| Article Index |
|---|
| Philip Taylor's visit |
| Day 2 - Thursday 26th October |
| Day 3 - Friday 27th October |
| Day 4 - Saturday 28th October |
| Day 5 - Sunday 29th October |
| All Pages |
Arriving at Gatwick on a damp Wednesday morning, I met Victor and checked in for the flight to Minsk. There were four of us in the group - Victor, Alan Frame (president of CCLL) and Graeme Ash, aka Billy Wiz - a wonderful magician who is coming over primarily to entertain children in a cancer hospital, a school and to perform at a concert for children supported by the "Children in Trouble" organisation.
Getting through security was straightforward - much easier than in the summer when the queues stretched half way round the airport. After poking round the shops for a while amid hordes of people (even WH Smith had a Disney-style queuing system!) I sat down for a coffee - and was joined shortly after by Alan and Victor. Alan is a fellow trustee and president of CCLL and has worked with the charity for a long time. He was executive editor of the Daily Express at one time, and now runs a PR/Communications company representing well-known individuals (Duchess of York, Cliff Richard, Mohammed Al Fayed, Cilla Black were all mentioned) and companies. Alan has raised a significant amount of money for CCLL through the paper, and through his extensive network.
The plane was a little late arriving from Minsk, so was late out too. There were only about 35 people on board, so I had a row to myself. We were served a meal - the choice being "pork or beef" … I opted for the latter, which turned out to be a very tough "burger" with rice, Brussels sprouts, sliced cucumber, bread roll and a nice dessert. Wine and soft drinks were also served. Coffee was a cup of hot water and a sachet of instant coffee - I was to find that a decent cup of coffee is hard to find in Belarus!
Despite the late departure, we arrived spot on time, taxiing past a graveyard for old transport planes - at least 15 Russian planes parked near the runway and slowly decaying. Immigration was straightforward, and we were told we didn't need the "compulsory" medical insurance. Our bags were out very quickly, and after a chat with Dima, a customs officer who also works as a group leader in CCLL, we went out and met Alexey. There were few trolleys (about 15), but the total distance from the luggage belt to the roadside was only about 20m. All bags are X-rayed by the customs staff, and we got through without any problem.
Alexey runs the CCLL office in Minsk along with Oksana and Marina, and was to be our guide and driver throughout our visit. We came to know the bright yellow CCLL minibus very well over the 5 days!
The 42km into Minsk was quick - the road was very straight and traffic light. First impressions were of sparsely populated areas, with dilapidated buildings. This changed as we entered Minsk, with blocks of flats and some shops. As we came into the middle of the city it began to look like any other affluent city with some new buildings, more shops, bright lights and wide roads. The city is kept very clean, and traffic is orderly. Alan was amazed at how different it was from his last visit in 1997 when there were few cars and run-down buildings. We passed some huge government buildings and made our way to the Belarus hotel - a 22-storey tower block near a lake which was built in the Soviet era and renovated in 2001. Our rooms were on the 13th floor - I had a twin room looking out over the lake. The room was comfortable if a little Spartan, and perfectly adequate.
Going for a quick wander around the hotel I changed some money - $20 = 42,000 roubles - and bought some water in the hotel shop which seemed to sell only water, juice, and vodka - at least 30 different varieties.
Alan, Victor and I met Alexey and drove into town for a formal dinner with the British ambassador to Belarus and the incoming Belarusian ambassador to the UK, stopping at the station for some roses for the Belarusian ambassador's wife. The flower stall was huge, and the roses beautiful. Interestingly, you only give an odd number of roses - a bunch of 12 roses would be taken to a funeral. We had a few minutes in hand at the restaurant so had a quick look at the Catholic cathedral - a large, red building - with a mass underway in Latin. The building looked new, and had been converted from a warehouse in the last few years. There seemed to be some filming going on outside, with huge lights on mobile cranes illuminating the building.
