Belarus did not have a major political campaign – an election or referendum – in 2013. Therefore, the political actors focused on preparations for the upcoming elections in 2014 and 2015. The authorities introduced a number of amendments to...
On 27 December, Minister of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei held an event with journalists, diplomats and analysts to reflect on a controversial year for Belarus' foreign policy. Though Belarus was tough in the potash war, this conflict exposed the...
Traditionally, Belarusians celebrated Christmas as a part of Kaliady – a two week long pagan holiday of winter solstice. However, today most Belarusians celebrate New Year's Eve as their main winter holiday. This tradition comes from Soviet times, when communists rejected...
In 2013 Belarus Digest published over 250 articles. We selected top ten most viewed articles published this year. 1. Getting A Belarusian Visa: Easier But More Expensive Since 22 August 2013 all foreigners can get Belarusian visas through the Minsk National Airport just after...
Over the recent months the rate of economic growth in Belarus has been gradually declining. For eleven months the GDP grew only by 0.9%. A decline in industrial production had a detrimental effect on economic growth. Despite the decrease in...
The World Ice Hockey Championship will take place in Minsk on 9-25 May. Although not as extensive as those for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, preparation for this major sporting event is riddled with abuses and misteps. Belarusian authorities are accused of using...
Top 10 activities and achievements, which in enriched Belarusian civil society in 2013. Advocacy of the Year: Perspectiva NGO Perspectiva, a small vendors association headed by Anatoly Shumchanka managed to postpone, until 1 July 2014, a complex procedure of...
On 13 December, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proclaimed that Russia and Belarus may introduce a single currency. Various officials from both countries have regularly proclaimed such intentions since 1993. There has been no result to these back and forth in the past...
Housing remains among a top priorities for ordinary Belarusians, as Belarusian state television noted. This topic became unquestionably the number one issue over the last week. The issue of housing attracted lots of attention from the state media after Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s public...
The Centre for Transition Studies kicks off Belarus Profile - a searchable online database that contains the biographic information of over 200 people influential in Belarus. Belarus Profile differs from other who is who projects not only in its scope but also because...
On 10 December Alexander Lukashenka held an unusual event – the first-ever nationwide executive conference that gathered more than 250 top officials from across the whole country. He called it the “most important event of the year” and compared it...
Belarus’ banks have dropped further in their ratings as a result of government policy that has led to a very low level of liquidity in their transactions. The state has downgraded its asking price for their controlling share of the...
On 13 December, a new waste sorting station will start working in the town of Masty in the Hrodna region. The European Union finances the project as a part of national programme for environmental protection in Belarus. Besides the waste management problem,...
The Belarusian IT industry has had a highly successful year. In 2013, the sector achieved a breakthrough in cooperation with public educational establishments. The IT companies hosted 7 new branches of technical universities, while the decision to found an...
