A Historic Journey Across Belarus 2019

We have been participating in the Syrena and Warszawa Rallies for 10 years now. This time, our destination was Belarus. Our first stop was Hrodna, the city of Eliza Orzeszkowa, beloved by King Stephen Báthory. Next was Staryja Wasiliszki, the birthplace and childhood home of Czesław Niemen. Then Navahrudak, where Adam Mickiewicz grew up, and the Mir Castle. The capital city of Minsk welcomed us with metropolitan wealth, at least compared to the rest of the country. At the Stalin Line, we met enthusiasts reconstructing military relics of the past. The Kurapaty site reminded us that this country is not just about cleanliness and the warmth of its people, but also about dictatorship. It showed us what power held in a single pair of hands means—what it means to lack democracy and free speech. The Niasvizh Castle, with its opulence, demonstrated that the Radziwiłł family was one of the greatest dynasties in Europe. Brest, with its Fortress, showed the shifting fate of this part of Europe, passing from Russian hands to Soviet, to Polish, German, back to Soviet, German again, then Soviet, until finally becoming a Belarusian fortress after the collapse of the USSR.

All the vehicles fought bravely—they broke down, were repaired on the fly, ended up on tow trucks, and by evening returned to the "living" to drive on. After this trip, our Warszawa still does not belong to the "Exclusive Tow-Truck Drivers' Club." Anyone who has participated at least once knows that the Syrena and Warszawa Rally is a road movie: passing landscapes, astonished onlookers, and Warszawas, Syrenas, and other classic cars stretching to the horizon. It is, finally, the scent of spring, lilac, and apple blossoms mixed with two-stroke engine oil. Believe me, this is what we miss for the next two years until we set off on the next Rally.