foreigner there I already stood out and I didn’t want any extra questions. However, the bus company I tried to book with apparently wasn’t keen on foreign business, as they only accepted Belarusian credit cards. In the end, I had a Belarusian travel friend make the booking on my behalf. Once in Vilnius, I almost missed the bus as I was unable to trace it down at the time and location mentioned (which they also changed last minute, so if you don’t have data on your phone you just miss it). It turned out to be a minivan without any marking on it, but nevertheless comfortable and modern. After 3.5hrs at the border, they dropped me off in downtown Minsk.
On the way out, having hitchhiked through a few trajectories within the country and being familiar with the kind nature of the Belarusians, I was confident enough to hitch out. It worked, but it wasn’t easy. I figured I just walk across the border, and hold up my thumb on the Polish side. Same old. However, they don’t allow that, you have to be inside of a vehicle to cross the border. Doing that, you shouldn’t underestimate the legitimate fear of the average Belarusian for their government officials, for which they have good reason. People aren’t likely to just take a stranger across the border, not knowing what (anti-governmental?) things they’ve been up to and what they’re carrying in their luggage. They can go to jail for that shit. At last, as a woman pulling off a hardcore charm offensive, I got it done. It would be a car I’d spend 13 full hours in, as that’s how long the line was to get through the only Belarusian-Polish border that remained open. Fast, if I have to believe the locals, as they sometimes wait up to 29 hours. Once I finally set foot on Polish soil, the sun had already set and the last trains and buses to Warsaw had departed. I had no choice but to continue on hitchhiking. In the dark and the pouring rain. I managed, I always do, but it was one hell of a journey that consumed the entire day. Just take the damn bus, scrape up the cash, it’s worth it.
In preparation of this journey, nothing was straightforward and easy. Including getting there, even though there are buses available. As the prices of direct buses from Estonia were through the roof, I decided to take a bus to the Latvian border, take a train to Riga (visiting a friend), then a bus to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius (visiting another friend) and take a bus from there to Minsk (no other Belarusian destinations available). Normally I would just hitchhike, but unaware of what to expect from the Belarusian border and being a tad nervous, I decided not to attract more unnecessary attention to my persona. As the only foreigner there I already stood out and I didn’t want any extra questions. However, the bus company I tried to book with apparently wasn’t keen on foreign business, as they only accepted Belarusian credit cards. In the end, I had a Belarusian travel friend make the booking on my behalf. Once in Vilnius, I almost missed the bus as I was unable to trace it down at the time and location mentioned (which they also changed last minute, so if you don’t have data on your phone you just miss it). It turned out to be a minivan without any marking on it, but nevertheless comfortable and modern. After 3.5hrs at the border, they dropped me off in downtown Minsk.
On the way out, having hitchhiked through a few trajectories within the country and being familiar with the kind nature of the Belarusians, I was confident enough to hitch out. It worked, but it wasn’t easy. I figured I just walk across the border, and hold up my thumb on the Polish side. Same old. However, they don’t allow that, you have to be inside of a vehicle to cross the border. Doing that, you shouldn’t underestimate the legitimate fear of the average Belarusian for their government officials, for which they have good reason. People aren’t likely to just take a stranger across the border, not knowing what (anti-governmental?) things they’ve been up to and what they’re carrying in their luggage. They can go to jail for that shit. At last, as a woman pulling off a hardcore charm offensive, I got it done. It would be a car I’d spend 13 full hours in, as that’s how long the line was to get through the only Belarusian-Polish border that remained open. Fast, if I have to believe the locals, as they sometimes wait up to 29 hours. Once I finally set foot on Polish soil, the sun had already set and the last trains and buses to Warsaw had departed. I had no choice but to continue on hitchhiking. In the dark and the pouring rain. I managed, I always do, but it was one hell of a journey that consumed the entire day. Just take the damn bus, scrape up the cash, it’s worth it.
Accommodation
As earlier mentioned, Belarus is internationally boycotted. This includes the main booking engines you’ve been taking for granted in your travels: Booking.com, Air BnB, Expedia, you name it… Pretty sour, as you can’t get your visa in the first place without accommodation booked for your entire stay through. Your options are narrowed down to emailing ho(s)tels directly (in Russian!), taking away the transparency of cost comparison, or… using the one booking app that’s left: Hotels.com. I had never used it before, but in Belarus it was a lifesaver.