Inside the restaurant - a cellar - we waited in the foyer for our guests. Oksana and Marina from the office arrived first, shortly followed by Brian Bennett, the British Ambassador. Alexandr and Tatsiana then arrived, and Victor presented the flowers to Tatsiana. Alexandr is currently the deputy foreign minister and will take up his new post as Belarusian ambassador to the UK in November. The roses were put in a vase on the table and promptly toppled over, taking a glass or two with them. Vodka was the first order of the evening - we had a bottle of silver birch vodka, where silver birch wood is infused in the initial stages of production with the grain, sugar and water. It was very pleasant and smooth.
The menu was one of the largest I've ever seen - I didn't know where to start! Fortunately I was sitting next to Alexey who recommended a few dishes, and I ordered a fish salad with Sturgeon to follow. I ordered broccoli with it and was presented with a dish of Brussels sprouts (second time in a day!) - I don't know if it was a mistake or a difference in nomenclature.
Conversation was lively and interesting. Brian Bennett is a Russian graduate from Sheffield University, and this is his first posting to a country where he could use the language. He flipped very easily between Russian and English, sitting next to Victor and Tatsiana.
Brian's view on the benefits to the children was:
- Children come for a break from the contamination
- Dental and health care
- Typical Belarusian approach to health is "DIY" - there are few doctors available in the country and while hospitals are good, they are sparse. People tend not to go to doctors or dentists as they are too far away and expensive
- Children benefit from seeing another culture and widening their perspective
Brian spoke about Lukashenka's speech in November 2004 when he said he would ban the adoption of Belarusian children outside Belarus, and that children were being badly influenced by visiting Western countries. The suggestion was that he would stop children travelling. What happened after this was that the adoption by foreigners stopped overnight, but people did not like the idea that children wouldn't be able to travel, and this was quietly dropped.
I was sitting next to Marina, who told me that the parents of children who have been to the UK call the office and are full of gratitude, often in tears. A common report is that the children don't get ill as often when they return - a real indicator that the break in the UK does improve their immune systems.
Minsk is being extensively developed. Brian observed that a lot of the money for this is coming from Russian crude oil which is bought cheaply by Belarus, refined, and then sold on at market rates to Western countries which is a good source of funds but not sustainable in the long term. Outside Minsk the story is very different, and as we were to see in the coming days, the villages and towns outside the capital seem to be from a different era.
Alexandr will move to London in November. His English is very good, and he is interested in gardening and gardens. Victor promised to provide a cat for Tatsiana, who is not able to bring her own cat from Belarus. Victor intends to present her with a cat when she arrives in November.
Brian Bennett lives in Carshalton Beeches. His wife stayed in England rather than move to Minsk, and they have two sons - one is a teacher and the other is at Sutton Grammar school. Brian will return to the UK permanently in June 2007. He is a singer, and seems well known for it in Belarus, singing a wide variety including works in both Russian and Belarusian languages.
Brian observed that Belarusian children are excellent ambassadors for the country. He commented that the ministers are quite liberal and not sycophantic to the president. Lukashenka is a strong leader, and had some form of breakdown around the time of the presidential election earlier this year (later the Minister for Chernobyl said that it had been a heart attack). All ministers are involved in sport as well as doing their day job - most chair local sports associations. Lukashenka plays ice hockey and enjoys "street skiing" - skis with wheels on.
Overall it was a fascinating dinner. It was a rare opportunity to meet with ambassadors from both countries, and interesting to hear their points of view. I expect to maintain contact with both.
There is some interesting architecture in Minsk - a National Library which looks like a giant football, and at night is lit up with thousands of lights which change colour and make different patterns. There was a special tax to pay for the library - on a specific day everyone had to pay that day's total wages into the library fund. One other building we passed was the circus - a permanent building. The circus uses a lot of animals, and there are pictures of seals prominently displayed outside.
After breakfast on the 22nd floor (which confused me initially as the lifts only go to the 21st!) of cereal, apple and orange, fruit juice, bread, jam and cheese (I chose not to try the meatballs and other savoury foods or the cold fried eggs), we met Alexey and drove to the Zhdanovichi Rehabilitation camp.
