Short layover in Belarus

A brief layover at Minsk airport gave me my first glimpse of Belarus. While I didn't leave the airport, it still counts as setting foot in this lesser-known Eastern European nation.

Belarus has 9.3 million people and is often called "Europe's last dictatorship" due to its authoritarian government under Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. The country was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and retains more Soviet-era characteristics than most former republics. Fun fact: Belarus has the world's largest remaining primeval forest - Białowieża Forest, shared with Poland - home to Europe's heaviest land animals, the European bison.

What I Experienced

Airport layovers offer limited insight into a country, but the Minsk National Airport itself had a distinctly Soviet aesthetic - functional, somewhat austere, with that particular institutional atmosphere. The signs in Belarusian and Russian reminded me how close this was to the familiar world of my childhood.

Even a transit stop is a connection of sorts. I watched Belarusian passengers, heard the language, observed the small cultural markers that distinguish one place from another. It made me curious to return for a proper visit someday.

Practical Notes

• Belarusian Ruble is the currency
• Visa requirements have changed over the years - check current rules
• Minsk has surprisingly good architecture (Stalinist and otherwise)
• The country is more accessible than its reputation suggests
• Russian is widely spoken alongside Belarusian

A layover isn't a visit, but it planted a seed of curiosity about Belarus. Perhaps one day I'll explore it properly.