Visit to Belarus July/August 2006
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Late July, 2006 and time to yet again
visit “Moy Dom” – Mozyr, Belarus. As always, wary of the
possibility of extremely high temperatures but that was not to be. Temperatures
during my stay were hot without being uncomfortable and at night cool enough
to sleep soundly.
I was met at the airport by my “beloved brother” Sergey, Sasha and Nastya. I
remember Nastya as a
delightful child but now she has blossomed into a beautiful
young lady and an excellent speaker of English. She is currently studying
at the University of Minsk.
The journey to Mozyr was uneventful and slightly peppered by refreshment stops
– I suppose to get my blood used to the “Russian” way. !!
Sergey and I conversed for the journey and time flew. The language we
have is to say the least unusual but there is a strong understanding
and bond between us.
Arriving eventually
in Mozyr and staying with Mila, mother of Nastya. Mila has an extremely
responsible job as cashier to a large establishment with bars, restaurant, night
club and billiards. She has also a devout
and knowledgeable interest in the ways of Buddha and associated doctrines. My
ability to spread my belongings throughout her apartment must have affected the
“grand order” of things but she did not complain.
Whilst in Belarus I continue to learn about life – both important things and
also useful. At home we have many ice cube containers that produce standard
shapes and seasonal. I could not understand how Mila was producing such
interesting and ornate ice cubes until I saw that she was using
the trays from chocolate
boxes.
The first few days I wandered, settled in and got the registration sorted at the
police station which I could never do on my own. Each time it becomes slightly
less painless as my friends do more and more. I might have been being prepared
for a fishing weekend with Sergey and his
friends.
Normally Sergey and I are not allowed out on our own unaccompanied so after
maybe 17 visits to Belarus this was a sort of first. Arriving at the
dacha I felt slightly embarrassed as all the other
participants for the weekend
were looking after themselves but I was given a room with fresh sheets. This I
did not need but showed yet again the care and attention they wished to extend
to me.
(Dacha listen
(help·info)
(Russian:
да́ча) is a Russian word for a house
in the countryside.
It is usually occupied part of the year by its owner or rented out to urban
residents as a summer retreat. Dachas are very common in Russia,
and are also widespread in some former republics of the Soviet
Union. Anyone who occupies a dacha for the time being is called dachnik
(Russian:
дачник).)
Mila had given me strict instructions on what to do and what not to do…….
i.e. do not drink vodka and fish……… so I didn’t ……….
Fish. There were rods in the boat but at the height of
the afternoon heat the protagonists with me had different plans. They
jumped out of the boats at different places and swam to the bank where they bent overhanging
bushes or small trees into the
water where it acted as a net and enclosed the fish. The swimmers then felt for
the fish, caught them with their hands and threw them into the boat. 
Enough fish caught, maybe 30 of varying sizes, back to the dacha. The day was
far from over as entertainment then consisted of firing .22 rifle at plastic
bottles on trees and a shotgun at similar targets. I was particularly pleased to
have met and spent some time with two Ukrainian
families in the next dacha. Lovely people, sweet children who welcomed me
so warmly. I lost an arm wrestling competition
but that was to be expected as it was with a member of the Ukrainian
Olympic team. I did match him however in drinking raw eggs from a shell.
With the day nearly over I was invited to visit a bee factory where they kindly
presented me with 2 litres of honey
and half of a hive.
The next day we fished with rods “nearly early” in the
morning, returning home with dirt and grime in parts of my body that I
did not know I had.
Monday morning arrived too early and off we went to the Ecological and Culture
Centre for 
Mozyr, District. Svetlana, who is never too far away from me, Anna
and Ludmila inspirational directors of schools and myself were given a private showing
of the exhibits. So interesting and informative. It seemed that this trip was
allowing me to gather information for an event that was yet to happen.
I did notice pronounced swellings on bites on
my legs. A visit to a
chemist with Svetlana gave me various ointments 
and tablets but the next day I
met Irina, God daughter, who
took me to see her mother a
pharmacist,,,,, on to her sister a
doctor in a hospital to a dermatologist. Total
time from start to finish maybe 40 minutes, including ( taxi rides ) but then again Belarus is only developing !!!! Thank you to
them.
Both Anna and Ludmila have dachas
and when I am in Belarus being invited to their rural dwellings it is like
becoming a member of their families. What a wonderful day we had and my thanks to them for their
hospitality. At Ludmila’s dacha I met the Director of Education
who arranged a meeting for the next day. Luba., the Director of Education
is responsible for 48 educational establishments, 22,000 children and
5000 teachers. She, like Anna and Ludmila, have this inner energy that sets them
apart from mere mortals.
At the meeting we discussed United Nations Peace Day on 21st
September, Associated Schools’ Project Network, school projects
including our indigenous forests, the
forests of Belarus and disappearing rainforests. UNESCO competitions and the
success of the 2006 Culture of Peace Art Competition. A very productive meeting.
The Art Competition held in April
"Culture of Peace Twenty Years On" had been an astounding success. Right
HE UK
Ambassador to UNESCO Mr. Tim Craddock receives one of the winning entries from
Matthew member of A Ray of Hope.
Then the Director accompanied us on a further guided tour of the new fort, built
in commemoration of Mozyr’s 850th anniversary and a local
historical museum.
There were many other important events during
my stay including a day with
my God daughters and Vladek the
cousin of Darya. The week however finished with a house party in Svetlana’s
new apartment which over looks a vast expanse of Mozyr’s surrounds.
........... and as always I returned to Northern Ireland
safely.
