• Norway!

    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

  • Vatican City!

    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

  • Macedonia!

    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

  • Austria!

    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

  • Spain!

    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Culture & Identity of Belarus

Introduction

Belarus is a heavily industrialized and urbanized country and the way of life is heavily centered on these two things. Partially due to Soviet rule, the people today generally live in cities as 75% of the population is urbanized.

Nearly half of Belarus's population works in heavy industry with nearly the other half working in services jobs; only about 10% of the people work in agriculture. Most of these jobs are in the cities, where the work day begins with public transportation to work, which generally begins at about 9:00 am and ends at about 6:00 pm. The GDP per capita in Belarus is about $16,000, but there are great differences on what individual jobs pay.

The Soviets also encouraged education and even today the Belarusians place significant importance on education. During the school year, which runs from about September to July, students head to school at about the same time many parents go to work, but school usually ends a bit earlier; again public transportation is the more common form of getting to and from school.

Evenings and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) in Belarus vary. Many young singles will head out for a drink after work with co-workers and on the weekends going to a disco (dance club), or other social event is common. For families the lifestyle varies as most meals are eaten at home with family and tend to be occupied with homework for children during the school year.

Identity

Today the Belarusians identify as being "Belarusian," but few people know what exactly that means as their history has meddled with their identity quite drastically. Having been primarily a rural people under foreign rule, the Belarusians have, more often than not, been dominated by outside influence while unique traits were condemned or demolished. Since the fall of the Soviet Union the people have been trying to define their identity and, while there's no consensus, it seems most people see being Belarusian as also being Christian Orthodox and ethnic Belarusian. However, language is not included in defining this identity as many Belarusians prefer the Russian language over Belarusian.

This page was last updated: November, 2013