We went first to the office of the Director. Before going in, we were shown a run-down building next to his office which is going to be refurbished as a medical centre. The government is paying for the refurbishment but not for any equipment to go into it - the first example of several examples of prioritisation and assignment of funds which made little sense to us.
Notes from meeting with Director of the Zhdanovichi Rehabilitation camp
Children in the villages do not have access to a medical centre, and doctors are not easily available. Young doctors are unwilling to work in the contaminated areas.
There are 330-390 children in the camp.
Among the staff there are several doctors and nurses, and a psychologist who works specifically with children of alcoholic parents. These children are often very loyal to their parents, and are given help in learning how to cope with and manage in such an environment.
Some children are brought to the camp with their whole family, which enables the parents to spend time with them (an unusual event sometimes)
Children stay in the camp for 21 days, which is likely to increase to 24 in 2007.
The camp can put up visitors - the director would like people to stay in the camp rather than in hotels. Victor will advertise this facility.
The camp also helps orphans from Russia.
When the children arrive, they are seen by a doctor and appropriate treatment is prescribed. The levels of 137Cs are also measured at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of their stay in the camp. Levels of 137Cs are reduced by around 40% in the 21 day stay.
Children usually come in class groups with a/their teacher. There are classrooms at the camp, and schooling continues during their visit.
The camp was a Soviet military base, and was converted to a children's camp by the Belarusian government.
There are quite a lot of camps in Belarus - this one is probably the best there is.
The government pays for most of the children at the camp. CCLL funds 20 beds. The camp is for children from the most contaminated areas. 4800 children will have visited the camp by the end of 2006. Some groups visit from Minsk - these are families which were relocated from the exclusion zone.
There is a government "Chernobyl Committee" which pays for children to visit this camp. Currently the camp is owed 58m Roubles (~$25,000) to pay salaries. The camp sells bed space where possible to assist (for example the 20 beds which CCLL sponsors). Salaries are ~$100 per month.
The cost of a child's visit is £150 for 21 days at the camp.
Government support is weakening forcing the camp to do more commercial work themselves.
It costs $500,000 to run the camp for a year; the government "does not have enough $ for everything".
The camp management does not know how to approach companies and foundations for funds. Alan Frame has contacts, and will research potential avenues of support - one example might be the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
The camp will recruit an English-speaking Marketing person to help develop the commercial side of the camp.
Government funding of the camp was 318bn Roubles in 2005, and only 218bn Roubles in 2006.
The camp is forced to cut costs wherever possible. There are problems with the staff because the camp is unable to pay them. It is difficult to buy equipment.
One specific need is for a "new" bus - the old one is completely clapped out. We were asked to see if we could help. Excursions are part of the camp programme, and are difficult if not impossible without their own bus.
Victor wondered about twinning schools with the camp.
The director summarised the problems the camp is facing:
- Equipping the medical centre
- Replacing the bus
- Providing information about the camp
There is an unofficial website, and they have a leaflet.
The camp sells space to external organisations like CCLL, the Italian charities, etc - not within Belarus where families would not be able to afford the cost of a visit.
The director wants to raise the "professional level" of his staff. He sees a need for marketing, and for computer facilities.
Camp tour
The Director has worked as the Executive Director of a factory and of a bank before becoming mayor of a town in the Gomel region - a post he held for 12 years. There is a lot of ongoing - very visible - investment such as new sports facilities and a fountain, but salaries are going unpaid. Salaries are low.
Children usually visit the centre with their own teachers. They have three radiation checks during their visit, and receive a lot of medical care and attention including hydrotherapy, massage and dental care (there is one dentist on site).
The grounds are lovely and extensive. The camp is next to a lake, and there are new basketball, tennis and football facilities. Plans are in place for a sports centre including a swimming pool.
There are usually 390 children in the camp plus their teachers.
