ÿþ</a><html> <head> <title>Belarus</title> </head> <body bgcolor="#EEEE99"> <h1> <font color="red"><blink><center> Belarus<blink></font> </h1><br> <h3> <center> Since my marriage November 9, 2007, things have turned ugly politically (December 19, 2010), and the economy has also suffered.<br>Here is the trailer to a movie, "Europe's Last Dictator", premiered March 1, 2012 in London: <br><br> <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sRPmbwbLwQI?version=3&feature=player_embedded"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sRPmbwbLwQI?version=3&feature=player_embedded" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object> <br><br> <hr size=5 color=#BE0027 width=850 align=center> <font=7><a href="Bat'ka.html"><h1>Alexander Gregorich Lukashyenko is the Godfather</a></h1> The rise of the Dictator in a series by Russian TV</font> <br><hr size=5 color=#BE0027 width=850 align=center><br> <a href="belarusians no revolt.html"><b>History of repression in Belarus</b></a> since about 1980 and<br> "Why don't Belarusians revolt?" Probably they have prospered too well! If the economy crashes, then??? <br><hr size=5 color=#BE0027 width=850 align=center><br> <TABLE WIDTH=800 ALIGN="CENTER" CELLPADDING=20><TR><TD ALIGN="CENTER" VALIGN=top>Present Flag since about 1996<br><br><img src="Belorusian Flag RED60PCT .gif" ALT="Belorusian Flag" Width=330 height=175> </td><td align=center VALIGN=top>Coat of Arms<br><br><img src="2007 Coat of Arms 001.jpg" ALT="2007 Coat of Arms 001" width=203 height=191><br><br></td><td align=center VALIGN=top> Historic Belarusian Flag<br><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Belarus"><img src="Belarusian flag, original red and white, CRPPD .jpg" ALT="Belarusian flag, original red and white, CRPPD " width=270 height=175></a>&nbsp;</td></tr></TABLE> </center> <br><br> <TABLE WIDTH=1100 ALIGN="CENTER" CELLPADDING=5 border=0 bgcolor="orange"><TR> <TD ALIGN="CENTER" VALIGN=MIDDLE> <font color="blue"><h3> Belarus Map, for Quick Orientation </h3></font> <IMG src="Belarus, map, CIA.gif" alt="Belarus, map, CIA" width=500 Height=535> </td> <td ALIGN="CENTER" VALIGN=MIDDLE> <font color="blue"><h3> Better, but without Mogilyov (Mahilyow) </h3></font> <img src="Belarus, map, Infoplease_com.gif" ALT="Belarus, map, Infoplease_com" width=500 Height=535> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=2> <br> <center> <blockquote style="width: 917"> <font color="blue"><h3>Chernoble, and Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant To Be Built near Vilnius, Lithuania by Russia Again!</h3></font> <p align=justify width=917>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;See where Belarsus, as of June, 2011, is planning to build a nuclear powerplant...like almost in the suburbs of Vilnius which is Lithuania's capital (see the star in upper left). &nbsp;The Belarusian powerplant is to be built in Astraviec (AB@025F), which I marked with an "X". &nbsp;Chernoble (Chernobyl), just across the border in Ukraine, is labeled by me in the lower-right, and is infamous for the worst nuclear power plant disaster in the world. &nbsp;Mogilyov (Mogilev, etc.) is seen to the North with a bit of the border with Russia seen in the upper-right corner to its NE. &nbsp;Then to the left of Mogilyov the capital, Minsk, is represented by a star.</p> </blockquote> <img src="Vilnius-ASTRAVIEK-Minsk-Mogilev-Chernoble Nuclear power site as of 2011.JPG" ALT="Vilnius-ASTRAVIEK-Minsk-Mogilev-Chernoble Nuclear power site as of 2011.JPG"> </center></td></tr> </TABLE> <center> <br><br><br> <h3>See the COMPREHENSIVE MAP!</h3>with Oblasts, cities, roads, railroads, populations,flag, coat-of-arms, etc.<br>(Note: The map information is in Belarusian language, not quite Russian!)</h3> To go, CLICK on reduced map below!</b><br> <a href="Belarus map, pop, flag, etc.html"><img src="2007 Belarus, map, Flag, Coat of Arms, population, roads, Oblasts, etc fr diary book RED30PCT 001.jpg" ALT="2007 Belarus, map, Flag, Coat of Arms, population, roads, Oblasts, etc fr diary book RED30PCT 001" width="600"></a> <br><br><br> </center><center> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html"><b>INFORMATION, quick and comprehensive about post-Soviet Belarus</a> including geography, populations, economy, government, etc. <br><br> <a href="11 3 16 BELARUS overall ratings by LEGATUM PROSP INDEX.html"><b>BELARUS COMPARED TO AMERICA</a>, published in 2010 in the <i>LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX</i>. &nbsp;Rating categories include Personal Freedom, Economy, Governance, Health, etc. with some "editorial comments" made by Dad from his personal experience.</b> <br><br> <a href="invest_in_Belarus_circa_2006.html">Thinking of investing in Belarus</a>, here are some considerations in an essay found on the Internet...and reedited by Dad.