Money
“It’s my money, I can do with it whatever the hell I want!” Nah, in Belarus you don’t. You can’t even get to it, in some cases. Upon prior enquiry I learned that Belarus was not supported by 2 out of 3 banks I had an account with. The one that did allow me to use my card in Belarus charged such outrageous cashout and commission amounts, that the whole trip would be twice as expensive. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: Just bring cash! And with cash I mean American dollars or euros, which are accepted in every exchange office (almost every shopping mall has one). Exchange only the absolute minimal abroad, allowing you to have some spare cash on your arrival day… because outside of Belarus the exchange rates are horrendous, as it’s a rare currency to exchange. Within Belarus the exchange rates are much lower. I’d recommend to take more than you think you need, to have a buffer, and just exchange bit by bit. It’s not a big deal to have some leftover euros at hand, you can spend them afterwards, but a surplus of Belarusian rubbles would probably be a lost investment.
Depending on what your frame of reference is, Belarus is very cheap. Compared to the rest of Europe, prices of food, tourist attractions, public transport and medical services are only a fraction of the price. Accommodation prices are comparable to Eastern Europe. A haircut, dentist appointment, getting a tattoo, and even getting my IUD removed… I’ve got it all done in Belarus, saving me literally a few hundred bucks compared to the prices of doing it in my home country the Netherlands.
As earlier mentioned, Belarus is internationally boycotted. This includes the main booking engines you’ve been taking for granted in your travels: Booking.com, Air BnB, Expedia, you name it… Pretty sour, as you can’t get your visa in the first place without accommodation booked for your entire stay through. Your options are narrowed down to emailing ho(s)tels directly (in Russian!), taking away the transparency of cost comparison, or… using the one booking app that’s left: Hotels.com. I had never used it before, but in Belarus it was a lifesaver.
Money
“It’s my money, I can do with it whatever the hell I want!” Nah, in Belarus you don’t. You can’t even get to it, in some cases. Upon prior enquiry I learned that Belarus was not supported by 2 out of 3 banks I had an account with. The one that did allow me to use my card in Belarus charged such outrageous cashout and commission amounts, that the whole trip would be twice as expensive. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: Just bring cash! And with cash I mean American dollars or euros, which are accepted in every exchange office (almost every shopping mall has one). Exchange only the absolute minimal abroad, allowing you to have some spare cash on your arrival day… because outside of Belarus the exchange rates are horrendous, as it’s a rare currency to exchange. Within Belarus the exchange rates are much lower. I’d recommend to take more than you think you need, to have a buffer, and just exchange bit by bit. It’s not a big deal to have some leftover euros at hand, you can spend them afterwards, but a surplus of Belarusian rubbles would probably be a lost investment.
Depending on what your frame of reference is, Belarus is very cheap. Compared to the rest of Europe, prices of food, tourist attractions, public transport and medical services are only a fraction of the price. Accommodation prices are comparable to Eastern Europe. A haircut, dentist appointment, getting a tattoo, and even getting my IUD removed… I’ve got it all done in Belarus, saving me literally a few hundred bucks compared to the prices of doing it in my home country the Netherlands.
People
My experience at the embassy and later on at the police station is fairly representative of the attitude of the average government official: Incredibly rude and unwelcoming. You’ll be basically treated like a potential enemy that’s just wasting their time, before you even had the chance to open your mouth to say something. The KGB is not a part of the communist past here, it’s an active governmental institution with fancy offices all over the country. It’s however a world apart from the average citizen. If I think of Belarusians, I think of warm, welcoming and caring people that just can’t hide their enthusiasm about seeing a foreigner. I’ve been almost exclusively staying with hosts from the Couchsurfing network, who’ve taken me in like family. Before I even arrived, these hosts went above and beyond to help me arrange the paperwork, make phone calls on my behalf, organize medical appointments I intended to have (Belarus is cheaaaap) and make sure all goes smoothly on my journey. Really, above and beyond, and they didn’t even know me. Also on the streets, when people noticed my patched backpack with flags from all over the world, or simply heard me speaking in English, they got incredibly excited and immediately started talking to me if they were able to do so. I was treated on tea, coffee and sweets by people on the street or in the train. I felt like a celebrity, honestly, being stared at everywhere I went, but in the most positive sense of the word.
