Social Profile
Food & Drink: Belarusian borshch, a soup made with beetroot, is served hot with sour cream. Other excellent specialities are filet à la Minsk and Minsk cutlet. Regional cooking is often based on potatoes with mushrooms and berries as favourite side dishes. Local dishes well worth trying are dracheny, a tasty potato dish with mushrooms, and draniki which is served with pickled berries. Mochanka is a thick soup mixed with lard accompanied by hot pancakes. There is also a good selection of international and Russian specialities available. Drink: Beloveszhskaya Bitters are made from over 100 different herbs and have an interesting flavour. A favourite drink is chai (black tea). Coffee is generally available with meals and in cafés, although standards vary. Soft drinks, fruit juices and mineral waters are widely available. Beer and vodka can be bought round the clock from all-night kiosks and food shops. Some bars are open until the early hours of the morning, while some close around 2100.
Nightlife: A thriving cultural scene with opera, ballet, theatre, circus and puppet theatre can be found in Minsk. Brest also has a renowned puppet theatre. Tickets can be bought in advance at underground stations or at the Central Theatre Ticket Office (Skoriny 13; opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-2000; Sun 1100-1700). Same-day tickets are only available at the venue in question. Minsk now has a reasonable selection of restaurants, some of which offer live music. There are also discotheques, music venues and bars in the city. Many clubs are open all night.
Shopping: Wooden caskets, trinket boxes, straw items, decorative plates and other handicraft items are good buys. Typical Russian souvenirs like the wooden matreshka dolls and original samovars are also available. Scarina Avenue is the main street with antique shops and two department stores. Only Belarusian Roubles are accepted. However, nearly every shop has a currency exchange counter. Some shops are closed on Sunday, but tourist shops are usually open every day. Antiquities, valuables, works of art and manuscripts other than those offered for sale in souvenir shops require an export licence. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800. In big cities shops are open daily and many open 24 hours a day.
Special Events: The following is a selection of the major festivals and other special events celebrated in Belarus in 2002. For a complete list and exact dates, contact the Embassy (see address section).
Jul International Festival of Arts ' Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk'; International Folklore Festival ' Round Dance of Polessje', Pinsk. Oct International Music Festival 'Golden Hit', Minsk. Nov International Festival of Arts 'Belarusian Music Autumn', Minsk; International Festival of Contemporary Choreography, Vitebsk. Dec International Guitar Festival, Gomel.
Social Conventions: Handshaking is the usual form of greeting. Hospitality is part of the tradition and people are welcoming and friendly. Company or business gifts are well received. Smoking is acceptable unless stated otherwise. Tipping: 10 per cent is usual. In some hotels in Minsk and other cities a 10-15 per cent service charge is added to the bill. Porters expect a tip of US$1-2.
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