As details emerge about the brazen interception of a Ryanair passenger jet traveling from Athens to Vilnius on Sunday by Belarusian forces, memories of my own visit to Minsk in 2011 vividly resurfaced. Visiting Belarus remains a fascinating memory, not the least because of the problems I ran into (of my own making) getting out of the country. Granted, my visit was a decade ago, but I was amazed then at how much the country felt “Soviet” (versus Russian) and the Cold War iconography that dotted the metropolis.
Below, I’ve republished a photo essay I published on Live and Let’s Fly shortly after my trip.
> Read More: Detained in Belarus!
Stuck In A Different Era: Soviet Union In Minsk, Belarus
Originally published August 23, 2011
I had a fascinating visit to Belarus last weekend, including another incident at the border which you need to check back tomorrow to read about (trust me, it is a great story…). Rather than providing a lengthy written review of my time in Minsk, I want to share some of the photographs I took.
While the Soviet Union may have dissolved two decades ago, you sure would not know it in Minsk. Enjoy the pictures:
The yellow building on the left side is where Lee Harvey Oswald lived after defecting to the USSR
But don’t think life is bad in Minsk. The people, generally, were nice and some improvements in daily life have occurred since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Fishing on an idyllic Sunday afternoon and fully stocked shelves in the GUM Department Store show that things may be a little better now. There’s even a bit of Western influence creeping in. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza, the lone western hotel in the city (full report coming later). There is also two western restaurants: not surprisingly, a McDonald’s as well as a TGI Fridays. Even a Donald Duck t-shirt in a store window…
Great shots! where are the people? and cars? it looks deserted!
@worldtraveller2: They were there, though not too many of them. There certainly appear to be no traffic congestion issues in Minsk.
Remember, public assembly is prohibited, so more than two people are not allowed to stop together on a street corner! 😉
When we were in St Petersburg a few years ago, we were explicitly warned by our tour guide not to take any photos in the Metro. It is still part of their national defense system – fallout shelters. But St Petersburg felt more western than Belarus appears to be.
Thanks for the pictures!
Do have the follow up post as described in 2011 or post a link.
I may someday fly over Belarus so I say this….great country…government is super, best on the world. Any bad reviews is Communist propaganda. America is 3rd world compared to great Belarus.
Did you travel there from Milan? Rochelle Rochelle.
Sorry, that’s all I think of every time Minsk is mentioned.
Ironically, from Vilnius.
Fascinating. I have an intense dislike of fascists and soviets but love the architecture and public space art.
Minsk is great. We stayed 4 days two years ago. Old town is small, but nice. Fascinating to just walk around the city and take it all in. Not at all what I expected
“While the Soviet Union may have dissolved two decades ago, you sure would not know it in Minsk.”
Propaganda pieces aside, some of the older architecture has held up rather well. Particularly the buildings in pictures 4, 6, and 7. And the subway stations look really good too.
Politics aside, I love all the propaganda.
Is this a future vision of America per the left?
Great pictures!! Thanks for sharing these!