Belarus

[giants11]

Hey there

Anyone out there been to Belarus. Thinking of going to Minsk and checking it out soon.


Cheers!!

[viking]

Leaving May 29th. But found it better to fly into Kiev and take a train than fly to Minsk. Kiev is a direct flight and Minsk is not. If your coming from the US.

[kievstar]

Looks like your from Canada.  Fly Toronto to either Warsaw or Franfort than to Minks.  Less than 1,000 usd for June right now.

From USA better to fly big city USA to big city western Europe than to Minks.  Many options and some around $700 usd for June. 

Be careful of the radiation. 

[GoodOlBoy]

Be careful of the radiation.  

Kievstar isn't joking about this.

I met a guy a few years ago who went to Belarus (I forgot which city), BUT.....He told me he would never go back to that particular part of the world again.

Apparently there were alot of sick people there and the girl he went to visit had several sick family members with numerous health problems.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/Belarus.html

ALSO:




GOB

[viking]

This past week the capital of Belarus, Minsk, had a huge parade and celebration in honor of Victory Day. Tens of thousands of very healthy people showed up. I think some of these reports are a bit over the top.

[ECOCKS]

One simple test, it has worked consistently IME(xperience) with Ukrainians from Kyiv,  central Ukraine and Eastern Ukraine.

For those dating in the 30+ age group, ask your spouse or serious GF's how many of their schoolmates and circle of friends have died or been diagnosed with cancer. For those dating younger, ask your spouse/GF's family for their perspective on "Rahk" among their family and friends (don't know spelling but that is the close enough pronunciation for cancer in Russian).

My wife is in her 40's, comes from an industrial city of 150,000, went to a high school with approximately 1300 students, attended a University with about 5,000+ students and can name off over a dozen DEAD - THAT SHE KNOWS. I am 8 and a half years older, grew up in a city of 1.1 million people, went to a high school of 2800, a University of 20,000+ and know exactly ONE PERSON who died of cancer before age 45. I began trying this on students, faculty and family members with similar results.

The list of friends and acquaintances who have died or been diagnosed with cancer is beyond anything I have encountered here. It is strictly my guess that cancer rates are somewhere around 3 or 4 times that of the US. I suspect that their diagnostic capabilities, other mortality factors (alcoholism, hypertension and work-related deaths) as well as government statistics doctoring, assist in hiding the problem. No references, just cold, hard walking around in cemeteries and conversing with family members and Ukrainian friends. One long-term expat, whose FSUW has cancer, I talked to (journalist with 14 years in the FSU - Russia and Ukraine) described Ukrainian industrial and military complexes as dozens of unknown Superfund sites if they were in the US. Still another expat, who has buried two FSU wives due to cancer while living here since 1993 (one Ukrainian and one Russian) agreed with that assessment.

The problem does not so much seem to be Chernobyl, although that certainly had its effects in that area where it occurred and the fallout hit (visit the Chernobyl Museum in Podil someday for a somber experience) but the generally horrifying lack of environmental concern or accountability evidenced in the FSU. If someone dumps into the water table there is no effective push to have them clean it up nor even a general attitude of, "WOW, that is killing the people, they should do something!" from the government or most of the citizens.

Sobering, but if you haven't walked in a Ukrainian cemetery, it is an eye-opening experience.

[ECOCKS]

That was in response to the post about all the healthy people showing up for the Victory Day Parade. While Chernobyl is certainly a factor concerning cancer rates the environmental issues are extremely serious as well. Look at the numbers of people who are afraid of their own tap water. I am talking overall cancer rates, thyroid (which several people we know have), colon, etc. It could be easing due to improving medical care though.

[kievstar]

I have met many people in Milwaukee who lived in Kiev and Belarus during the accident and have throat cancer.  They were young children at the time and families moved to USA late 1980's or early 1990's.  I also know many people in Kiev affected. 

This is bad but true.  I always asked a girl right away where she was born and cities she has lived in.  I could never marry a girl living more than 2 years in Kiev (even today), near 200 mile radius of Kiev, Belarus, Sweden, and parts of Germany.  Also parts of western Russia.  This is due to radiation. Many first dates I had were done within 15 minutes of conversation.  We finished dinner but that was a non negotiable item to accept.   

I have met more and more radiation workers in Kiev recently.  Seems it is all over the city and being discovered as old water and sewage pipes are being repaired. 

Also beware of Sevastopol area as nuclear type issues in the soil and water.  The right bank and north of the city center of Kiev area called "Obolon" - I have met expats who have lived there 2 years and developed throat cancer.  They do not smoke.  Not a good idea to live in newer areas of Kiev or in buildings built after Chernobyl. 

Many women have issues having kids and birth defects. 

Another reason Kharkov is best place for a wife in Ukraine.  Winds blew north and west and explosion stopped east 200 miles. Lugansk is another safe city.

[JR]

Chatted for awhile with someone from Minsk. She stated one of the reasons she wanted to leave Belarus is that "no healthy babies are being born." Her words, not mine. That whole area was downwind of Chernobyl and it wasn't evacuated.