When I was sent to the capital of Belarus for work, I expected to see something like North Korea. Well, at least from the media, I heard of our neighbors-Slavs as people living beyond the iron curtain, in the country of eternal socialism.
Mustard, "Soviet" faces, the same gray and dull houses, shortages in stores and nightmarish prices. At every corner, it is certainly worth the monument to Lenin with a policeman who stand next to the policeman, a widespread unemployment, barbed wire and squeezing over all this disgrace of the undented Batka! Well, somehow I imagined Minsk.
Handing to the city, I set up myself that someone from the KGB would probably meet me, well, or at least follow me to be installed. And already outside the window, the buildings of the railway station were blocked and the train began to slow down. Packing hopefully from thieves (but what about the communism, without them?) His things: IPAD (interesting, Belarusians generally know what it is?), Documentation and changeable underwear, checking the presence of money, I headed for the outside.
Shock I expected immediately, at the station. The station was chic! Here is a couple of his photos (not mine):
I accurately arrived at that very Belarus, about which I was told in the news? Already there, at the station to me it began to reach me how much I was mistaken about Minsk! Entering the foyer, I just stood for about five minutes and admired me to see.
Is it worth saying that about the "gray" buildings, I, to put it mildly, was greatly mistaken? I was mistaken about the population - people were pretty sophisticated. True, they all hurried somewhere (well, so the train station!), And in order to learn how I drive to a normal hotel, I went to the policeman to stand at the exit. Evaluating my appearance, and apparently my solvency, the guardianship of the order recommended me the hotel complex "Jubilee". He explained in detail how it was better to drive to the hotel, and, wishing me good luck, took up his state affairs. Thanking him, I went to the city.
The first thing that rushes into the eyes is clean! Looking in advance I note that in Minsk is clean not only in the city center, as it happens in Russia, but also on the backyards of the capital the same purity. Why? First, the people themselves, as they say - "do not shift where they eat." There are enough garbage containers in the city, and the people actively use them. And secondly, in the capital enough workers who constantly maintain purity.
The hotel struck me no less station. Here it is:
He is not cheap (one of the most expensive hotels in the city), but I could afford to live in it the time for me. It is worth noting that there are enough hotels in the city with a variety of price range. You do not need to be a millionaire to find a decent accommodation - there is a lot of taste in the city for every taste and any thickness of the wallet. The hotel where I was settled at an altitude - it was satisfied.
After dinner, having met business partners, I went to wander around the city. I went to the shops, to the local park of Gorky Park, visited the pride of Belarus - the library.
From my fears and experiences about the "Sovka" Belarus, there is no trace.
Yes, not all rosy, there are also their problems. It is enough just to talk to the local population. Their level of salaries leaves much to be desired, the lion's share of the country's workable population is on earnings in the Russian Federation. And yet - the people are not that intimidated, no .... But the anecdotes about Lukashenko you better do not talk on the street .
Regarding prices for food and clothing ... it's hard for me to judge "bite" if they are for Belarusians, but for a resident of Russia - they are funny! Probably, that is why more and more often in Belarus, you can see holidaymakers from the Russian Federation.
The business trip is quickly ended, and I needed to return home. I will say honestly - I regretted that she was so short. If everything is fine, then it is necessary to rest this year with the family to rest for a week to Belarus, which I advise you!
If briefly - Minsk is a pure city of bright people!