My experience at the embassy and later on at the police station is fairly representative of the attitude of the average government official: Incredibly rude and unwelcoming. You’ll be basically treated like a potential enemy that’s just wasting their time, before you even had the chance to open your mouth to say something. The KGB is not a part of the communist past here, it’s an active governmental institution with fancy offices all over the country. It’s however a world apart from the average citizen. If I think of Belarusians, I think of warm, welcoming and caring people that just can’t hide their enthusiasm about seeing a foreigner. I’ve been almost exclusively staying with hosts from the Couchsurfing network, who’ve taken me in like family. Before I even arrived, these hosts went above and beyond to help me arrange the paperwork, make phone calls on my behalf, organize medical appointments I intended to have (Belarus is cheaaaap) and make sure all goes smoothly on my journey. Really, above and beyond, and they didn’t even know me. Also on the streets, when people noticed my patched backpack with flags from all over the world, or simply heard me speaking in English, they got incredibly excited and immediately started talking to me if they were able to do so. I was treated on tea, coffee and sweets by people on the street or in the train. I felt like a celebrity, honestly, being stared at everywhere I went, but in the most positive sense of the word.
Forbidden Signs in Belarus
Before heading to Belarus, I was told that anything pro-Ukrainian or anti-Russian could stir up some shit. So reluctantly I removed my Ukrainian flag from my backpack, a souvenir from my recent journey through this incredible country, which took place a few weeks before the war broke out. I also removed a Facebook profile photo of me holding up a Ukrainian flag, as I understood that social media is actively being scanned. This sounds like an exaggeration, but I have met several Belarusians during my stay who have friends in prison for simply putting a “thumbs up” on a Belarusian nationalist post, or who have been blacklisted (causing them to instantly lose their job and livelihood) for expressing an opinion online that doesn’t align with what’s desired. It’s also very common to be forced to hand in your phone at the border, where government officials will scroll through your messages and social media in search of any commentary discrediting their policy. I deleted any Whatsapp messages mentioning Belarus or Ukraine, and simply temporarily deleted my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter apps, after making the content only visible to myself during my days of crossing the borders. Small effort, better safe than sorry.
One thing I wasn’t aware of, is what the country’s most illegal symbol looks like: white-red-white in horizontal stripes, the original Belarusian flag used in times of independence, before the Soviet occupation. Since then it has been used by the Belarusian nationalist movement and opposition, especially in anti-governmental protests. It’s easy to see why in a totalitarian dictatorship flashing around this symbol is highly undesired, yet I had no idea. Did you? That’s right, so don’t judge me. That’s how this very unlikely scenario happened… Remember that I said I got a tattoo done in Belarus, because it’s very affordable here? Right, the tattoo was that of a long-distance-trail sign, which according to my personal hiking tradition I always get on my foot afterwards. Simultaneously, I got 2 other foot tattoos touched up, including the trail sign of Poland’s longest trail (the Glowny Szlak Beskidzky) which I completed a few years ago. A trail marked by white-red-white stripes… At first I didn’t understand the facial expressions of the tattoo shop employees, and when they made some photos from it, smiling, I figured they just thought I was bad-ass because of the extremely painful nature of a foot tattoo. It took a few days before someone enlightened me. Holy crap. The most illegal symbol of Belarus, and I sit there in the middle of Minsk openly getting it tattooed on my skin! And that’s not all, I had a huge patch of it on my backpack, with which I happily crossed the border and walked for several kilometers through the capital. More than enough to get me jailed for a couple of years. People have been arrested for simply wearing the red-white-red color combination in their clothing. I kid you not, arrests were made for putting a red scarf on a snowman, having a photo on a pen drive with several white and red items, drying white-red underwear on a balcony, or buying red and white flowers.
Another forbidden symbol includes the Pahonia coat of arms.
Before heading to Belarus, I was told that anything pro-Ukrainian or anti-Russian could stir up some shit. So reluctantly I removed my Ukrainian flag from my backpack, a souvenir from my recent journey through this incredible country, which took place a few weeks before the war broke out. I also removed a Facebook profile photo of me holding up a Ukrainian flag, as I understood that social media is actively being scanned. This sounds like an exaggeration, but I have met several Belarusians during my stay who have friends in prison for simply putting a “thumbs up” on a Belarusian nationalist post, or who have been blacklisted (causing them to instantly lose their job and livelihood) for expressing an opinion online that doesn’t align with what’s desired. It’s also very common to be forced to hand in your phone at the border, where government officials will scroll through your messages and social media in search of any commentary discrediting their policy. I deleted any Whatsapp messages mentioning Belarus or Ukraine, and simply temporarily deleted my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter apps, after making the content only visible to myself during my days of crossing the borders. Small effort, better safe than sorry.
