"You can go home again...I did!" Belarus by tiganeasca

Belarus Travel Guide: 1,034 reviews and 2,102 photos

The house in Lapichi where my grandfather was born

I wanted to visit Belarus because three of my grandparents were born there. In preparation for the trip, I did a little investigation, especially about Minsk, where I would stay. But it seemed worthwhile to learn a bit about the country, too. I knew a little bit: Belarus used to be the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Before that, it was often called White Russia (bela, or byela, means "white" in Russian.) Today, it's an independent country (although it is also part of the Commonwealth of Independent States along with Russia and Ukraine) about the size of the state of Kansas with a population of about 10,500,000.

Belarus has the geographical misfortune to sit between Russia and Poland; that location combined with its unfortunate topography--plains and gently rolling hills--has meant that it has been one of Europe's battlegrounds for over a thousand years. Belarus was devastated by the Russian-Polish wars (lasting from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries), by Napoleon's invasion and subsequent retreat, as well as by World War I. And, when that war failed to settle Poland's eastern boundary, Belarus was the center for the Soviet-Polish war of 1919-20. That conflict finally ended with the western part of the region ceded to Poland and the eastern part becoming the Belarussian SSR.

I wanted to see what kind of life my grandparents lived. What kind of homes, what kind of institutions existed, and what kind of place they lived in. Jews from Belarus are generally considered "Litvaks" in the age-old conflict between Litvaks and Galitzianers. The "dispute," such as it is, is primarily a cultural one, an informal social "one-upsmanship" extending to everything from the proper pronunciation of Yiddish to the ingredients in traditional dishes to the "right" way to pray.

Minsk was the logical base for me: it is the capital, by far the largest city in the country, and centrally located. I would find a guide and take a few day trips to look for roots and other evidence of Jewish life. Minsk is also home to the country's largest Jewish community, estimated at about 20,000 out of total city population of 1,750,000. It is the center of Jewish life in Belarus; there is at least one active synagogue in addition to a Jewish day school and a Jewish People's University (connected with the Belarus State University) that offers adult education classes at night. There are even three Jewish newspapers and the city is home to the National Jewish Cultural Center. (On the other hand, I should also point out that during 1989-91, close to 50,000 Jews left Belarus; all is not well, either.)

(This is the beginning of my travelogue; use the link to keep reading.)

Last visit to Belarus: Nov 2001
Intro Updated Nov 8, 2004
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My travel tips for Belarus are... Favorites (1)

My travel tips for Belarus are all limited to Minsk, the capital. Although I visited several other places, I only made... more travel advice

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Learn some Cyrillic. You'll thank me when you return! If you are not prepared to speak a little Russian, make sure you... more travel advice

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Comments (28)

cachaseiro Feb 28, 2006 at 6:55 AM Report Abuse

very interesting story about your belarus trip. thank you for sharing your family essay.
rivardwhite Sep 2, 2005 at 1:24 PM Report Abuse

Wow! that is quite a story...enjoyed reading about your family background. Going to Belarus soon...should be interesting. Will be traveling to many of the villages. Thanks for the story.
slaybelle Aug 12, 2002 at 11:25 AM Report Abuse

excellent tips and infos
leonik Aug 7, 2002 at 9:07 AM Report Abuse

your parents hailed from a great country!
hunterV Jul 31, 2002 at 7:22 AM Report Abuse

you have an encyclopeadia page here...very moving!
acemj Jul 27, 2002 at 7:45 PM Report Abuse

I`m glad you were able to go!
ysio Jul 26, 2002 at 4:47 AM Report Abuse

well, Poland had the same problem always between Russia and G
thinking Jul 24, 2002 at 6:42 PM Report Abuse

Thoughtful & sensitive return to homeland
lorgnierl Jul 24, 2002 at 1:38 PM Report Abuse

good emotion
orlikins Jul 23, 2002 at 1:53 AM Report Abuse

lots of americans come to Dublin to check roots too