Minsk to Mist

When someone learns where I am originally from, the most common response I hear is ‘Oh wow, I don’t think I have ever met someone from Belarus before!’

That’s true – we are a rare breed, at least outside of countries where many Belarusians ended up in the past few years, such as Poland, Lithuania and Georgia. Despite the (not-so-ungrounded) notorious image of my native country, to this day, it remains a terra incognita for most people in the world.

While I don’t have the power or even the will to educate the entire global population about Belarus, I thought I’d prepare a brief list of things people usually ask me about and my usual responses. Well, maybe with a bit more honesty this time.

Where is Belarus?

It’s quite a small country located in Eastern Europe between Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. When I say ‘quite a small country’, I mean it is on a global scale. If you look at the list of European countries by square area, you fill find my native country sitting comfortably at position #13 out of 51.

So, is it a part of Russia?

No! It’s a separate country that has its own history, language, currency, etc. And while we’re at it, this is the best question to piss a Belarusian off. Can’t really speak on behalf of other nations, but I would steer clear of that question when speaking to Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Georgians and people from any other countries adjacent to Russia. Better use ‘is it next to Russia?’ or something along those lines.

So, which language do you speak, is it Russian?

Yes and no. The most common language in Belarus is indeed Russian, which is a result of centuries-long Russian policy of eradicating indigenous languages in countries that were part of the Russian Empire and subsequently the Soviet Union. We do, however, have our own language, which is – unsurprisingly – called Belarusian. Both are learned at schools, and there are people who only speak Belarusian out of principle, especially since some well-known events of 2022.

I treat both as my native languages as my father was Belarusian and my mother is Russian. And when I say that I speak 5 different languages, I do include Belarusian and Russian into that count.

How different are Russian and Belarusian?

Both languages refer to the Eastern Slavic group of languages, so they are quite similar. Belarusian is certainly more similar to Russian then, say, to English. It does not mean, however, that you can perfectly understand Belarusian if the only language you speak is Russian. Sometimes it can lead to comic situations.

There is an old nationalist joke in Belarus about how confusing Belarusian railway stations can be to Russians. The word ‘другi’ (drugi), which means ‘second’ in Belarusian, is very similar to the Russian word ‘другой’ (drugoy), which means ‘another’. That means that an announcement at a train station in a Belarusian town ‘Цягнік адпраўляецца з другой платформы’ (the train departs from platform 2) may confuse a Russian speak who will be looking for ‘another’ platform.

One more example is a beautiful expression ‘маешь рацыю’ (what you say makes sense), which for a Russian would sound like ‘you have a walkie-talkie’.

Isn’t your country in the EU?

Alas, no! I can’t even visit most European countries without obtaining a visa in advance, let alone coming to any European country to live, work, study, etc.

But to be fair, not all European countries are by default a part of the EU. It applies to, say, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and some others.

Why can’t you just go to Europe whenever you want?

I only have a Belarusian passport, which means I have to get a Schengen visa to visit most European countries. There are exceptions, the most notable one being Ireland as, to hop onto a flight to Dublin, I need to get a separate Irish visa first!

Luckily, in some cases, you can get a long-term Schengen visa for multiple entries, so I am sorted until 2028, but will have to apply for a new visa then as I won’t have qualified for a UK passport by that time yet.

Why aren’t you going home more often?

Ok, so this is a bit complicated, and some people don’t even believe me when I tell this story.

Until May 2021, there was a direct flight connecting London and Minsk, and I could get there and see my family in as little as 3 hours. The flight even operated during the covid times, so I was lucky enough to go and see them in summer 2020 despite the restrictions (had to self-isolate for 2 weeks upon returning to the UK, though).

Then, the story with the Ryanair flight happened. If you are one of those lucky and happy people who missed it in the news, the premise is that a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land in Minsk, and – surprise! – one of the Belarusian activists in exile turned out to be a passenger on that flight. Most other passengers were EU citizens, so you can imagine European governments were not very happy about it and quickly banned any air traffic between Belarus and other European countries. Until February 2022, it was possible to get to Minsk relatively easy with a layover in Moscow, but then… you know… I hope I don’t have to explain what happened then!

Is it safe to travel to Belarus? It’s basically in the warzone!

Despite my tribulations with entering my native country earlier this year, I wouldn’t be so dramatic. Sadly, Ukraine is indeed a warzone, and I can’t wait for it to achieve peace and get its normal life back. It doesn’t mean Belarus is unsafe, as no military action is taking place there. There are other reasons for concern, which is why FCDO advises against all travel to Belarus. But your chances of being shot or killed by a bombshell in Belarus are very low, if that’s what you are asking.

Why don’t Belarusians just leave the country?

Oh dear, where do I start on that?

We are not exactly welcome much in the world. In addition to the visa restrictions mentioned above, there is also a matter of some countries in general (and specific people in particular) who blame Belarusians for their government’s involvement in the events of 2022. For example, despite me having lived in the UK for many years, I am banned from doing some financial operations with my pension account just because I have a Belarusian passport. The officials claim that this is to encourage me and other Belarusians to stop our country’s involvement in you-know-what. How exactly am I, a person with no connections to the government whatsoever, is supposed to do that is a mystery to me…

Next, life in Belarus is not terrible. People still go to work, enjoy the outdoors when the weather permits, go shopping, visit theatres, buy properties, and for most of them, life is good – or at least not bad enough to move elsewhere.

Lastly, relocation is not for everybody. Not that I’m trying to be big-headed and say that I’m smarter or better than others. I just know that, even when you move to a different country at a relatively young age, with a job secured and some money in your bank account to set up a new life, it is a big challenge. You leave your previous life behind, and it might be full of things and people you care deeply about – your family, your property, the lifestyle you are accustomed to. Not everyone is cut out for that, and not everyone wants to subject themselves to the trials of being a migrant. Am I happy that I moved to London? Absolutely! Would everyone be willing to do the same and walk the walk? Oh bloody hell, no!