The children have 6 meals a day - 3 large and 3 small. The food is carefully selected to reduce radiation levels and strengthen the children - for example some seaweeds and unsalted, unroasted peanuts.
There is a theatre where the children perform regularly. They are able to watch films here - "Madagascar" was showing when we went in. There is a disco - very popular after the evening meal. We saw an art/craft room where children (boys and girls) were knitting and crocheting, and we were each presented with a knitted doll.
The children's rooms were all of a similar design; two rooms, one with four beds and one with two, sharing a bathroom and toilet. There were drying racks above the bath, and it looked as if the children were expected to wash their own things. Some of the rooms had a TV, and there were fridges in some too. The rooms were all completely tidy; there were wardrobes in each room. Each floor has a nurse available 24 hours a day.
At the end of the tour we returned to the restaurant and were served a typical camp lunch - salad, soup, then fish with potato and vegetables. We were given a drink which I assumed was Coke, but turned out to be prune juice - I didn't drink much of it!
After lunch we went with the Director to the conference room where the teachers accompanying the recently-arrived children were receiving their induction. The Director spoke for a few minutes and introduced us to the group, explaining why we were there and what our involvement is.
After lots of good-byes and hugs we left the camp and made our way to the Children's cancer hospital.
Visit to cancer hospital in Minsk
This hospital is a few years old, and was built by "the Austrians" - I'm not sure if that's the government or charities in Austria - but it is a modern hospital. We were told that there are 189 children resident currently. All of them are there for courses of treatment and will remain as in-patients until the course has finished. Their parents or carers stay with them and have to provide for themselves, so there is a kitchen on each floor for them to use. There's a shop in the hospital reception which sells a reasonable variety of foods and other goods, but did seem expensive given how stretched most parents are likely to be with a child in the hospital and others at home.
We visited one floor of the hospital, accompanied by a lady Psychologist who told us about some of the children we saw.
Each floor is divided into about 12 "wards" - most with 4 beds in. It was rest time when we arrived, and some of the children were asleep. Many were plugged into drips or other equipment; some had more freedom. Graeme went round all of the children making balloon creations for them and doing a little magic - he would spend the whole afternoon in the hospital.
We were particularly struck by some very young parents - in their early twenties, they were born around the time of the Chernobyl accident, and the comments from the staff were that they are seeing more second generation problems now - the parents passing on genetic problems caused by the accident.
We saw one mother whose daughter was there for hormone and steroid treatment; she had 8 other children at home - it must have been hard for them without her.
Another child was being cared for by her 15 year old sister. The parents are alcoholic and incapable of helping or caring for the ill child. Victor intends to help here through the Family Support Programme, ensuring that the funds provided are only available to the 15-year old to enable her to cope with the demands of caring for her sister.
We saw one 4-month old who is waiting for a bed to become available in a hospice. Her mother waited many years to conceive, and now faces the loss of her child in the coming weeks or months.
Meeting with the Minister for Chernobyl
We left Graeme at the hospital - he continued to go round the wards, assisted by several nurses who helped translate and give him access. We headed back into central Minsk for a meeting with the Minister for Chernobyl - a special government department reporting to the president.The meeting was interesting - the minister told us that only 15% of children in the contaminated areas are regarded as "fully healthy". He also told us that there were 9,000 cases of cancer in Belarus in 2005, and that the number to date in 2006 is 11,000. We talked about the rehabilitation camp - he was keen to detail the capital investments the government is making in the camp, but strangely didn't mention the 58m roubles outstanding to pay the staff! He also mentioned the need for a new bus - Alan and Victor promised to look into it. As we left he presented us with two books - one a photographic record of Belarus and the second a detailed scientific report on the effect of the Chernobyl accident. He also have Alan and me a medal struck for the 20th anniversary - Victor had already been given one at the conference held in Belarus to mark the occasion.
Following this meeting we went back to the cancer hospital to collect Graeme, only to find that he had been press-ganged into eating dinner with the families in one ward - a position he found embarrassing but also impossible to decline.
