Belarus is a large country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. It has a rich history, with Slavs settling in the area in the 6th century and Vikings trading extensively with the Byzantine Empire. Belarus was absorbed into Lithuania and later united with Poland to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was annexed by the Russian Empire in the late 18th century and became a Soviet republic after declaring independence in the aftermath of World War I. Since declaring independence in 1991, Belarus has been marred by alleged electoral problems and authoritarian reforms. The country’s tourism infrastructure is not as developed as some of its Eastern European neighbors, but it has picturesque cities and historic WWII sites.
Belarus is a large country in Eastern Europe. It covers 80,150 square miles (207,600 square km), making it about half the size of California. The country borders Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.
The region was settled thousands of years ago and passed through the hands of various civilizations and empires. Slavs finally settled the area in the 6th century, expanding across the territory and integrating with existing groups in the region. The people of contemporary Belarus are mostly descendants of three different Slavic tribes, the Drehovians, the Kryvians and the Radzimi.
In the 9th century, the Vikings began trading extensively with the Byzantine Empire, and the Belarus region became an important hub for that trade. The Vikings eventually took over much of the land, building trading posts along the rivers, but still leaving the local tribes with great autonomy. During the same period, a Slavic alliance, Kievan Rus’, was formed in large parts of the Slavic lands.
In the 9th century, a distinct Belarusian state began to form, pushing itself as distinct from Kievan Rus’. This emergence of a distinct identity continued over the following centuries. In the 13th century Kievan Rus’ began to fall apart, due to invasions by both the Crusaders and later the Mongol Blue Horde. The country was absorbed into Lithuania, although the region’s Slavic majority meant that the region was able to exercise considerable control over the politics of Lithuania as a whole.
In the late 16th century Lithuania united with Poland to form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Belarus was again absorbed into a larger whole. However, Belarusians have retained their sense of self and a relatively high level of self-government. Beginning in the mid-17th century, the country, as well as neighboring regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, began to experience a series of violent epidemics and invasions. Eventually, Russia was invited to help in the colonization of the region and soon took control of most of the eastern region, with Sweden eventually taking control of the rest. Both powers were eventually driven out, but the damage had been done and the Commonwealth was devastated.
In the late 18th century Belarus was annexed by the Russian Empire and would remain under imperial control until the Russian Revolution. Throughout the 19th century Belarusian culture was in many ways suppressed by the Russian Empire, but nevertheless it flourished and a strong sense of nationalism began to form. When the Germans took control of the region during World War I, the country experienced a new renaissance, with the energy that had been suppressed under the Russians exploding, resulting in a major resurgence of traditional Belarusian language and culture.
In the aftermath of World War I, Belarus declared itself an independent republic. The republic was short-lived, however, and within a few years it became a Soviet republic, joining the USSR. It remained a part of the USSR, with great autonomy, until the dissolution of the union that began in 1991, when it declared independence.
Since Belarus declared independence, the country has been somewhat marred by alleged electoral problems, as identified by international observers. The president elected in 1994 quickly removed many of Parliament’s powers and has been re-elected in every successive election since, using each new term to push through ever more authoritarian reforms.
Belarusian cities are picturesque, and many who visit them spend a lot of time in the urban centers of Minsk and Grodna. Historic WWII sites are also a big draw, with the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Brest Fortress being two of the most famous. While the country’s tourism infrastructure isn’t as developed as some of its Eastern European neighbors, accommodation and transportation can be found for most price ranges, although high-end amenities will likely be lacking everywhere except Minsk.
Planes arrive daily into Minsk from cities around the world, and a number of cheaper regional flights connect Belarus with the rest of Eastern Europe. Buses also connect the country with Poland and Lithuania, and trains also come from Russia, Ukraine and Latvia.
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