THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS SHOULD LOVE, LIKE FOR THAT THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE HERE IS STATE. During his appearance before the media in Minsk President Alexander Lukashenko said that GREAT RUSSIAN LANGUAGE - common heritage of all the peoples who had once create a single Fatherland, "I firmly adheres to the position that Belarusians RUSSIAN LANGUAGE is not a stranger, A MOTHER IS GENERAL. DOMAIN OF RUSSIANS, UKRAINIANS AND BELARUSIANS. "
With sugar bread
The good old Russian tradition of meeting dear guests with bread and salt in Belarus has its own interpretation. Therefore, Minsk cordially welcomed an international group of journalists who arrived by train from Moscow with an appetizing sunny loaf of sugar in a baked basket in the center. And this was only the beginning of endless treats of the hospitable republic.
The feeling of light, spaciousness and "healthy" air arose at me when I reached the platform of the railway station and did not leave throughout the trip. Minsk was surprised by the incredible cleanliness of green streets and wide avenues, the absence of traffic jams and people always hurrying somewhere with anxious faces. The familiar Stalinist architecture harmoniously coexists here with the glass facades of modern buildings. Everywhere Russian language and easily readable Belarusian signs. On the shelves of shopping centers - domestic goods are adjacent to Western ones. Relatively low prices, but with many zeros. Lack of intrusive advertising. It seemed to me that I was in a surreal city during the Soviet abundance ...
Luxurious breakfasts in the new metropolitan hotel "President" with a large selection of dairy products of a long-forgotten "real" taste and a gala dinner in the restaurant "Expedition" at the edge of the forest - with national dancing songs in the open air and wine by the river under a baked on a spit calf, pies , zrazy and draniki - complemented the impression.
West gate
I must say that the welcome dinner in Minsk was only an introduction to the endless hospitality of the hosts. It seems that the governor of the Brest region Konstantin Sumar set out to defeat the capital in the hospitality competition. Traveling by buses, accompanied by the traffic police, on excellent roads to the western border of Belarus, along well-groomed fields, neat, sound houses with storks on the roofs, did not seem tedious.
In Brest, a warm rain and gifts awaited us: a full bowl of fragrant sweet strawberries and national drinks. Despite the light weather, we decided to take a walk around the evening city and see how the local lamplighter lights the lights .... On deserted quiet green streets there was no one to specify the route, so we just walked in the direction from which the music came. The central pedestrian zone - Sovetskaya Street - with cozy cafes turned out to be the only lively part of the city. The lanterns were already shining with might and main, and young couples were walking and kissing under them.
Low restored houses, built during the Polish period, conveyed greetings from the past, reminiscent of "old Europe". By the way, very soon the city will celebrate its millennium. At one of the crossroads in memory of this, a monumental composition with the figure of an angel - the protector and protector of the ancient Birch Bark - has already been established.
Speaking of Brest, one cannot ignore the heroic history of this glorious city. On the territory of the Brest Fortress, on the night of June 21-22, 2013, its residents and guests watched a grand reconstruction of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, organized by enthusiasts of military historical societies from 15 countries of the world. The spectacle was so massive and believable that it was scary to even be nearby. Time seemed to turn back: it made its way to tears.
And on the eve of the historical reconstruction, we were received by the small bright city of Nesvizh. With its palaces, museums, picturesque ponds and green spaces. This ancient cultural region of the country resembled a beautiful well-groomed park, which is definitely worth a visit.
Here is the famous Nesvizh Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Farny Church, the XVI century town hall and a number of architectural monuments.
Reserve distance
The legendary reserve Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a visiting card of Belarus. A huge territory of beautiful untouched nature. Who did not hear the melody of the song of the same name? Of course, all the journalists sang her with pleasure at a generous table at a reception at the residence of the Belarusian Grandfather Frost. Tables crammed with plentiful treats. In an endless series of dishes, a special place was occupied by the excellently prepared "national treasure of the country" - bison meat. It’s a pity, of course, a descendant of a primitive bison, but where else will you try an appetizing piece of a protected animal?
The sun illuminated the log terrace: in the open air, more than 200 congress participants from 53 countries ate, sang, drank and danced, wishing with all their heart the further prosperity of the welcoming host country.
And I was there, I drank honey ... And I really hope to return to our good and hospitable neighbors someday.
BELARUS or BELARUS?
I decided to start my story about Belarus with a brief excursion into the rules of the Russian language.
Brought up by the old school, I got used to the Soviet name Belarus, and any other options seemed grammatically incorrect to me. However, before writing the article, I decided to double-check everything, and did the right thing! Both the respected information and reference portal Gramota.ru and the All-Russian Classifier of the Countries of the World assure us that Belarus should be spelled in Russian if we are talking about an existing country. Until 1991, Belarus was called one of the union republics, so this term can only be used in the context of the history of the state.
But even if it weren’t for this official recognition, I still wouldn’t refuse to please the Belarusians by calling their homeland as they wish. Especially after my visit to this beautiful hospitable country as part of the XV Congress of the World Association of Russian Press (WARP).