We returned to the hotel to freshen up, then went out to an Italian restaurant in Minsk for dinner. I ended up talking with Alan in the hotel bar after dinner talking about some of the strategic and long term issues CCLL faces, and got to bed at around midnight.
Lapitchy
Today we left Minsk and headed towards Lapitchy, an hour or so East of Minsk. The difference between the capital city and the countryside outside was dramatic - we noticed a much sparser population, and that the cars were older and more like to be Volgas, Moskvitches and Ladas than the western cars prevalent in Minsk.
When near Lapitchy we pulled off down a rough track and stopped outside a house which had planks nailed across the door. The house was home to a family - the parents were alcoholic so the children had been removed and now live with an uncle. Victor and Alexey did not know where the parents had gone - CCLL has supported them in the past - there's a water pump next to the house, and we had provided a cow. There was no sign of activity either human or bovine - until we found a very large skull in the "garden" around the house. A sad start to the day.
A couple of miles on and we stopped at Lapitchy's Orthodox church, which is being built entirely by volunteers. The current church is a small wooden hut which has been carefully decorated and is obviously well used. The new church has been some time in the building (indeed Victor tells stories of how building materials from the Laundry mysteriously ended up in the church) - now they estimate that they need another $7000 to complete the building. Victor has contacts with several churches in the UK and will see how he can help. I climbed up the bell tower - there was a single bell and three mortar shells which had been cut at different heights, presumably to tune them. The building effort is obviously a community project, with a rota on the wooden hut wall showing who was on duty on which days.
From the church we went on to the laundry. This is a building which CCLL funded completely. It has three washing machines, spin and tumble dryers, a large ironing machine for sheets, and also shower and toilet facilities. The laundry is bright and airy, has a lot of plants, and is run efficiently by Tatiana - who was once deputy head of a local school but was driven out by the unpleasant headmaster. Now she runs the laundry, where local people bring their washing and provide washing powder while Tatiana does the rest. Originally the laundry was to be self services, but people had never seen a washing machine, so it became necessary to make it a service. Tatiana receives 7-9 loads of washing a day, and the laundry is open to anyone in the area.
We looked at all parts of the building, including the boiler which is maintained by Tatiana's husband - a local council engineer. In a room at the back we saw a lot of wooden toys made by Graham Hewitt's technology club, and were given tea and cake (home made apple cake). Victor talked about his concerns during construction that the laundry would be a white elephant, but felt that now it is operating it was worth the hassle, endless permits required, delays in building etc - it is now a service that is well used, and the record book shows that over 1500 loads of laundry have passed through. Victor tells of piles of stinking clothes in houses before; now children can go to school in clean clothes.
Zhornovka Village school
We were met at the door of a village school by the headmaster - a very bubbly man. The buildings are old and showing a lot of wear - some of the internal decoration is very ornate. Until recently the toilets were a ramshackle block of earth closets by the football pitch - now they have indoor toilets funded by CCLL. While old, the interior was clean and airy and the classrooms pleasant.
We had a long chat in the head's office, and then toured the school, visiting most classrooms. There are some 200 children at the school, aged 4-17. We were shown one classroom which houses the schools prized computers - 6 of them - all of which have been donated. The school does not have internet access as the landline is too decrepit to cope with data. We were told that there were another 5 computers in the surrounding villages, and that a nearby town has an internet club.
The children were all well behaved, and some were in school uniform. We saw the sports hall, with the sports teacher showing the sports kit they have been given, including a football which a boy had brought back from the UK, and because he wanted to be able to play football with others he brought it to the school.
Into the school hall/dining room where there is a stage. The children put on a short concert for us, with traditional instruments (accordion, cymbala, interesting drums and tambourines) and singing. Following the concert, Graeme put on a magic show which went down very well indeed - the junior school children were rapt - and at the end as we turned round we found all the older children enjoying the show from the back too.