<br><br> <br> <center><h2><font color=red>INDEPENDENCE DAY</font></h2></center> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This day is celebrated July 3rd each year, the date when Minsk was liberated from the NAZIs in 1944. It was really a big day. Deana and I went to two concerts here in Mogilyov. Here are some pictures (of us :) ) from which you can get an idea of how pretty Mogilyov is, and the general happiness & prosperity of the people (in July, 2008; now as of June, 2011 things are down and going down presently):<br><br> <table width=950 cellpadding=12 bgcolor="#88bb33" align=center VALIGN=MIDDLE><tr><td VALIGN=MIDDLE align=center> <img src="08 7 3 Dzina walking toward band, Cutlural & Ice RED300W P7030075.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Dzina walking toward band, Cutlural & Ice RED300W P7030075"> <img src="08 7 3 Dzina walked by, Cultural & Ice RED300W P7030078.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Dzina walked by, Cultural & Ice RED300W P7030078"> <img src="08 7 3 Neal before band, Cultural & Ice Hockey Center w crowd RED300W P7030098.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Neal before band, Cultural & Ice Hockey Center w crowd RED300W P7030098"> </td></tr> <tr><td VALIGN=MIDDLE align=center> <img src="08 7 3 Neal in eating & vendor area, at Cutlural & Hockey Center RED300W P7030093.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Neal in eating & vendor area, at Cutlural & Hockey Center RED300W P7030093"> <img src="08 7 3 Dzina on Dnieper bridge going fr Concert 1 to 2 RED300W P7030100.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Dzina on Dnieper bridge going fr Concert 1 to 2 RED300W P7030100"> <img src="08 7 3 Sunset at Soviet Sq w ZAGS & Ratushka Twr REDW300 P7030106.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Sunset at Soviet Sq w ZAGS & Ratushka Twr REDW300 P7030106"> </td></tr> <tr><td align=center valign=middle> <img src="08 7 3 Band at Soviet Sq RED300W P7030113.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Band at Soviet Sq RED300W P7030113.JPG"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="08 7 3 Neal & Dzina composite before 'Prazdnik' billboard W800 H683 P7030121 .jpg" ALT="08 7 3 Neal & Dzina composite before 'Prazdnik' billboard W800 H683 P7030121 " width=290 height=225>&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="08 7 3 Fr Soviet Sq over street light, past Hockey-Cultural is our DOM RED300W P7030110.JPG" ALT="08 7 3 Fr Soviet Sq over street light, past Hockey-Cultural is our DOM RED300W P7030110"> </td></tr></table><br> <TABLE bgcolor=#E06C55 align=center cellpadding=12><tr><td VALIGN=MIDDLE align=center> July 3, 2007, Parade of Atheletes, Minsk<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PcvPcyEYa8o&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PcvPcyEYa8o&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td><td align=center valign=middle> Military Parade, July 3, 2008<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WH0ioKe0A-g&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WH0ioKe0A-g&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td></tr><tr><td align=center valign=middle> 45=L ?>154K (Victory Day), Nickolai Skorikov, 7-3-08<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJES2kTt0Z0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJES2kTt0Z0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td><td align=center valign=middle> Lukashenko, C:0H5=:>, Speech July 3.2008<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cv-akADaMSI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cv-akADaMSI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td></tr><tr><td align=center valign=middle> Lukashenko dancing with Verka Serduchka, July 3, 2008<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aqXimJ9CASQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aqXimJ9CASQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td><td align=center valign=middle> A.Lukashenko plays bayan<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7qdWqAgjLs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7qdWqAgjLs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td></tr><tr><td align=center valign=middle> Belarus, the centre of Europe! 5;>@CAA8O, F5=B@ 2@>?K!<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JpCUXOOyWx0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JpCUXOOyWx0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td><td align=center valign=middle> Oleg Gazmanov, ;53 07<0=>2, in Minsk, July 3, 2008<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2iocAWU_aw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2iocAWU_aw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td></tr><tr><td align=center valign=middle> ;5:A59 830;:>28C, Alexey Zhigalkovich, 12 years old?<br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OhtQNCxZUqo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OhtQNCxZUqo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td><td align=center valign=middle> National Anthem Belarus, <b>FIREWORKS!