Popular travel blogger from Poland visited Belarus. He didn't expect such prices and number of cameras
A Polish blogger with almost 600,000 YouTube subscribers visited Belarus. Here's what surprised the Pole.
Photos here and further: screenshots from videos on the YouTube channel «Kamil — In Travel»
Conversation at the border and two phones
Blogger Kamil Cichocki released two videos about his trip on his YouTube channel «Kamil — In Travel». This was his first trip to Belarus.
He named the long border crossing time as the main obstacle.
He traveled from Warsaw by bus, and at the border he learned that by getting into a passenger car, control could be passed much faster, so for 20 euros he found someone willing to give him a ride to Brest.
But it still didn't happen quickly, because the "interview" and phone check alone took two hours.
Indeed, Kamil admitted that he had two phones with him. He hid the main one in the car and went to the office for the conversation with his second smartphone, which had virtually nothing on it. And to ensure he was allowed into Belarus, he said he was only going to Brest, because, in his opinion, if he had said he was also going to Minsk, he might not have been allowed into the country.
All photos on the Pole's phone were reviewed, after which all applications were unlocked and examined.
Also, the blogger and his companion had all their belongings thoroughly checked, and their minibus was sent to the scanner.
In the video, the blogger later noted: he never delves into political issues, as he is not a politician, and therefore shows countries from a tourist's point of view. A few months before Belarus, the YouTuber visited Russia.
First impressions of Brest
The first thing that struck the Pole in Brest was the large number of old private buildings in the city center, many of which had slate roofs.
He mentioned that there used to be many such roofs in Poland as well, but when scientists reported that such roofs were harmful, they started to be replaced.
He then visited old Catholic cemeteries with a large number of monuments in Polish.
Walking through the city, he visited a store where he was impressed by Belarusian sweets, a large selection of marmalade and "Korovka" candies with various flavors. He also noted that Belarus is famous for its ice cream and that it is extremely cheap.
When visiting the market, the blogger was pleasantly surprised that many people understood Polish, could answer questions and hold a conversation.
Like other tourists from the West, he repeatedly noted that everything in Belarus is very cheap: taxi and train fares, food and drinks in restaurants, and, of course, car fuel.
Cameras on every corner
After a couple of hours walking around Brest, two more things struck the Pole: very clean streets, where you won't find any litter, and a huge number of cameras on every corner.
"It seems that a couple of years ago the state invested heavily in a surveillance system to monitor every movement on the streets and recognize faces," the traveler concluded.
The number of cameras continued to surprise the blogger on the second day as well — when he visited Brest Fortress.
On the fortress grounds, the YouTuber met a man who, upon learning he was from Poland, began to sing the Polish anthem.
However, according to the blogger, there were many people who asked not to be filmed, and the security also prohibited filming them.
Upon exiting the fortress, Kamil noted that the atmosphere of the USSR was palpable there.
He also encountered demands to stop filming when he was recording buildings belonging to law enforcement agencies or other state institutions.
The blogger noted that in Belarus, a foreigner can easily buy a SIM card, but due to the censored internet, many websites do not open.
It's very easy to go to prison in Belarus
Despite Kamil calling himself an exclusively tourist blogger, various political issues were occasionally raised.
For example, that importing drones into Belarus is strictly forbidden.
"Under the current regime, even for a small foolish act, one can end up in prison, and if even traces of drugs are found, one can be jailed for many years," he said, adding that Belarus is the only country in Europe where the death penalty still exists.
What else caught the Pole's eye?
The blogger noted that there are many old cars in Belarus, including "Ladas", and that many electric vehicles from China are now being imported there.
He also noticed that drivers in Brest start to yield to pedestrians even before they have fully reached the crosswalk.
Overall, after two days in Brest, he was left with mixed feelings and a few conclusions.
"It's supposedly nice, pleasant, good food, cheap, there are many foreign students from Asia and Africa coming to study in Belarus. I don't feel any particular regime yet," he said.
However, he compared crossing the border to passing through a gate leading to the world of the USSR.
"You know, it's so strange: from Warsaw it's only 200 kilometers [to Brest], meaning closer than to Krakow, but it's immediately a completely different world."
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