Just next to the hall was the kitchen - obviously decades old, and really quite disgusting. I was asked not to take any photographs in there - it was the only time on the whole trip that I found anything which seemed to be viewed with shame. I was relieved not to be offered lunch.
Sveta's home
Next to the school is a block of flats, two floors, with a total of 16 flats off two staircases. We visited a lady called Sveta and her son who live in a ground floor flat. They have a lounge with a sofa (which doubles as Sveta's bed), couple of chairs, TV and glass-fronted cabinet. Sveta's son has a small bedroom, and there's a kitchen and bathroom.
Sveta receives a disability pension of 133,000 Roubles per month (about US$60). Rent on the flat costs 100,000 Roubles - leaving her with approximately $15 per month to live on. CCLL supplements this through the Family Support Project. She has space outside the flat to grow food and a cow which provides milk.
We were served tea (black), biscuits and some pancakes with home-made apple jam which was delicious.
After tea we went outside - there were a couple of ancient cars with people tinkering, a very wild youth on a motorbike, and a collection of huts and laundry lines. Sveta opened the door of a dilapidated shed - to expose a treasure trove of pickle jars full of fruit, vegetables, mushrooms etc - all an important part of life when there's so little money. Next to this was a pig shed with two or three pigs.
We got back into the bus, noticing how the block of flats looked very grey and un-cared for.
To the Ruban family in Bobruisk
We drove from Lapitchy to Bobruisk to visit a remarkable family - the Rubans. Luidmila and Yuri tragically lost one of their two sons in a car accident several years ago, and since then have thrown themselves into full time fostering, taking children from all backgrounds to live in their home. The house is unremarkable - by our standards it looks like a four-bedroom detached house - with two dogs in the yard, an old Lada car and a large stack of chopped wood for the winter. Once inside the house the remarkable story unfolds, as there are a total of 18 people living there; the two parents, their own son, and 15 foster children ranging from about 3 years old to 15. Each child has their own, often sad, history - but all of them are now in a happy, vibrant home.
We were given a tour of the house, and shown the bedrooms with bunk beds, partition walls to provide privacy, and with every inch of space put to use. The oldest girl has her own "bedroom" - hidden behind a partition in the lounge. The others all share rooms, with up to 6 beds in a room.
Graeme got to work quickly, making balloon animals and toys for the children. After our tour, we were given a concert - the children's music teacher was there, and he accompanied on the accordion while all of the children participated, playing, singing and dancing.
After the concert we had a wonderful lunch - all cooked and prepared by the children for us, and then Graeme put on a magic show, aided by one of the little girls who turned out to be a perfect foil for him.
The family all work well together - when one of the balloon animals burst in the hands of one of the youngest girls, it was one of the older children who comforted her. The family seemed very at ease with one another, and work hard together - there is a lot of craft activity, and we were each presented with flowers made from beads and invited to choose a framed picture created by the children from a pile of over 100. The family sell these works to help support themselves.
CCLL is involved here by sponsoring three of the children, and by helping out when specific other requirements come to light.
Back to Minsk
It took an hour or so to get back to Minsk, and after a quick freshen-up we were dropped in the centre by Alexey so that he could go home. We went to a restaurant for a meal, and were very struck by the cost of it in comparison to the money Sveta has to live on. We managed to negotiate a taxi ride back to the hotel, and a reasonable bedtime before tomorrow's early start.
The Journey to Stolin
We had an early start this morning, leaving the hotel at 7:30am with the prospect of a 5 hour drive south west to Stolin. This is a town in the Brest region, one of the more highly contaminated regions of Belarus. Alexey was our driver as usual, and when we suggested sharing the driving he said he'd be fine, referring to his time in the Belarusian army (national service) when he had once driven from Minsk to Moscow and back in an army lorry - in 24 hours.
We stopped at a "Happy Eater" after an hour or so. We had expected it to be a café, but it turned out to be a little shop selling food (packaged and hot food like hot dogs, burgers etc), sweets, and drinks. We all had a coffee and shared a packet of "mini rollies" - chocolate covered sponge cake. There were some little huts outside the shop with a table and bench, and also a café area which we guessed is used more in the summer.
