Today, we continue on our virtual backpacking trip through Europe, and our next stop is... Belarus! This is a country that has been, and continues to go, through some serious challenges over the past century, between 25% of their population being killed in World War II; 70% of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl disaster landing in Belarus; and being ruled today by a dictator, who regularly violates human rights, incites political violence, and is assumed to have rigged elections. As a result of its leadership, Belarus suffers a poor relationship with the rest of Europe and the United States, and relies heavily on Russia. Even with all of its challenges, Belarus is a nation worth knowing. Let's check it out.
In spite of the radioactive fallout that continues to affect this country, even 35 years later, this landlocked country is very beautiful, with more than 20,000 rivers and 11,000 lakes throughout Belarus.
The capital of Belarus - Minsk - is a 'Green City' with more than 844,000 trees. In fact, over 40% of Belarus is covered in forest, and features the third largest botanical garden in the world.
The Svisloch River that runs through Minsk is crossed by 54 bridges.
There are more than 100 fountains throughout Minsk.
The name 'Belarus' translates to 'White Russia'.
The European Bison is one of the country's national symbols.
The public transportation system in Minsk is well developed and reportedly very reliable.
There are several famous Americans with Belarusian roots and connections. They include Larry King; Harrison Ford; Ralph Lauren; Michael Douglas; Scarlett Johansson; and Lisa Kudrow. It is also worth noting a more notorious resident of Minsk in the early 1960s was Lee Harvey Oswald, who moved back to the U.S. with his wife and baby in 1962, about a year before he assassinated President Kennedy.
The literacy rate of Belarus is more than 99%, which is one of the highest in the world.
The week before lent is known as "Maslenitsa Week" (aka Pancake Week), during which everyone enjoys pancakes with creative toppings. Yummy!
Belarus is considered the 'Silicon Valley' of Eastern Europe, and Programming is a very popular and respected profession throughout the region. In fact, the world famous video game, 'World of Tanks' was developed in Belarus.
Belarus is also considered the 'Las Vegas' of Eastern Europe, as it has attracted many Russians after gambling was banned in Russia.
Minsk was completely destroyed in World War II and fully rebuilt afterward, and this was not the first time. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt 18 times over the course of European history.
Due to the high number of conflicts and wars in which the country has been involved, it is suspected that Belarus is the site of more buried treasure than anywhere in Europe.
In 2014, the world's largest dump truck was created in Belarus, for use in the quarries.
Sports are very popular in Belarus. In particular, football, handball, ice hockey, tennis, biathlon, rowing, and gymnastics are beloved. There have been 68 Belarusian Olympic champions over the past 50 years.
Folk music and Electronic Dance music (EDM) are very popular, although fans of Rock are out of luck, as Rock music is considered 'politically inappropriate' protest music by the government.
The country has a free medical system, and actively promotes medical tourism to attract potential visitors.
Potatoes are a staple of the Belarusian diet, so much so that there are over 300 traditional Belarusian meals featuring potatoes!
The people of Belarus are very superstitious. A handful of interesting ones: Never clean up after a house guest until they reach their destination or you may be cleaning them from your life for good!; If you accidentally step on someone's foot, ask them to step lightly on yours to prevent a conflict; Never place an empty bottle on a table or you will invite bad luck; and Never whistle in your house or you will blow all of your money away!
Belarusian and Russian are both official languages of the country, but only 10% speak Belarusian every day. Most people actually speak a mix of the two languages, commonly referred to as Trasianka.
Comments