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Moldova, a walk around Chisinau
A walk around Chisinau leaves no illusions. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe and can be seen at first glance. Destroyed buildings and broken sidewalks can be seen when you deviate from the main street. Representative streets, on the other hand, reminds the former glory days. Built with a typical Soviet grandeur, now they look quite grotesque and ask for at least some facelift. However, such a charm of Chisinau, I personally liked this city very much. Some buildings are slowly being brought back to life, such as the State Circus. Shortly after opening in 1981, it was the largest facility of this type in Moldova, equipped…
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Kiev – 13 reasons to visit the capital city of Ukraine
I visited Kiev this year on my way to Chernobyl. I admit that I didn’t expect to see “fireworks” on the spot. I don’t know, maybe it was a matter of my attitude, but for sure I didn’t fall in love like in Lviv. Even though it’s really worth seeing this city due to an interesting mix of past and modern times. In total, I counted thirteen reasons why the capital of Ukraine deserves tourists’ attention. Mother Motherland Statue It’s a huge monument, more than 100 meters high, standing on one of the Kiev hills. It’s one of the largest structures of this type in the world. It is even…
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Visit Chernobyl… before it fades
Chernobyl, the name of this city to this day gives a lot of people the creeps, although many years have passed since the catastrophe. It took place on the night of April 25-26 in 1986 as a result of the nuclear reactor accident of the power unit no. 4. It’s one of the biggest disasters in the history of nuclear energy. A huge area was contaminated in Belarus and Ukraine, many people were forcibly displaced, a large part of the area was closed, and the radioactive cloud spread throughout Europe. How does this place look like now, 35 years after the catastrophe? This question has been bothering me for a…
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Russian Woodpecker – Duga in Chernobyl Exlusion Zone, Girl off the Trail
Russian Woodpecker (Duga) was my first point during exploration in Chernobyl, although I must admit that I would prefer it to be the last – such a cherry on the cake of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. I won’t hide that I went to Chernobyl, mainly to see the famous Moscow’s Eye not the site of the nuclear power plant disaster. Moscow’s Eye is the colloquial name given to the Soviet over-the-horizon radar system, which in the USSR was called Duga, or “bow”. The system consisted of three radars with a range of 3,000 km. Radars were transmitting and receiving devices that used the reflection of short radio waves from the…
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Odessa, Ukraine – “Long Live the Bribe” and an elegant makeshift
Odessa – a popular resort at the Black Sea. It’s considered one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine. In my opinion, of all the places I have visited in Ukraine, it’s certainly the most elegant city. However, my heart has long belonged to Lviv (which I wrote about here). In general, my thoughts about Odessa turned out to be in line with reality. Odessa aspires to be an exclusive seaside resort but on the other hand, makeshift and kitsch can be seen at every step. However, I must admit that this mix makes this city so interesting ? The most recognizable building in Odessa is the Opera House. Apparently,…
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New Year’s eve in Minsk – unexpected fireworks!
Originally, New Year’s Eve 2018/2019 was supposed to be nothing special. I’ve never actually put pressure on New Year’s Eve celebration, but this time I decided that I’d look for a nice trip option for a change. Unfortunately, I showed a chess player’s reflex, being under an illusion that at the end of November, I would find some accommodation in Poland at a reasonable price. Looking for possible options, I took a map. I glanced at the eastern part, I thought that after all, Brest is not that far from Warsaw… I checked the offers of accommodation: a lot of nice apartments at very affordable prices. Waiting time for visa…
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Belarus – 10 reasons why you should visit this country!
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Tiraspol, Transnistria – practical info, Girl off the Trail
Transport: Tiraspol is located only 70 km from Chişinău and a little more than 100 km from Odessa. The easiest way to get there is from Moldova. Local coaches called marszrutkas shuttle from Central Bus Station, which is located next to the central market in Chişinău, near Stefan Cel mare street. Buses to Tiraspol runs from early morning to late evening, almost every 15-20 minutes. The ticket costs less than 2 €. You’ll find them at the stop no. 13. It takes about 2 hours to get to the capital of Transnistria – Tiraspol. At the border, expect only the Transnistrian control because Moldova does not recognise it. You can…
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Tiraspol, Transnistria – alternative reality
Transnistria, self-appointed country with the capital in Tiraspol was my next direction after a visit to the Nogorno Karabakh. The perspective of seeing another so-called self-appointed country has been fascinating me for a long time. On the Internet you can find a lot of information about this place and, above all, warnings due to the unclear status of this area and possible threats to the tourist. The reason of my visit there wasn’t the desire to raise the adrenaline, but to see with my own eyes how it’s there. Transnistria, actually, the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic hasn’t been recognised on the international arena, even by Russia, which officially supports it financially…
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Belarusian cuisine – homely food!
Belarusian cuisine is based mainly on products available in Belarus like: potatoes, cereals, pork, mushrooms and forest fruit. Dishes are prepared with simple ingredients and easy to cook. Due to the long and harsh winters and the nature of the work of the majority of the population, the traditional cuisine in Belarus consists of nutritious meals. However, the most characteristic is the preparation process. Dishes are mainly roasted, cooked and stewed and very rarely fried. Belarusian cuisine uses a small amount of spices while the mandatory element of almost every dish is cream. Restaurants in Belarus have a distinctive, homey look and offer numerous traditional dishes. There is no problem…