One thing I wasn’t aware of, is what the country’s most illegal symbol looks like: white-red-white in horizontal stripes, the original Belarusian flag used in times of independence, before the Soviet occupation. Since then it has been used by the Belarusian nationalist movement and opposition, especially in anti-governmental protests. It’s easy to see why in a totalitarian dictatorship flashing around this symbol is highly undesired, yet I had no idea. Did you? That’s right, so don’t judge me. That’s how this very unlikely scenario happened… Remember that I said I got a tattoo done in Belarus, because it’s very affordable here? Right, the tattoo was that of a long-distance-trail sign, which according to my personal hiking tradition I always get on my foot afterwards. Simultaneously, I got 2 other foot tattoos touched up, including the trail sign of Poland’s longest trail (the Glowny Szlak Beskidzky) which I completed a few years ago. A trail marked by white-red-white stripes… At first I didn’t understand the facial expressions of the tattoo shop employees, and when they made some photos from it, smiling, I figured they just thought I was bad-ass because of the extremely painful nature of a foot tattoo. It took a few days before someone enlightened me. Holy crap. The most illegal symbol of Belarus, and I sit there in the middle of Minsk openly getting it tattooed on my skin! And that’s not all, I had a huge patch of it on my backpack, with which I happily crossed the border and walked for several kilometers through the capital. More than enough to get me jailed for a couple of years. People have been arrested for simply wearing the red-white-red color combination in their clothing. I kid you not, arrests were made for putting a red scarf on a snowman, having a photo on a pen drive with several white and red items, drying white-red underwear on a balcony, or buying red and white flowers.
Another forbidden symbol includes the Pahonia coat of arms.
Needless to say, this did boost that tattoo to my all-time-favorite. It already reflected a wonderful trail memory and accomplishment, but having this experience added to it, combined with the strong feelings of support I caress for the Belarusian people, this tattoo means so much more. I took a huge risk without knowing it, but it resulted in rounds of cheers and high fives by everyone I felt secure enough to show it to. Viva Belarusia! Жыве Беларусь!
Food
What am I going to eat in Belarus? Well, Belarusian food, I hope, because it’s pretty darn awesome. It does show a lot of overlap with Russian, Ukrainian and Baltic food, and for all I know that’s a good sign. I love hearty, filling meals that are preferably cheese- and meat-loaded. Bring it on. Let me list a bunch of local dishes for you, which I used as a personal checklist:
Not all was easy to trace down. Many of these dishes are generally prepared by some “babushka” as a family meal, rather than something a restaurant would serve. Yet, the Vasiliki restaurant chain offers a wide variety of these dishes, be it (for Belarusian reference) a tad on the pricey end. I got so infatuated with the Belarusian cuisine, that I even went out of my way to buy a Belarusian cookbook to export their delicious recipes out of the country!
Food
What am I going to eat in Belarus? Well, Belarusian food, I hope, because it’s pretty darn awesome. It does show a lot of overlap with Russian, Ukrainian and Baltic food, and for all I know that’s a good sign. I love hearty, filling meals that are preferably cheese- and meat-loaded. Bring it on. Let me list a bunch of local dishes for you, which I used as a personal checklist:
- Draniki / Дранікі: Potato pancakes, a classic, also very common in the surrounding countries.
- Lakshini / Лакшыны: Milk soup with potato starch.
- Zhur / Жур: Sour cereal soup, also the national dish of Poland. Not my thing, honestly.
- Machanka / Мачанка: Cheesy stew with meat. This one is fcking winner.
- Piachista / Пячыста: Meat platter, the Belarusian “mixed grill.”
- Grechaniki / Гречанікі: Buckwheat patties, originally Russian/Ukrainian.
- Verashchaka / Верашчака: Pork ribs.
- Blini / Бліны: Thick pancakes, a common Eastern European dish.
- Syrniki / Сырники: Slavic quark pancakes.
- Lazanki / Лазанки: Pasta with noodles, sauerkraut, cabbage, mushrooms and sausage. Originally Polish.
