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maruss
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus
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 Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:16 pm Post subject: Grodno/Hajnowka? |
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| This is the other route which does not go via Brest-they still have to change the rail carriage wheels to wider gauge and it seems that the problems with Belarus will never go away!Best to just avoid the place until Lukashenko finally goes! |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 8:26 am Post subject: |
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| Partizan wrote: |
Update:
I am still in Minsk after moving here last October. I am liking the city a lot, however the economy has been going very badly. The currency (Belarusian Rouble) has devalued by +30% and this has increased the hardship on the locals who have seen their purchasing power cut substantially. The Government has maintained a price freeze on locally produced goods in a bid to offset the current crisis but foreign imports have seen their prices jump by 20% or more. To say that the country is in a tough situation right now is putting it lightly.
On my side of things, the school in which I worked for has been experiencing financial difficulties. With the BYR going through the floor (US$1 = 15,229 BYR), the school tried to peg my salary at the $1 = 11,900 BYR for the next 3 months instead of the current, fluctuating US$ exchange rate as they had initially promised. I said no way and handed in my notice. However Lady Luck smiled on my and I managed to get a job at an IT company here which pays in US$ on double my salary. I start with them next month. So all in all, things are looking very good for me.
Fingers crossed. |
Update:
Update on my status from January 2015. Well happy to say that everything worked out for me. I am still here in Minsk in a very good job working for an IT company. I enjoy living here and in fact I would say that my quality of life is good. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for many locals.
If anybody wants to chime in with further questions, off you go. |
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BenE
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 321
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| Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:57 am Post subject: |
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What's the job market like in the IT park now? I think I have work rights there (married long term) and have good local connections. Would kinda like to spend some time there again to improve my Russian/Belarusian.
Oh by work rights I mean that there wouldn't be a need for me to be sponsored as I think I'm eligible for permanent residency quite quickly. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 10:57 am Post subject: |
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| BenE wrote: |
What's the job market like in the IT park now? I think I have work rights there (married long term) and have good local connections. Would kinda like to spend some time there again to improve my Russian/Belarusian.
Oh by work rights I mean that there wouldn't be a need for me to be sponsored as I think I'm eligible for permanent residency quite quickly. |
In relation to your residency, tbh, I have no idea. Your best bet is to do some research yourself.
What is your specific area of expertise? |
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BenE
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 321
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| Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Pretty sure on the work rights. Just need to wander into the local police office with some forms and my marriage cert.
Anyway I've got the TEFL teaching certs (CELTA, DELTA) and am an IELTS examiner but not much else other than a BA in languages and a lot of teaching experience. I did a stint at IH Minsk but not keen on going back there again. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| BenE wrote: |
Pretty sure on the work rights. Just need to wander into the local police office with some forms and my marriage cert.
Anyway I've got the TEFL teaching certs (CELTA, DELTA) and am an IELTS examiner but not much else other than a BA in languages and a lot of teaching experience. I did a stint at IH Minsk but not keen on going back there again. |
Unfortunately nothing in the Technology Park. Epam Systems were hiring. You could try the other IT companies like itransition and Wargaming. There's also Streamline.
IH are good cop/bad cop from what I have heard. |
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BenE
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 321
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| Sounds a bit thin on the ground at the moment. No worries, can play the waiting game. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| BenE wrote: |
| Sounds a bit thin on the ground at the moment. No worries, can play the waiting game. |
How long are you prepared to wait? |
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BenE
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 321
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| Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| A good few years yet. My wife (Belorussian) is not yearning for home yet though in the long term it would be nice to settle there and enjoy the cleaner air compared to Asia. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:25 am Post subject: |
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| Partizan wrote: |
| Partizan wrote: |
Update:
I am still in Minsk after moving here last October. I am liking the city a lot, however the economy has been going very badly. The currency (Belarusian Rouble) has devalued by +30% and this has increased the hardship on the locals who have seen their purchasing power cut substantially. The Government has maintained a price freeze on locally produced goods in a bid to offset the current crisis but foreign imports have seen their prices jump by 20% or more. To say that the country is in a tough situation right now is putting it lightly.
On my side of things, the school in which I worked for has been experiencing financial difficulties. With the BYR going through the floor (US$1 = 15,229 BYR), the school tried to peg my salary at the $1 = 11,900 BYR for the next 3 months instead of the current, fluctuating US$ exchange rate as they had initially promised. I said no way and handed in my notice. However Lady Luck smiled on my and I managed to get a job at an IT company here which pays in US$ on double my salary. I start with them next month. So all in all, things are looking very good for me.
Fingers crossed. |
Update:
Update on my status from January 2015. Well happy to say that everything worked out for me. I am still here in Minsk in a very good job working for an IT company. I enjoy living here and in fact I would say that my quality of life is good. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for many locals.
If anybody wants to chime in with further questions, off you go. |
Update:
It's 2017 and I'm still here in Minsk. if anyone wants to shoot me any questions, feel free to do so. |
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descartes123
Joined: 06 Aug 2016
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:44 am Post subject: |
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Hi Partizan
How are you finding Minsk? I was there for a holiday. It seems like a nice, clean city, but I thought it could probably get boring?
What kind of work can an expat get there other than teaching?
I am not specialized in any field, such as IT. I have administration experience, retail management, and my Russian is intermediate.
From my research, like Russia, it really doesn't seem that there are any opportunities for expats, other than teaching, or the odd specialized job. |
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maruss
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus
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| Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 4:34 pm Post subject: Hope it was useful! |
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Belarus is a pariah state with an autocratic regime worse than Putins, and the only European country which still has the death penalty for some offences!Convicts seldom get any warning when the sentence will be carried out, neither do their families!
Having said that, much of the countryside i is bucolic, picturesque and interesting to visit, especially if you like Soviet era retro!
Living standards are also generally low compared to Russia and people not used to foreigners, especially outside Minsk and the larger cities. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| descartes123 wrote: |
Hi Partizan
How are you finding Minsk? I was there for a holiday. It seems like a nice, clean city, but I thought it could probably get boring?
What kind of work can an expat get there other than teaching?
I am not specialized in any field, such as IT. I have administration experience, retail management, and my Russian is intermediate.
From my research, like Russia, it really doesn't seem that there are any opportunities for expats, other than teaching, or the odd specialized job. |
You don't have a degree and I'm afraid based on your qualifications (or lack thereof), your options are very limited. |
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Partizan
Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: Hope it was useful! |
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| maruss wrote: |
Belarus is a pariah state with an autocratic regime worse than Putins, and the only European country which still has the death penalty for some offences!Convicts seldom get any warning when the sentence will be carried out, neither do their families!
Having said that, much of the countryside i is bucolic, picturesque and interesting to visit, especially if you like Soviet era retro!
Living standards are also generally low compared to Russia and people not used to foreigners, especially outside Minsk and the larger cities. |
Have you ever lived and worked in Belarus? |
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maruss
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus
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| Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 5:06 pm Post subject: I have been there a number of times and have close friends.. |
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| Nice people but terrible regime and living standards are even lower than in Russia, except for Minsk and a couple of other large cities.Interesting to visit and explore but very few chances for work, especially for foreigners.Hopefully there may be a change of government there soon? |
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