Published: 17 September 2024

Ask most people to find Belarus on a map and they will struggle. Ask anyone in the UK about Belarus and the answers will be quite brief & negative. The answers will mainly include it is not safe and it is on the FCDO/State Department naughty list. Try visiting Belarus and others, and your views will change. After visiting 65+ countries, most of which are not typical, many times over I do not believe what I read any more.

What is the 3rd of July? It is referred to as Belarus’s Independence Day which is about expelling the Nazi occupiers in 1944. 2024 was the 80th anniversary so it was quite a big deal.

What happens? I was in Belarus anyway this year and not quite for tourism. Luckily, I was in Minsk for a few days due to bureaucracy reasons and had a bit of spare time outside of hundreds of hours of paperwork to see the 80th anniversary parade which was on a public holiday.

Is it safe to attend? Yes, with plenty of private & government security personnel including searches to gain access to the parade areas. Follow the rules of the land like anywhere and you will be fine.

What is the format? It starts in the morning and the best area to stand is near the Great Patriotic War Museum where crowds line the streets. The president comes on to give a speech in Russian and then the defence minister & others inspect the troops on a Soviet style open top car. Think Soviet uniforms, people with Soviet flags, tens of medals and lots of salutes like you would see pre-1991. Once the ceremony ends the parade starts with: WW2 Soviet tanks, modern tanks, armoured personnel carriers, unguided rocket launchers, towed artillery, S300 or S400 anti air systems, Iskander short range ballistic missile launchers with nuclear symbols on, fighter jets, helicopters and a transporter plane overhead.

What happens after the military parade? Shortly afterwards the following comes past: monster mining trucks from Belaz, locally made tractors, locally made combine harvesters, cosmonaut floats and more.

What about the evening? After the parade ends there are still items to do or wait till late for a free music concert & fireworks close to 0000.

A seriously amazing free day of entertainment you will struggle to see elsewhere!

Disclaimer: I did not get paid to write this nor was asked to. I just believe every country should get fair reviews not based on what the media says, or FCDO/State Department says.