Minsk is a showcase

Who is watching who?

State Museum of Great Patriotic War

Opera House

Victory Square

A few letters in the Cyrillic alphabet are the same as ours and Yuliya, manager of Trinity hostel poses for a photo. She is a forward thinking Belarusian and has a boyfriend in Manchester. She explains that her country is moving less erratically than other former Soviet States towards a more free society.

Images might make you wonder who is watching who but in the distance, across the lake, the newly built 'historic' centre is visible. Perhaps a facade but a welcome one in the monumental nature of the townscape. There is no true centre where you can feel you have really 'arrived'.

The State Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the Opera Theatre and Victory Square images are showing. Many more in close proximity. The many Parks are empty of people but it has been raining most of the day!

Minsk

Bakeries must only exist to prepare 'long life' breads and sweet confectionary. I have not seen or eaten a piece of fresh bread since I entered Belarus. Finding tasty food in the shops is a problem. Finding the shops is the first problem - they don't look like shops. The one in the photo does have a sign over but many in the villages don't!

A bit of military hardware on display at an elevated location in the hilly landscape on the way into Minsk. I find a track into the suburbs. Cycle paths/pavements make it was into the centre.

The manager of my hotel speaks English so I can find out a bit about Minsk. Trinity Hostel is in the rebuilt one time historical centre and is pretty small. It is a tranquil 'oasis' in a mainly high rise shopping complex centre. It is a token effort really but good for me.

Belarus was of course once partitioned off to the Russian Empire after the collapse of the Polish & Lithuanian Commonwealth and became the Belarusian Soviet Social Republic by name after the Russians beat back the Germans in WWl. In the war against Fascism Belarus enters WWll in 1941 and interestingly  they refer to it as The Great Patriotic War. Resistance gave way and the Germans took occupation of Belarus and a resistance movement began culminating in the Red Army liberating the city in 1944.
At the dissolution of the USSR Alexander Lukashenko was elected president in 1994 and is there for his lifetime?

It's curious to see these historical events from these more easterly locations.

The card from Sandra because its my birthday 🎂

Ivianec is no fun

Monday

Hours of dust tracks as no other realistic option. Towns all have a memorial to something or somebody connected with conflict. Invianec feels pretty miserable and my idea of arriving early and having a beer in the sunshine was laughable!

My hotel is 'third world' standard. The warden (manager I should say) running it is actually helpful and pleasant. She insists on taking me to the cafe which was closing at 7pm and sat there until I had finished eating. A greasy fast food style meal which I couldn't refuse.

Russian voices in hollow corridors, crap cafe food, a tiny bedroom, very basic lavatory and no WiFi!

This is a place to move on from asap

Ruzhany to Navahrudak (Novogrudok)

Roads are good standard and seemingly never ending. Trees line the roadside, where there is no forest, and help break the constant stiff cool breeze. The countryside is lovely and rises and falls relatively gently. Fields of crops and a few animals, large expanses of forest.

In urban areas blocks of flats are common. The image is of an aged construction although newer ones are less ugly. Often in landscaped areas they are not all bad.

An alternative lesser road shows on the map but the two locals, both Alexander, point to sand and I know exactly what they mean )- stick to the main road. I owe them as the journey on sand tracks would have been impossible in one day!

Navahrudak fortress was once within the Polish & Lithuanian Commonwealth. It became part of the Russian Empire next then both world wars upset things even more!

Hello to my daughter Estelle who reads this sometimes.

Communications

In Belarus it is highly expensive to use mobile talk, text and data services so my contact is only via wifi. This probably means my whereabouts will be generally delayed until the end of the day (or longer maybe?) ........