Further on we saw a huge salt mine - a truly vast industrial complex with massive slag heaps resulting from the mining activity.
Then about an hour away from Stolin we pulled into a cemetery car park and Alexey said he wanted to show us something. We walked into the cemetery past two coach loads of children. The graves were mainly marked with crosses made of iron, and many plots had railings around them - and also picnic tables or benches. At certain times of the year families come to visit their graves and have a big party. The reason for visiting the cemetery was under a small gazebo - a roughly shaped stone cross which appeared from the ground a few years ago, and is increasing in size and height. It is regarded as miraculous - people leave money at the site, and it explained the coach loads of children. There is a pretty little chapel on the site too.
We got lost a few times as we approached Stolin - long-distance sign posting is not that apparent - but Alexey did a great job of finding the way. Coming into the town we past huge fields of cabbages, and then mounds of them for sale by the side of the road. It looked like there was a co-operative system working, with large lorries loading up with cabbages - probably to be taken to other towns for sale.
The Reception in Stolin
Into Stolin, and after a couple of phone calls we found the school where we were going to met some 200 children and their parents who have visited the UK with CCLL. We were greeted formally by a group of children in traditional dress, who presented us with a loaf of bread. In the top of this a circular hole had been cut and filled with salt. We each broke a piece of bread from the loaf, dipped it in the salt and ate it. Then we went into the school. The children and their parents were all waiting for us in the school hall, but we went into the headmistress Nina's study for food (bread, salami, cheese, salmon, bananas - the only time I saw them on this trip - and apples) and coffee. Along with the head were Elena Vaskovets, a representative of the education authority (who decides which children should be invited to the UK) and an English teacher who has been a CCLL group leader a few times. After 20 minutes of conversation we went into the hall, applauded all the way to our seats at the front.
Children from the school put on a wonderful concert - music from traditional instruments (cymbala, banjo-like instrument, a 3-stringed bass) and folk dancing from both Belarus and Ukraine. The dance group works hard to preserve traditional dances, and has won awards throughout the region. They were accompanied by four teachers on accordion, cymbala, violin and accordion - both music and dance were very accomplished.
After the concert it was time for speeches. The leader of the local council spoke first, presenting Victor with a "certificate of honour" for the work he does. This is the highest civic honour they can bestow. The leader is also the editor of the local paper, and proceeded to take down the rest of the proceedings in shorthand. Elena Vaskovets (from the "children's abroad recuperation section" of the education authority) said some very nice things to us, punctuated with applause. Victor spoke, as did Alan, and then questions were invited from the floor. No-one wanted to ask anything, and after a few minutes a mother came forward with her daughter to thank CCLL for its work and for giving their children a chance to come to the UK. Victor persuaded me to speak after this, and then we were presented with two books each - one in Russian and one in English.
Once the formal part was over, I was able to meet with Marina and Yulia, two girls who we hosted in 2002, their mothers and Marina's sister. It was lovely to see them again, and to meet their families. Huge quantities of presents were given, and I took some photos. After our chat we had to say goodbye, which was very emotional. I was invited to visit them in their homes next time. Marina lives 50km from the school, and they had hitched a ride into Stolin. They had to get home the same way, and Marina's mum had to get back in time to milk the cows as she is a milkmaid. When they came to stay with us Marina and Yulia did not know each other - now they are good friends and stay in touch despite living quite a distance apart.
Then it was back to Nina's office for more food, and this time vodka and champagne were produced (after the door had been carefully shut). Nina is a lovely lady, very warm and proud of her school and children. Nataliya Naidin was our translator; very good English and has been a CCLL group leader several times - she is very bubbly and talked a lot!
I asked Nina what benefits she sees in the children visiting the UK. She said that they come back stronger and healthier, a sign of which is that they get fewer colds. She also observed that it was good for the children to get a different perspective on the world and another culture. As we left we were each presented with a bottle of local Stolin vodka.
