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Invasions destroyed most of Belarus' historic structures, and rapid industrialization robbed it of most of its charm. Even so, progress in Belarus steadily increases, although it is still a bit slower compared with other independent nations of the former Soviet Union.

Traveling to the country is much easier than in the past, tourism is growing, and the government takes measures to make the main attractions simpler to find and visit. Hotels in the capital cover all the basic needs, although visitors can still find inexpensive Soviet-style hotels.

Despite the few tourist attractions in the country, UNESCO is involved in protecting national parks and historical sites. Memorials from World War II or "The Great Patriotic War," as Belarusians called it, are impressive and show the Communist perspective.

To travel to Belarus is to revel in undiscovered cities, forests and a complex culture. Its countryside and wildlife are highly prized, and areas of special interest and beauty can be found if you know where to look.

Geography

The landlocked country is bordered to the north and northeast by Russia, to the south by Ukraine and to the west and northwest by Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. Small farms and villages are set among huge forests, extensive swamps and hundreds of small lakes and streams.

Belarus has several protected preserves where many animals that have become rare in the rest of Europe can still be found in their natural habitat, such as the European Bison, the Konik wild horse and Eurasian elk.

History

Belarus (the name means "White Russian") has known more than its share of hardship. The country's strategic location—with almost indefensible borders—has made it a battleground for more than a thousand years.

Slavs and Vikings originally settled there, but over the centuries the territory was conquered and reoccupied by neighboring regional powers, including Poland, Lithuania, Russia and, in World Wars I and II, Germany. The republic suffered its greatest destruction during World War II, when it was the scene of long struggles between the Wehrmacht and the Soviet Red Army. One in four citizens, or 2.2 million, are estimated to have died during World War II.

In 1986, Belarus fell victim to another menace: the explosion at Chernobyl. The nuclear reactor, located just across the border in Ukraine, spewed 70% of its fallout onto Belarus. Experts say short-term visitors have little risk of contamination, but a quarter of the population of Belarus has endured chronic exposure to radiation fallout since the accident. The effects are expected to continue well into the 21st century.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 ordinary life has changed little for many Belarusians. Unlike other former Soviet republics, Belarus made no attempt to remove the Communist leaders who had controlled the country for seven decades. A powerful security police force answers to President Alexander Lukashenko, who rules by decree since 1994. Lukashenko has retained close political and economic ties to Russia, and he is shunned by the West for suppressing political opposition.

The citizens of Belarus still confront the outward signs of a police state with all of the familiar side effects: bloodied demonstrators, government critics seeking asylum, political figures arrested. Belarusians also remain dependent on the government for employment, housing, medical care, education, vacations, sports and entertainment.

Some residents have managed to keep a certain spirit of independence alive. In 1995, after government leaders stubbornly refused to apologize for shooting down a U.S. hot-air balloon that had drifted into the country's airspace, a group of local citizens put up a memorial to the dead balloonists.

Unfortunately, the future doesn't look much brighter for Belarus. Although opposition leaders attempted to impeach him, Lukashenko remains in power. (He was re-elected several times, amid accusations of electoral fraud.) His government is still flirting with the idea of rejoining Russia—a tentative agreement was signed in late 1999.

Meanwhile, accusations of dictatorial rule, kidnappings of opposition leaders and economic stagnation continue. Its isolation has been enhanced now that it is surrounded by three European Union member states (Poland, Lithuania and Latvia). In short, even though Belarus is called a republic, it's a dictatorship.

Economically, the country has been shunned by most Western countries—the only economic growth in the country has been stimulated by increasing Russian demand for the goods Belarus produces.

In the summer of 2019, the second European Games were held in Minsk, welcoming small improvements toward renovation and tourism. Thanks to the Games, the capital was cleaned up and public places were repaired.

Snapshot

Potpourri

The Belarusian language (mova) nearly died out under Soviet rule. With the rise of Belarusian nationalism at the end of the 1980s, the language started to make a comeback, even though it lacked a vocabulary for the modern age. Most people speak Russian now, though you might meet purely Belarusian speakers in some rural areas.

Vitaly Scherbo, one of the most successful gymnasts of all time, is from Belarus. He won six Olympic gold medals in 1992 and a handful of bronze in 1996.

Following the Chernobyl disaster, thousands of Belarus villages were abandoned, and huge factories downwind were closed. The government has said it devotes more than 15% of the country's gross national product to paying the cost of resettling tens of thousands of people, as well as the medical bills that have accrued from the event.

Brest was the first Soviet city attacked by Hitler's forces in June 1941. It held out for 29 days against the combined might of the German Army and Air Force and earned the title "Hero City." Coincidentally, a separate peace treaty between Russia and Germany was signed at the end of World War I in Brest.

Slavs use a patronymic (modification of their father's first name) as their middle name. You use both first name and patronymic in addressing someone: A male named "Mikhail, son of David," is called Mikhail Davidovitch.

One consequence of the World War II Yalta conference was that the U.S.S.R. finagled three memberships at the U.N. What goes around, comes around: The Belarusians used their membership to justify independence in 1991.

Before World War II, Belarus had a large Jewish population, but the Nazis killed hundreds of thousands of them. In many cases, entire families and towns were wiped out during the war.