Belarus. Resorts of Belarus. Embassy of Belarus. Pictures of Belarus
Belarus is expanses, full of crops, flowering fields of flax, potato fields and the famous Belaveskaya Pushcha. In Belarus Wetlands are so extensive that Napoleon respectfully called them fifth element. The symbol of the country is bison, a huge bull is weighing nearly ton.
Belarus is in the Commonwealth of Independent States since its inception in December 1991. It is a founding member of the United Nations, supports the scientific and cultural ties with many countries in the world. Major trade partners - Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries and Eastern Europe. In 1996 Russia and Belarus confederated. In 1999 a treaty establishing the Union State was signed.
In the structure of national income 44% for the industry, 29,3% for agriculture. One of the features of the industrial complex is the predominance of manufacturing industries, the high share of machine building, chemical and petrochemical industries.
In Belarus, there is compulsory secondary education. 32 high school, including 3 university, conservatory, prepare highly qualified workers. Byelorussian University in Minsk was founded in 1921, about 17 thousand students study annual here.
The majority of the population is Belarussians (7.9 million). At the same time in the country throughout its history were the representatives of other nationalities - Russian, Tatars, Poles, Ukrainians, Jews.
Belarusian language along with Russian and Ukrainian belongs to the eastern group of Slavic languages. At the present time, together with the Belarusian national language of the country Russian recognized too. This is due to its large spread among all segments of the population. The Belarusian people has a rich, diverse traditional culture. Many areas in business and life noted ethnic specificity.
Now the traditions of Belarusian folk costumes used on stage, at folk festivals and arts and crafts. The peculiarity of the traditional culture is manifested in its area such as cooking. Belarusian cuisine is varied flour and potato dishes. Of the flour bake pancakes, cakes, boiled liquid meals - tolokno, Kulesh, kissel. More than 200 potato foods: dranki, dumplings, kolduni, pancakes, gulbishniki, fritters, casseroles, etc. Among the most used vegetables include cabbage, beets, peas, beans. They are boiled, soar, stew. Methods of preserving food - drying, salting, sour. Ritual dishes are loaf at a wedding, kutya, pancakes, Kiselev at funeral, Babina porridge at celebration of birth of child.
The critical political, economic and cultural center is Minsk, which became the capital in 1919, but the first mention of it in the annals refers to 1067. In the middle of the XII century. It was the center of specific principality and competed with Polotsk for the top position in Polotsk land. In XIV - XVIII centuries it developed as a major trade and craft center of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1793, after the reunification with Russia, it became the principal town of the province. Unfortunately, by that time virtually nothing survived: after the Great Patriotic War, the city lay in ruins. Rebuild again, Minsk affects broad avenues, spacious squares and a variety of architectural ensembles. One of the most magnificent is Building Government House, built in 1930 - 1933. In Minsk there are 13 universities, 7 theaters (including Opera and Ballet Theater), 12 museums (including Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the Museum of Ancient Belarusian art, Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, Artistic Museum).
At 100 km south of Minsk Slutsk is situated. The city is known from the XII century, in XVIII - XIX centuries it was famous for the existing factory belts. Wares, decorated with wonderful traceries with the elements of national ornament, wove from silk, gold and silver threads. Slutsk belts were world famous, have been praised Belarusian poet Maxim Bogdanovich in the poem «Slutsk weavers». Now dominated by specialization of the city is the processing of agricultural raw materials. Chief town of south-east is Gomel (420 thousand inhabitants), the largest second only to Minsk. It is situated on the picturesque banks of the navigable Sozh. First mention of Gomel is in the written sources relates to the XII century. On the coast Sozh old park stretches. In the middle of the park there is a castle with 40-meter tower, an outstanding monument of architecture of XVIII century. It was built in Gothic style by the famous architect V. Rastrelli. Since the end of the XVIII century wooden Ilyinskaya church remains. Founded in 1969, the University named after F. Skaryna has more than 7 thousand students.
Today, as many centuries ago, the life of people is diversity and is decorated with numerous calendar rituals. Year is beginning to the New Year and Christmas-tide - Kolyada (December 24 - January 6), associated with customs of kolyadovat’ and schedrovat’. A special place belongs to Easter, as well as Semuhe, or the Trinity. This holiday, when, by tradition, great importance is attached to a young green, bound with a well-known custom «Driving bush» in Polesye. Young girl adorned with green branches, and with the «bush» bypassed village from majestic songs. Bright and cheerful holiday is Midsummer, on the night of 23 to 24 June, with fires, searching for the magic fern flower, singing and dancing. It is known more than 100 Belarusian folk dances, among which the ancient round-dancing: lyavoniha, kryzhachok, yurachka, etc. Most of calendar customs and rituals have lost their old meaning, and points to a bright domestic holidays. At the same time, many now-forgotten holiday revival. Thus, since 1988, is widely celebrated Memorial (April 20), a pagan spring festival associated with the commemoration of ancestors.
Belarusians are justifiably proud literary and artistic heritage of pioneer, educator, scholar-encyclopedist Francysk Skaryna(about 1486 - 1541). In Prague he let «Psalter» and 20 individual books of the Bible first translated into the Slavonic language. In the early 20-ies. of XVI century he founded a printing house in Vilnius. His work contributed to the formation of the Belarusian literary language.
Since the end of X century state religion of Kievan Rus, including the Belarusian land, it was Christianity. Belarussians practiced mainly Orthodox. Since the second half of the XII century Catholicism penetrated through the military-monastic orders. Now the majority of believers (about 5 million) is Orthodox. There are also followers of the Roman Catholic Church. In the western areas represented a variety of Catholicism, as Greek-Catholic (Uniate) Church.
A unique attraction is the sanctuary «Belaveskaya Pushcha» total area of 150 thousand hectares (87,6 refers to Belarus hectares,the western part is located on Poland). Since the XIII century Belovezhskaya Pushcha is nature reserves princely hunting, since 1940 it’s Reserve and since 1991 - National Park of Belarus.
