Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2017 39 Restructuring under Soviet rule was systematic and enterprising. Wide roads were constructed with ample space for sidewalks. Buildings were concrete and typical Soviet style, de- signed to house the masses at low cost. The infrastructure grew and for the most part, Belarus was part of the Soviet Union, adhering to Soviet poli- cies, customs and laws. Churches were to be destroyed, but fortunately, as in the Baltic States, this mandate was not urgent and a lack of funding, and the fact that many church- es were destroyed during the war, put this decree on the back burner. After the fall of Perestroika and Com- munism itself, Belarus became an inde- pendent country, changing its name to the Republic of Belarus (formerly known as the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Re- public). The country opened its doors to the west; however, it maintained strong relations with Russia, and has not as yet attempted to join the European Union. The old city of Minsk is small, as most was destroyed, but the churches that exist are well worth the visit. The main street runs along the river and is very picturesque. I had intended to take a bus back to my hotel, but instead opted to walk. It was 14 Km. but during the course of a day, was an extremely interesting trek. I stayed at the Marriott Hotel, which had been opened mid-2016. It was probably one of the nicest hotels in the city, certainly one of the most modern. My room overlooked the river, and a large greenbelt. Everyone made a tremendous effort to speak English and courtesy was second to none. All this for only $130 a night. Prices in Belarus are substantially less than the rest of Europe, a nice change for travellers. A visit to the war museum is inter- esting, if you enjoy Soviet history, and the new library is extremely modern Nesvizh Palace. ...................... Please turn to page 40