</b> 7-3-08><br> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1wvRib-mDiM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1wvRib-mDiM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </td></tr></table><br> <br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Belarus is quite picturesque and agreeable climate-wise in the summer. I can recommend it for visiting, and you will see better why as this site is expanded (More & more pics of me, Deana, baby [in time], & Belarus). The only other city that I have yet visited is Minsk, and it is even better than Mogilyov! Living here, in a relatively properous country, is enjoyable except for the winter weather (all 7 to 8 months of it by my standards! :) ). But the summer here is quite nice...even just warm enough for me to go swimming twice so far (50 to 75 F seemingly is the general range), so with frequent clouds and rains it is hard for the water to get to the temperatures that I like for swimming anymore. <br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is not much to be said about the politics. That in of itself is perhaps a virtue. Unfortuneately there is a human rights' issue. Unless one walks in another man's shoes, one cannot really judge the man. Christ says that "by their fruits ye shall know them". As you will see below, the government is publically dedicated in word to the people, and the fruits of domestic peace, low corruption (Compare to Russia, Ukraine, Bugaria, and Romania as examples!), and prosperity the "fruits" are good. So, maybe this is the kind of government needs to protect the people from someone(s) that would exploit them. Also, there seems to be a precarious situation re maintaining independence. Russia would like to absorb Belarus (asking for a common currency, insisting on the State of Union agreement unsigned by Belarus, & wanting to station Russian troops here [by putting in missile and bomber bases because of Czech, Polish, & Baltic NATO & missile defences] & probably in time a "Trojan Horse", and Russian presence a la Georgia). The West now "economically sanctions" Belarus because of inhumane treatment and imprisonment of political opponents, but <a href="http://www.degaston.org/pics/torture%20tainted%20legacy%20of%20GWBush/">George W. Bush</a> (and America) are not on high ground. President Lykoshenko seems to work hard at providing for independence and prosperity, and is doing a good job re results for the people of this small nation under the circumstances, though his domestic political control is criticized by the EU and America. <br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;My experience is that a person will be safe and treated well. (If you never hear from me again, then you can conclude differently! :) ) I have been treated courteously by all departments...even helpfully (visa, residency, ZAGS re marriage, Customs). I was stopped one night during the winter by 3 policemen when I was alone. The frequent patrols keep crime down. We managed to converse to some degree with my limited ability in Russian. When they understood that I had a Belrusian wife, (renewable) permanent residency, they all saluted me for a good-bye (I hope that it was not just respect for an "old man"! How crushing!). Try to get that courtesy from our policemen! <br><br> <center> <img src="Lykashenko pic to o w words press28472.jpg" ALT="Lykashenko pic to o w words press28472"><img src="Lykoshenko pic and commitment to prosperity press28565.gif" ALT="Lykoshenko pic and commitment to prosperity press28565"><br><br> <H3><font color="008000"><b>WEB SITES</b></font></H3> </center> <dir><dir><dir> <a href="http://www.president.gov.by/en/">President Lykashenko's personal Web site</a>, where he posts press releases, decrees, and his activities of interest<br> <a href="http://www.president.gov.by/en/press10662.html">The Republic of Belarus</a>' Web site<br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lukashenko">Alexander Lykahsenko</a>, Wikipedia<br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus">The Republic of Belarus</a>, Wikepedia<br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&ns0=1&search=Alexander+Lukashenko&fulltext=Advanced+search"><b>List</b></a> of Articles about Belarus in Wikipedia<br> </dir></dir></dir> <br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is opposition, and opposing parties hung out the historic Belarusian flags on July 27 because Belarus became independent from the Soviet Union on July 27, 1990, not July 3, 1990. <a href="Belarus marked Independence Day (Photo) - Charter'97 News from Belarus - Belarusian News - Republic of Belarus - Minsk.mht"> <b>CLICK HERE</b></a> to go to an article about how some celebrated July 27th this year. <br><br><br > <center><center> "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"<br> <embed src="smoke_gets_in_your_eyes.mid" width=296 height=45 loop="1" autostart="yes" loop="1" volume="-100"> </center> </body></html>