Belarussian Tips

INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS GOING TO BELARUS

MINSK - THE CAPITAL OF BELARUS

LANGUAGES: Official state languages are Belarusian and Russian. In Minsk Russian is generally used in common life. Front desk clerks at hotels, personnel of airline ticket offices, travel agencies, and some big restaurants and entertainment establishments usually speak English and German.
MONEY EXCHANGE: Exchange offices are situated in hotels, banks, big shops and kiosks around the city. You can exchange there US dollars, German marks and Russian rubles for Belarusian rubles. Other currencies can be also exchanged but at banks only. Black market dealers might offer you changing money for more profitable rate but it is illegal, persecuted and dangerous. Main credit cards can be accepted but mostly in big hotels, big shops, and restaurants. There are some Automated Teller Machines in the city. ATMs and exchange offices buying bank and travel checks are in circulation in Belarus, the biggest banknote is 5,000 Belarusian rubles. Probably, you will find difficulties in exchanging Belarusian rubles back into a hard currency.
TELEPHONE AND POST OFFICES: Electronic(chip) cards are sold in news stands/kiosks. Public phones on the streets allow local calls. Intercity and international calls can be made from hotels, airports, railway station and trunk-call offices at 2 F.Skaryny Ave., 18 Valadarskaga St., 24 Surganava St. (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Post offices which are open from 9-00 am till 6-00 pm exept for Sundays can be easily found in any district of the city. The Main Post Office at 2 F. Skaryny Ave. is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Minsk has a developed public network system including buses, trolley buses, trams, and metro. Daily service runs from 5-30 am till 1-00 am. Tickets for ground transport are available in news stands/kiosks on the streets, in the shops and from drivers. In order to get to Metro you should buy a ticket. Tickets should be punched immediately upon entering a vehicle. Ticket is valid for a single ride only in a vehicle where the ticket was punched. There are no time tables at the stops of transport. Any transport is often overcrowded. Compared to other public transports Metro is preferable. However, Metro can be overcrowded during rush hours as well. You can also buy a travel card for all means of transport (bus, trolley bus, tram and metro) it will cost you around $2.2 or a ten day pass - $0.75. 
TAXIS: Taxis can be found waiting in front of hotels, at the airports, railway station and bus stations as well as cruising the streets. There are taxis of three taxi companies and a lot of private taxis in the city. According to the decision adopted by the city authorities each taxi should be equipped with a meter. The government fixes the sole tariff. Credit cards are not accepted in taxis. To call for a taxi dial 057,081 or 061. 
POLICE: Compared to majority of cites in Russia and C.I.S. Minsk is a rather quiet and safe city. However, you should be careful in peripheral areas, especially at night. In case of emergency dial the police number 02 (free of charge).
HEALTH SERVICES: For medical emergency - call 03 (free of charge). Emergency rooms in hospitals provide first aid free.