Belarus Travel Guide

Belarus — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Eastern Europe.
Language: The official languages are Belarusian and Russian.
Area: 207,595 sq km (80,153 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz. Adaptors are recommended.
Population: 9.8 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density: 47.2 per sq km.
Capital City: Minsk. Population: 1.7 million (2003).
Government: Republic since 1991.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky since 2003.
Head of State: President Aleksandr Lukashenko since 1994.
Religion: Christian, mainly Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic with small Protestant, Jewish and Muslim communities.

Recent History

The current leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, originally came to power at the 1994 presidential election. An important element of his platform was a promise to end corruption. Unfortunately, Lukashenko’s rule became characterized by ever greater corruption, nepotism, censorship and arbitrary decision-making; it has since deteriorated further, with restrictions on religious and political assembly and, in the worst cases, the disappearance and death of prominent critics. In 1996, a dubious referendum had endorsed Lukashenko’s intention to extend both his powers and his term of office to 2001.

The Lukashenko government’s conduct has completely undermined Belarus’ relations with the West, which it had initially sought to develop. Lukashenko is now looking to Moscow and especially the integration project, under which the two countries will become united at political and economic levels, adding to an already extensive set of bilateral agreements. However, the issue of government corruption still taints Belarus. In early 2005, Belarus was listed by the USA as Europe’s only remaining outpost of tyranny. The EU extended travel restrictions on senior officials and the USA imposed sanctions. Street protests throughout 2004 have highlighted that Belarusians wish to keep these complaints at the forefront of worldwide media.

The official results of a referendum in October 2004 showed almost unanimous support for the removal of the two-term limit on Lukashenko’s rule. At parliamentary elections held at the same time, official results also showed that opposition parties failed to win a single seat. Foreign observers claim that there was widespread corruption involved with both votes, and protests on the streets followed the elections.

Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected at the March 2006 presidential elections with more than 82% of the votes. Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich said the result was a ’fraud’ and international observers commented that the ballot ’did not meet the required international standards for free and fair elections’.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +375. To make international calls it is necessary to dial 8, wait for a tone, then dial 10. Calls from Belarus to some countries must be booked through the international operator. Public telephones take cards. Grey booths are for internal calls and blue ones for international calls.

Mobile Telephone

Coverage is limited to main towns. Handsets can be hired at the airport (Belcel office) and in Minsk.

Internet

There are a few Internet cafes in Minsk. Access is also available at some post offices.

Media

The Belarusian authorities have been heavily criticized by human rights and media organizations for suppressing freedom of speech, muzzling the independent press and denying the opposition access to state owned media. The president's administration controls decisions on content and the appointment of senior editors of state media.
Government-controlled newspapers enjoy considerable state subsidies and financial privileges, while many of the opposition print media have faced increased charges, been forced to close down, change name or publish abroad. But some leading privately-owned newspapers survive thanks to popular demand.
The Belarusian National State Teleradio Company operates domestic radio and TV channels and an external radio service. Some radio stations target Belarusian listeners from outside the country.

Post

Airmail to Western Europe takes a minimum of 10 days. The Central Post Office (Minsk, near the railway station) and the Yubileynaya and Planeta hotels in Minsk offer express mail services. DHL Worldwide Express and Federal Express also have branches in Minsk.0800-2000 (central office in Minsk).

Press

The English-language paper Belarus Today is published weekly. The principal dailies are Narodnaya Hazeta and Respublika, all printed in Belarusian and Russian. Sovetskaya Beloroussiya is printed in Russian. Zvyazda is printed in Belarusian. Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta, which temporarily closed in 2003, has since resumed publication and is the main private daily paper. Belorusskaya Gazeta is a weekly private publication.

Radio

•Belarusian Radio, which is state-run, operates three national networks and an external service.
•Radio Baltic Waves brodcasts from Lithuania while Radio Ratsyya is based in Poland.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
7 Jan Orthodox Christmas
8 Mar International Women’s Day
15 Mar Constitution Day
24 Apr - 27 Apr Orthodox Easter
1 May Labor Day
9 May Victory Day
3 Jul Independence Day
2 Nov Dzyady (Remembrance Day)
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
7 Jan Orthodox Christmas
8 Mar International Women’s Day
15 Mar Constitution Day
15 Apr Orthodox Easter
1 May Labor Day
9 May Victory Day
3 Jul Independence Day
2 Nov Dzyady (Remembrance Day)

Contact Information

Belintourist (National Tour Operator)

19 Pobediteley Avenue, 220004 Minsk, Belarus
Tel: (17) 203 1143.
Website: www.belintourist.by

Embassy of Belarus in the UK

6 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL, UK
Tel: (020) 7937 3288 or 7938 3677 (visa section).
Website: www.belembassy.org/uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800; 0900-1230 (visa section).