Belarus Culture

Belarus Culture The Republic of Belarus is located in Europe and it borders Russia. Belarus covers an area of about 80,154 square miles, which is slightly smaller than the state of Kansas. Its population of around 9.7 million is decreasing due to low birthrates. Life expectancy in Belarus rounds the age of 63 for men and 75 for women. The capital of Belarus, Minsk, is not only the capital but also the largest city with a population of about 1.8 million people. The main languages in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian. 85% of people in Belarus can speak Russian, however the remaining 15% feel that Belarusian is their native language and want to keep it alive because it’s a part of their history. Belarusian Orthodox Christianity is the main religion in this country with several other polytheistic religions in low percentages behind it. Belarusians also have their own form of the Bible. Some culture traits in Belarus include when meeting or greeting friends, it is custom to kiss them once upon the cheek and when meeting and greeting relatives you kiss them not just once but three times on the cheek. Men are only allowed to shake hands with a woman if the woman grants the man permission or offers her hand to him; otherwise it’s looked down upon. When visiting one’s home, it is custom to bring a gift in order of saying thank you for allowing me into your home. In Belarus a proper way to address someone is by their first name and pyronymic, in other words a form of their fathers’ name. A subculture of Belarus would be Russians. Russian is one of the two primary languages in Belarus due to the high percentage of Russians that have migrated there.
Like many other countries Belarus celebrates Christmas and New Years. When many countries or places have certain things in common it is called cultural universal. Sports would also be a good example of cultural universal in Belarus; Belarusians play many of the same sports as other countries. The sports include track and