Alexander Gregorich Lukashyenko is the Godfather

INFORMATION, quick and comprehensive about post-Soviet Belarus including geography, populations,
economy, government, etc.

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BELARUS COMPARED TO AMERICA, published in 2012 in the LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX.
Rating categories include Personal Freedom, Economy, Governance, Health,
etc. with some "editorial comments" made by Dad from his personal experience.

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BELARUS COMPARED TO AMERICA, published in 2010 in the LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX
Rating categories include Personal Freedom, Economy, Governance, Health,
etc. with some "editorial comments" made by Dad from his personal experience.

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Thinking of investing in Belarus, here are some considerations in an essay found on the Internet
...and reedited by Dad.

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(Belarusian for "Condemned to Freedom")     Black Evil Rules a Good Country Spoken language is Belarusian and Subtitles are in English

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Present Flag since about 1996

Coat of Arms

Historic Belarusian Flag

Belarus Map, for Quick Orientation

Better, but without Mogilyov (Mahilyow)

Chernoble, and Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant To Be Built near Vilnius, Lithuania by Russia Again!      See where Belarsus, as of June, 2011, is planning to build a nuclear powerplant...like almost in the suburbs of Vilnius which is Lithuania's capital (see the star in upper left).  The Belarusian powerplant is to be built in Astraviec (Астравец), which I marked with an "X".  Chernoble (Chernobyl), just across the border in Ukraine, is labeled by me in the lower-right, and is infamous for the worst nuclear power plant disaster in the world.  Mogilyov (Mogilev, etc.) is seen to the North with a bit of the border with Russia seen in the upper-right corner to its NE.  Then to the left of Mogilyov the capital, Minsk, is represented by a star.

See the COMPREHENSIVE MAP!

with Oblasts, cities, roads, railroads, populations,flag, coat-of-arms, etc.
(Note: The map information is in Belarusian language, not quite Russian!) To go, CLICK on reduced map below!

     Belarus is quite picturesque and agreeable climate-wise in the summer. I can recommend it for visiting, and you will see better why as this site is expanded (More & more pics of me, Deana, baby [in time], & Belarus). The only other city that I have yet visited is Minsk, and it is even better than Mogilyov! Living here, in a relatively properous country, is enjoyable except for the winter weather (all 7 to 8 months of it by my standards! :) ). But the summer here is quite nice...even just warm enough for me to go swimming twice so far (50 to 75 F seemingly is the general range), so with frequent clouds and rains it is hard for the water to get to the temperatures that I like for swimming anymore.

     There is not much to be said about the politics. That in of itself is perhaps a virtue. Unfortuneately there is a human rights' issue. Unless one walks in another man's shoes, one cannot really judge the man. Christ says that "by their fruits ye shall know them". As you will see below, the government is publically dedicated in word to the people, and the fruits of domestic peace, low corruption (Compare to Russia, Ukraine, Bugaria, and Romania as examples!), and prosperity the "fruits" are good. So, maybe this is the kind of government needs to protect the people from someone(s) that would exploit them. Also, there seems to be a precarious situation re maintaining independence. Russia would like to absorb Belarus (asking for a common currency, insisting on the State of Union agreement unsigned by Belarus, & wanting to station Russian troops here [by putting in missile and bomber bases because of Czech, Polish, & Baltic NATO & missile defences] & probably in time a "Trojan Horse", and Russian presence a la Georgia). The West now "economically sanctions" Belarus because of inhumane treatment and imprisonment of political opponents, but George W. Bush (and America) are not on high ground. President Lykoshenko seems to work hard at providing for independence and prosperity, and is doing a good job re results for the people of this small nation under the circumstances, though his domestic political control is criticized by the EU and America.

     My experience is that a person will be safe and treated well. (If you never hear from me again, then you can conclude differently! :) ) I have been treated courteously by all departments...even helpfully (visa, residency, ZAGS re marriage, Customs). I was stopped one night during the winter by 3 policemen when I was alone. The frequent patrols keep crime down. We managed to converse to some degree with my limited ability in Russian. When they understood that I had a Belrusian wife, (renewable) permanent residency, they all saluted me for a good-bye (I hope that it was not just respect for an "old man"! How crushing!). Try to get that courtesy from our policemen!

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