Trip to Dedukti -the hill of glory and back to Minsk

Today I picked up my rental car for the first trip outside Minsk before starting my big journey tomorrow - I though that picking up a rental car was easy but to find the booth in the main railway station was all but easy - the guy from the rental car company told me that they are are not allowed to set up signs - normal way of business here - search and find out ....

I got my car and made my way to Dedutki a traditional cultural park that was set up by a Lithuanian Industrial to demonstrate all traditional products made in Belarus on one spot. The drive there was nice and took me through the country side but the site itself was no so estonishing - took a guide tour in Russian that allowed me to taste the home made chees and Wodka - see the original equipment below and learn all about traditional Belarus farm traditions - I liked that Mr. Lamanchais not a well seen guest in Belarus and continued to the glory hill close to Minsk airport - another true astonishing Russian monoment - I like the way these were constructed - straight forward - it should be visible that it's all about glory and heroic behaviour and look at the pictures - yes that is exactly what these pictures tell - mission completed - for this purpose ....

I dropped my car at the hotel to visit the great museum of the 2nd World War I saw yesterday only from the outside - another great example on how to impose a certain picture on the audience - now sitting on my favourite spout typing the blog and getting prepared for tomorrow's journey to Grodna...

The lush setting of Dudutki

Old car collection also on display 

The intitial distillery set up - I like the old petrol tank in these set up - they call the product water from the moon - how come ....

Straw is an essential part of Belarus culture and used to create all kinds of magnificent sculptures 

Well explained by the professional

Outside the park a new wooden church has been erected 

And as mentioned Mr La Mancha should not turn up here 

Fields are already in full blossoms 

The mount of Glory - true impressive with all its details 

The local Cafe guided by the tanks - that's what I call a safe place 

Back to Minsk in the museum of the 2nd world war - clear messages all over 

Interesting tool the partisans used to let the German railways crush - called partisany lift - simple and effective 

Or they used these nice standard tools...

No comments 

And finally the victory hall on the top - message clearly understood 

Back on the way to dinner with a nice evening view of the old town 

And the upper town 

Boxed in concrete - smile 

Another great day in Minsk

'I walked about 23 km yesterday and have to say that I felt a bit tired - but there was more to explore.

So back on the feet and let's walk again

I focussed on the leftovers from yesterday - I like the picture below KFC pressed down by the full force of Russian socialism - nice - bet only heroic chickens turned into burgers ...

The cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is the oldest in town from 1611 but went through several renovations periods and was used under Stalin as fish market - now set in a cosy place between apartment blocks 

Behind the cathedral the former Jewish quarter starts - or what is left over basically two streets - the Nazi turned this into a Ghetto wahrer out of 100.000 Jews only 5000 survived the regime. The houses have not been torn down by the communist and so a little bit of old Minsk survives...

Even witches have parking places in from of a cafe here 

Whatever this sign means - no clue but certainly a female - male danger zone ...

The second of the remaining streets nicely renovated 

And a view into the brand new shopping mall - that where Minsk will spend the money in the future 

Back View in the upper city of Minsk

The Palast of Sports - what else 

The hughe apparent block neighbouring the old city to give the very special flare of the east

The museum of the Great War - a true symbol of great communistic architecture - strong symbols all over 

Even the Berlin Reichstag Coppola was included 

Nothing to add ... self explaining

Below a picture of the Zaslavskaya memorial a pit where the Nazis shot 5000 Jews including kids and left them in this pit - the memorial is there to remember this cruel act of history 

On the way back I found this great advertising for a Belarus athlete - look at the view in his eyes to see his proudnes 

Bridge to the island of tears - to commemorate the fallen Russian soldiers 

The old town - looks old but isn't all fake news Donald would say - the town was turned down and all what you see is a rebuilt in style - still nice to look at 

And back to my favourite square in the upper town 

Before I catches the underground to the knowledge diamond also known as the new central library of Minsk - now the home of about 14 million books - a true gem in knowledge 

Don't know if this is Dana in front of the Dana Center ....

From the top of the library you have a magnificent view over Minsk 

On the way back I stopped at the children's railway - a railway operated only by children with true big engines - all the staff consists of children - impressed about this shift in responsibility 

On the way to my dinner I detoured through the Chelyuskintsev leisure park and when you enter you feel like outside of Minsk - just in a view steps 

Sunset and good night in the upper town