Families in Stolin
We walked from the school through a few blocks of flats. We saw one boy on a bike and some other playing with sticks. We went to a first-floor flat in a block which had been built to house people relocated from the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The family (mum - disabled and has had several operations for cancer, dad, two boys (both have visited the UK) and a younger daughter) welcomed us into their sitting room where they served tea, coffee and biscuits. The dad is an electrician with the council. We noticed that the 5-bulb light fitting had two bulbs missing - on reflection after the visit we thought that this was to save electricity - especially as while we were having tea the daughter suddenly rushed out into the hall to turn the light off. The flat is provided without charge, but it was obvious that they work hard to reduce costs wherever possible.
From here we had a short drive to a nearby village to visit a second family - the Simonchiks - in their home. Their younger daughter was waiting at a junction for us and hopped into the bus. We were greeted by mum, dad (a builder), three boys and two girls. The younger girl has been to the UK with CCLL, the older to Germany. We were served a huge meal of soup (called borscht but without the beetroot), pork "burgers", parcels of rice and meat in cabbage leaves and many other things. We each gave a toast - with vodka - and while we sipped ours, the dad was knocking back a full shot with each toast in the traditional manner. As this was now our third meal of the afternoon I was grateful not to have to follow suit! After the toasts we were given strawberry compote to finish. Everything we ate had come from their garden; the pork from their pigs, veg and strawberries grown. The house is on a plot provided by the government, and had the dad's mother's wooden house on it along with several sheds. They had built their own house over 5 years. The house had no running water or a bathroom - they have a well outside and an earth closet. They are going to apply for a loan to enable them to fit a bathroom into the house.
We went to see the land, and the pigs and chickens. The children had a camera and wanted pictures of us, saying that they couldn't wait to get the film developed. As we left they showed us the new pipework going into the house - they will have mains gas soon which is a very new development for them. The road outside their home was unmade and very bumpy.
We then went half a mile to the Senkovets' house. They have three daughters; the dad is an agricultural engineer and the mum is a confectioner at a local baker. Their children were 11 (very small), 9 and 18 months (also very small). Each room in the house has a bed; the space was all very carefully used. We tried to say that we needed to leave and drive home, but were not allowed out without another meal and more toasts! The food was beautifully presented - stuffed eggs looking like toadstools, salads, pork burgers and cabbage parcels. I managed only to eat the pancakes stuffed with Ricotta-like cheese - a product of their cow who produces 15 litres of milk a day. We finally left around 6:30, and took Elena and Nataliya back into Stolin, and began our long drive home. We managed to get lost once, but still made it back to the hotel around 11pm. The night sky on the way back was amazing - there is so little light pollution that many more stars are apparent than in the UK. Alan, Victor and I had a drink in the bar before heading for bed. Fortunately the clocks went back, so we still got a reasonable night's sleep.
I was up around 7 and headed to the 22nd floor for my last breakfast. Then I struggled to pack - I had so many presents to fit in! I ended up with 2 pieces of hand luggage which fortunately is still acceptable when flying out of Minsk. Alexey drove us to the airport. We had to go through security before we even checked in, and had four boxes of craft which had been ordered by Links as well as our luggage. Through immigration and more security and then we found a coffee bar - the best coffee I'd had all trip! There were three duty free shops with the usual perfumes, alcohol etc, and one craft shop. The flight was busier than coming out, but no groups of children. I spent a large part of the flight writing up these notes and reading. I sat next to two young Belarusian adults, each blind in their left eye and wearing a glass eye.
We arrived on time in Gatwick and collected our luggage. We met Kevin Mizzi outside customs, and then headed our separate ways.
All in all, it was a fascinating visit and confirmed to me that the work CCLL does both inside Belarus and in bringing children over to the UK is valid and important. CCLL is obviously well respected in Belarus, and I feel privileged to be a part of the organisation.
