Belarus
by Meg Nesterov (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
A new internet ban in the former Soviet country Belarus will make the usage or browsing of many foreign websites illegal and punishable by a fine of up to $125. The Library of Congress reports that all Belarusian companies and entrepreneurs will be required to use only ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
This timelapse video, One Day in Life, was created by professional photographer and Minsk native, Artem Sergeevich. It shows the country of Belarus in a way that will put any negative eastern Europe stereotypes out of your head and have you booking a one-way plane ...
by Alex Robertson Textor (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Let's get one thing out of the way first. Minsk is not for everyone. It is, very likely, not for most. But for some visitors, it's a terribly interesting place. And Minsk in late summer, with just a hint of autumn in the air, is a very pleasant place to spend some time. ...
by Alex Robertson Textor (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Getting to Minsk seemed like a complicated process from the very beginning. The Belarusian entrance requirements were one thing; as it turned out, there were delays, unexpected developments, and last-minute machinations on top of the basic visa application process.
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by Meg Nesterov (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
We live in an increasingly borderless world and we have access to many countries that were closed (or non-existent) 20 years ago. As reported earlier this week, Americans are especially lucky with access to 169 countries visa free. Still, there are still many countries that ...
by Alex Robertson Textor (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia.
Yesterday, I wrote about the fact that European passport stamps have become harder and harder to get. The expansion of the Schengen zone has reduced the number of times tourists are compelled to show their passports to immigration officials. For ...
by Meg Nesterov (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
This year is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union and 21 years since the reunification of Germany. While citizens of the USSR and GDR were unable to travel abroad and restricted in domestic travel, foreign travelers were permitted under a controlled ...
by Alex Robertson Textor (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
At the 25th European Union-Russia summit in Rostov-on-Don, Russia yesterday proposed that both parties mutually abolish visa requirements. Currently, the two entities impose reciprocal visa requirements upon each other's citizens.
In the name of improving business and ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
A cargo plane loaded with heavy weapons left Pyongyang, North Korea and had not a care in the world ... until the crew needed to land for more fuel at Don Mueang airport in Thailand. This emergency stop, according to Thailand's deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaungsuban, led ...
by Annie Scott (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Star Wars fans, put Minsk on your destination list. The Death Star has totally landed there. This is no ordinary poly-dimensional structure; it also lights up. This is the most disco-loving, pimped-out car imitating, Force using library ever. That's right. It's a library. ...
by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Unlike many holidays, where celebrants are bound by tradition or religion, New Year's is a holiday that allows each individual to choose his own method of celebration. Some revelers will soak themselves in alcohol, boozing it up with copious bottles of champagne. Others ...
by Dave Luna (RSS feed) (6 years ago)
Have a look at this movie "poster" found in Belarus. Any idea what American movie this is? I'll give you a minute. (The answer is after the jump.) You can check out more posters at the wonderful English Russia site. I love these images because I think films can be a good ...
by Neil Woodburn (RSS feed) (7 years ago)
There aren't too many places left in this world where you can go back in time and observe how life was lived during the Soviet Union. Belarus, is one such place. Run by a strong-armed dictator in much the same manner as his Soviet predecessors, Belarus remains a window into ...
by Neil Woodburn (RSS feed) (7 years ago)
Twenty years ago today, something so horrendous occurred in the Soviet Union that the swath of earth on which it happened, as well as thousands of miles in every direction, remains unlivable even today.
That tragedy was, of course, the Chernobyl disaster. Today marks the ...
by Neil Woodburn (RSS feed) (7 years ago)
Another fraudulent election has ensured that Europe's last dictatorship remains a dictatorship.
The country of Belarus is the last European regime left over from the Cold War that is still ruled by an iron-fisted despot. Thanks to this weekend's election-a farcical ...