- Babka / Бабка: Grated potato pie with bacon from the oven.
- Vareniki / Вареники: Stuffed dumplings, origins in Ukraine.
- Pelmeni / Пельмени: Also stuffed dumplings, in a slightly different shape.
- Zacirka / Зацірка: Eastern European noodle soup.
- Halushki / Галушки: Thick, non-stuffed noodles.
- Kalduni / Калдуны: Stuffed dough dumplings, rather big.
- Shuba / Шуба: Russian herring salad with beets.
- Kletski / Клецкий: Boiled flour balls.
- Smazhenka / Смаженка: Belarusian pizza with potato base. It’s a common local fast food opiton, especially after hitting the bars.
- Tsibriki / Цибрики: Potato balls.
- Kvass / Квас: Fermented non-alcoholic drink. Also very popular in the Baltic States.
- Krambambulia / Крамбамбуля: Belarusian alcoholic mix drink containing red wine and liquors such as vodka, rum and/or gin.
- Sbiten / Збіцень: East Slavic hot winter beverage without alcohol.
- Kisel / Кісель: Drink containing frozen berries and potato starch.
Not all was easy to trace down. Many of these dishes are generally prepared by some “babushka” as a family meal, rather than something a restaurant would serve. Yet, the Vasiliki restaurant chain offers a wide variety of these dishes, be it (for Belarusian reference) a tad on the pricey end. I got so infatuated with the Belarusian cuisine, that I even went out of my way to buy a Belarusian cookbook to export their delicious recipes out of the country!
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Belarus Facts
Short History Recap
1918: End WWI, independence as Belarusian National Republic. ’19: Russian Red Army conquers Belarus again and establishes communist rule. ’21: Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Russia. ‘30s: Elimination of intellectuals and political opponents under Stalin →100,000+ people executed in Belarus, 1000s sent to labour camps. ’41: WWII, Nazi Germany invades. More than 1mln million killed. ’44: Red Army drives Germans out. 60s: Policy of Russification: Belarusian language and culture second-class status. ’86: Belarus heavily affected by Chernobyl disaster → 20% of agricultural land contaminated. ’88: Belarusian Popular Front / nationalist revival. ’90: Belarusian becomes official state language. ’91: Belarus declares independence as Soviet Union breaks up. ’94: Lukashenko wins first presidential election, campaign against corruption and re-establishing close ties with Russia. ’95: Friendship and cooperation pact signed with Russia. Referendums restore Russian as co-official language, boost presidential powers. ’96: Economic union signed with Russia. ’98: Belarusian rubble value halved. Food rationing imposed. 2001: Lukashenko re-elected undemocratically. ’02: Lukashenko rejects Russian proposals for unified government and parliament. ’04: Referendum allows president to serve more than previous limit of 2 terms, opposition gets zero seats. Rigged elections keeping Lukashenko in power continue for another 20 years, always followed by demonstrations and mass arrests. ’06:EU imposes visa ban on Lukashenko and numerous ministers and officials. New media law restricting online reporting and private media funding. ’10: Tensions with Russia over gas dispute. ’11: Explosion busy metro station in Minsk. Devaluation of rubble against the dollar by 36%. Hundreds beaten and arrested after a month of nationwide anti-government protests. ’12: New law restricts access to foreign websites & forces internet cafes to report users visiting sites registered abroad. ’18: Scandal involving embezzlement of funds from the health service. ’22: Belarusian government allows its territory to be used by Russia's army to launch attacks into Ukraine. Most Belarusians are against it, but expressing that opinion can result in arrest, jail time and blacklisting.
Belarus Facts
- Capital: Minsk
- Language: Russian, Belarusian
- Population: ± 9.2 mln
- Sq km: ± 207,600 (Warsaw: 517.2)
- Currency: Belarusian Ruble (Br - BYN)
- Electricity Outlet: C + F / 220 V / 50 Hz. Check here.
- Country Code Phone: +375
- Emergency Phone: 102 (police), 103 (ambulance), 101 (fire)
- Visa: 30 visa-free days for most nationalities if you enter via Minsk International Airport. However, all flights from and to Europe from Belarus are suspended.
- Vaccinations: None.
