May 2015 -- Belarus
I went to Belarus for a long weekend. First, and foremost: whatever you are expecting, Belarus will surprise you.
The above statue of Lenin, in front of the central government building, is a good place to start. It fronts on Independence Square, which is covered in garden plots. A sprawling shopping mall can be found underground.
Another highlight on Independence Square is the Church of Saints Simon and Helena, named after the deceased children of a wealthy Catholic Belarussian. The church survived as a movie studio during the Soviet years, and has been fully restored. Beside the church is the Belarussian KGB headquarters: the guidebooks describe the building as being larger than life -- but perhaps, that is symbolic of the role of the KGB in modern life.
Life in Minsk is pretty tranquil. The river Svislach runs through town, lined with parks and bicycle trails. While the city itself seems like a nice place to live, it is a bit dull for a tourist. There is a decent art gallery, and a few old-ish buildings (Minsk has famously burned down 18 times), but nothing like the spirit of living history you get in places like Riga or Budapest. Khrushchev, when visiting Minsk as leader of the USSR, asked to be taken to the historical center of town -- prompting a decade-long effort to rebuild some of the earliest homes on Trinity Hill.
My favourite story is about this toilet building. Apparently it was constructed as revenge on the owner of the building in the back by an unpaid architect. The two buildings are the only structures in Alexandrovsky Garden. Apparently, during a state visit, the leader of Mongolia was accidentally locked in the toilet for more than an hour by an overzealous soldier.
This kvas was pretty tasty.
So, Belarus isn't really a tourist- or backpacker-friendly place. But if you decide to go...
1. The visa takes some sort. Either get it at an embassy and take the train (cheaper) or, if that's not possible, you can get it at the Minsk airport if you pre-arrange your support documents. For the latter, you (a) book your hotel and airface, (b) arrange for visa support, either through your hotel or with an agent (I went with belvisa.com, expensive but good; make sure they forward your documents to the airport visa office a couple days before you arrive), and (c) fill out and print the visa application form, with a passport picture. When you arrive at the airport, (d) get medical insurance (a couple euros per day) on the main level, then go upstairs (there are signs) to the visa office where you (e) pay for the visa. You need to (f) fill in an entry form that you get on the airplane, but that goes to the passport control folks.
2. There is a train to the airport! It takes about an hour to travel the 40 km to the city, but is cheaper than a taxi (less then 2 euros for the train, or 25-30 euros for a taxi) and more comfortable (look at the picture above). To get on the train, look for the bus on the left as you exit from arrivals -- this bus will take you around the corner to the small train terminal, which isn't visible from the arrivals area.
3. The metro is superb. It is the real people-mover of the city. Rides are 4500 (about 30 cents). You buy a red token at the window, then drop it into the turnstile (which rings an alarm if you mess up). Trains come every 3 to 10 minutes, and run from ~6 to ~midnight. Outside of Minsk, the train is the best way to get around, although the road system seems decent, so you could probably do alright with a rented car.
4. You'll "have the country to yourself", as one person put it. This isn't true -- there are almost 10 million people living in Belarus, and almost 2 million in Minsk -- but the complicated and expensive visa keeps backpackers and casual travellers away. Most of the travellers I met were there for business or to visit family.
