About Belarus

Articles dedicated to Belarus history, Belarus politics, Belarus economy, Belarus culture and other issues and Belarus tourist destinations.

A day at Ozertso...

A tourist group from Herbalife decided to have a day tour in Minsk and around in early July. The requirements for the tailored tour were rather special – a Minsk city tour and an entertainment program with some folklore elements. Ozertso Village Museum was the best option for the latter purpose and soon after the request the program was drafted. The hardest part of that one was to draft the budget scheme a few months before the event – the currency situation in Belarus was not very opportune for exact calculations…

The tour commenced after the opening ceremony of the country office of Herbalife Company in Belarus. The coach departed at 1200 and took the group to the National Library of Belarus. We hardly had a moment to take a few pictures with this new symbol of Belarus when a heavy rain started and mixed up our plans. Still, we left the National Library to travel along Independence Avenue and the city tour took us to Victory Square. Unfortunately, there was no group photo down there – it was raining cats and dogs.

In the same manner we proceeded along Pobeditelei Avenue to see Minsk Arena sports complex where Extravaganza – corporate training and celebration events – was held two days later. We passed Minsk City Hero stele and Minsk Trinity Suburb rather quickly – the weather discouraged from leaving the coach. However, the rain stopped when we reached Independence Square. Amongst other places we visited the so-called Red Cathedral – Roman Catholic Church of St. Simon and Alena.

   
At the Red Cathedral. Me and Daniil Pikin, Tour Director of the Russian Herbalife Team  

A few moments later we departed to the Ozertso Museum picking up the folklore band en route. The band of five – a professional folklore group – was invited to the museum to make the festive dinner more lively and to help the guests to delve in the atmosphere of the past.

   
The tourist group at the barn in Ozertso Village Museum 

Before the dinner and the performance a local guide in a traditional outfit led the guests on a short tour around the museum complex. Showing the authentic buildings and household tools, the guide lady proceeded to explain how ordinary Belarusians lived in the countryside and what tools and techniques they used to make their lives more comfortable. After this a short entertainment sing-and-dance program followed. Now there were two ladies playing the harmonic and singing folk songs. The guests enjoyed a folk game – taking a pot out of the oven using an oven fork and putting it back with the eyes tied with a scarf.

   
From stories to dances...  

Naturally, the entertainment tour was followed by a dinner that started with an aperitif – a shot of medovukha – Belarusian traditional alcoholic drink. In the old times a welcome drink was served to the most valued guests. I must highlight here that most Herbalife guests neither drank, nor smoked – a feature that is very hard to come by these days.

 
Welcome alcoholic drink made of herbs in the local tavern  

The traditional Belarusian dinner included potato pancakes stuffed with meet and mushrooms and different snacks. The management of the tavern where we arranged the dinner – by the way, an original 19th century tavern building - was kind enough as to serve several vegetarian meat-free dishes in the last minute.

 
The guests at the laid table expect the main course - draniki  

And then the main entertainment program began – a professional band singing the most popular Belarusian folk songs. Belarusian folk songs are dedicated to the issues that filled the life of the Belarusian villagers – centuries ago they made the majority of the country’s population. These are the love to nature and their home country, love and folklore lyrics and ceremonial songs… At the end of the dinner there was a short dance workshop – the guests learned the basics of a folk dance from the band and spent a while on the improvised dance floor.

 
The best folk band in town  

It was very sad to leave the place for the busy capital, but the guests were in high spirits and ready for the rest of their corporate training program in Minsk.