- Climate: Continental Climate (Dfb)
- High season: Summer – but foreign tourism is basically non-existent in Belarus
Short History Recap
1918: End WWI, independence as Belarusian National Republic. ’19: Russian Red Army conquers Belarus again and establishes communist rule. ’21: Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Russia. ‘30s: Elimination of intellectuals and political opponents under Stalin →100,000+ people executed in Belarus, 1000s sent to labour camps. ’41: WWII, Nazi Germany invades. More than 1mln million killed. ’44: Red Army drives Germans out. 60s: Policy of Russification: Belarusian language and culture second-class status. ’86: Belarus heavily affected by Chernobyl disaster → 20% of agricultural land contaminated. ’88: Belarusian Popular Front / nationalist revival. ’90: Belarusian becomes official state language. ’91: Belarus declares independence as Soviet Union breaks up. ’94: Lukashenko wins first presidential election, campaign against corruption and re-establishing close ties with Russia. ’95: Friendship and cooperation pact signed with Russia. Referendums restore Russian as co-official language, boost presidential powers. ’96: Economic union signed with Russia. ’98: Belarusian rubble value halved. Food rationing imposed. 2001: Lukashenko re-elected undemocratically. ’02: Lukashenko rejects Russian proposals for unified government and parliament. ’04: Referendum allows president to serve more than previous limit of 2 terms, opposition gets zero seats. Rigged elections keeping Lukashenko in power continue for another 20 years, always followed by demonstrations and mass arrests. ’06:EU imposes visa ban on Lukashenko and numerous ministers and officials. New media law restricting online reporting and private media funding. ’10: Tensions with Russia over gas dispute. ’11: Explosion busy metro station in Minsk. Devaluation of rubble against the dollar by 36%. Hundreds beaten and arrested after a month of nationwide anti-government protests. ’12: New law restricts access to foreign websites & forces internet cafes to report users visiting sites registered abroad. ’18: Scandal involving embezzlement of funds from the health service. ’22: Belarusian government allows its territory to be used by Russia's army to launch attacks into Ukraine. Most Belarusians are against it, but expressing that opinion can result in arrest, jail time and blacklisting.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Main Supermarket Chains Croatia: Santa, Europt, Korona, Almi, Gyppo, Belmarket, Vitalur, Radzivillovsky, Preston, Sosedi, Prostore, Bigzz, Green.
- Local Dishes: Draniki / Дранікі (potato pancakes), Lakshini / Лакшыны (milk soup with potato starch), Zhur / Жур (sour cereal soup), Machanka / Мачанка (cheesy stew with meat), Piachista / Пячыста (meat platter), Grechaniki / Гречанікі (buckwheat patties), Verashchaka / Верашчака (pork ribs), Blini / Бліны (thick pancakes), Syrniki / Сырники (quark pancakes), Lazanki / Лазанки (pasta), Babka / Бабка (grated potato pie), Vareniki / Вареники (stuffed dumplings), Pelmeni / Пельмени (stuffed dumplings), Zacirka / Зацірка (noodle soup), Halushki / Галушки (thick, non-stuffed noodles), Kalduni / Калдуны (stuffed dough dumplings), Shuba / Шуба (Russian herring salad with beets), Kletski / Клецкий (boiled flour balls), Smazhenka / Смаженка (Belarusian pizza with potato base), Tsibriki / Цибрики (potato balls).
- The Veg Situation: Going veg is pretty easy in Europe and also in Belarus. Every supermarket has its own vegan/vegetarian section and there are quite some restaurants… check them here. Some veg traditional Belarusian dishes: Draniki / Дранікі, Lakshini / Лакшыны, Zhur / Жур, Grechaniki / Гречанікі, Blini / Бліны, Syrniki / Сырники, Kletski / Клецкий, Tsibriki / Цибрики.
- National Drink: Krambambulia / Крамбамбуля (alcoholic mix drink containing red wine and liquors), Sbiten / Збіцень (hot winter beverage), Kisel / Кісель (frozen berries and potato starch).
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: Hostels and alternative accommodation are pretty cheap in Belarus. However, all main booking engines boycott Belarus, except one: Hotels.com. The other option is to google accommodations and contact them (in Russian) for a reservation.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Belarus is a very active one and the competition is basically zero, as there hardly aren’t any other travelers. If your’re bikepacking you can also look into Warm Showers, which is a bikepacking community focussing on 1-night stays.
- Wild Camping: is permitted on forest and public land.
Mama Said
Transport
Next?
- Safety: The biggest threat in Belarus comes from its own totalitarian government. Arrest and imprisonment for perceived anti-governmental actions and expressed opinions doesn’t exclude foreign visitors. Stay low-key and try to refrain from openly expressing political opinions in public. Belarus is a heavily policed state, which does result in a low crime rate. You can probably leave your wallet on the ground in the middle of downtown Minsk, and no one would touch it out of fear of the consequences (cameras everywhere).
- Tap Water: is safe to drink.
- Credit cards: Check with your bank or credit card company if they operate in Belarus, as many of them don’t with the current political situation. If they do, verify the commission and exchange rate, as they tend to be unfavorable. It is usually cheaper to bring a stash of cash in dollars/euros to bring to the exchange offices in Belarus (much better rates here).
- Simcard: Public wifi is pretty terrible in Belarus. They all require time-consuming registration and once that’s finally done it usually still doesn’t work. Buying a local simcard is therefore recommended, especially since Belarus is not part of the EU and your international roaming won’t work here. The main providers are Live, A1, or MTS. Unlike many other countries, they don’t sell simcards in kiosks, gas stations or supermarkets. You have to go to a flagship store of the phone brand and not even all of them can help you (only the second one would sell one to me). Your passport is requiered. I used Live, which allegedly has he smallest network but the best rates, and I had coverage all over Belarus.
Transport
- Cycling: Cycling is an option in summer time, when there’s no heavy snowfall. Keep in mind that it’s not a very common way to get around and vehicles might not necessarily be very mindful of cyclists.
- Public transport within the city: Minsk has a very cheap and efficient metro system, for which you buy coins at the vending desks at the station. Minsk also has an urban train, connecting Minsk Pasažyrski with Ždanovičy and the Minsk Sea. Minsk as well as other big cities have trams, trolleybuses and an extensive bus network of city buses and minibuses (called “mashrutkas”). Smaller destinations only have buses and minibuses. Tickets can be bought in a vending kiosk at the stop, from the conductor or from the driver. Some transportation options in the cities accept card or phone payment, but generally it’s cash only. There are also tickets available with a certain amount of trips, or with unlimited trips for a certain amount of days. In Minsk there is also an option to buy a swipe-card (money refunded when you return the card), which includes all modes of transport and gives even cheaper rates. On the buses, the letter “C” (3-c) marks rapidness: it skips several stops on the standard route. The letter “Э” (3-э) is for express buses, the fastest option, for which you need a different, more expensive ticket. Tickets need to be validated in the yellow validator box. Google Maps or Moovit don’t properly work here, bute the Yandex app gives accurate information on routes.
- Public transport from city to city: Intercity bus tickets can be bought at the bus station. Online payment is usually only reserved for Belarusian credit cards, and all websites are exclusively in Russian, unneccesarily compicating things. Besides big buses, there are also minibuses (mashrutakas) driving from city to city. As a foreigner who doesn’t speak the language, I found the minibus system incredibly complicated. You have to reserve them on the phone somehow, speaking Russian, and then go to a very unclear and unmarked stop somewhere at a roadside that you simply “have to know”. I have missed multiple of these reserved buses, even with the help of locals. I highly prefer line buses leaving from an obvious bus station, or a train.
- Taxi / Uber: The local taxi app is called Yandex Taxi. It’s very affordable.
- Train: Traveling by train is one of the best ways to get around in Belarus. It’s comfortable, reliable and cheap. Prices and travel times vary quite a bit, depending on what type of train and what seat you choose. There are Urban Lines, Regional Lines and Interregional Lines. There are also different seats and classes available, many even offering you a full bed or bench for yourself. It’s best to buy the tickets at least a day ahead in the train station, having your info translated in advance (I’ve never encountered a single train station employee that speaks english). You can also book online or by phone with delivery (by actual paper mail) or pickup, but this just seems like extra steps. The website in Russian and Belarusian can be found here.
- Car Rental: This is pretty complicated to arrange, as most booking engines that facilitate car rental when traveling are boycotted in Belarus as well. You must contact a local company (in Russian) to get a quote.
- Airport: National Airport Minsk (MSQ). There are currently no European flights serving Belarus.
- Hitchhiking: is relatively common and easy in Belarus. I hitchhiked on several occasions and I always managed with relative ease (as a woman alone). More info on hitchhiking in Belarus can be found on Hitchwiki.
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