Not so many years ago, a visit to Minsk was a bit like a trip back to the Soviet Union. The town felt rude, and both the city itself and the people in the streets felt greedy. Now, large parts of the city are refreshed and here and there are modern skyscrapers. There is obviously a fairly large and prosperous middle class who can afford to go to the expensive restaurants now found here.
When I was in Minsk most recently, a full 13 years ago, the presence of police and other uniformed men was evident. Now I hardly see any. However, the pressure remains under the surface. Here it is President Aleksandr Lukashenko who decides everything.
Although Lukashenko has also decided that Belarus must be modernized. Not least when it comes to the economy. A couple of miles outside the city center, construction of a huge business park is underway. The area will be 112 square kilometers in size. Hundreds of companies will be established here. In addition, a brand new city for corporate employees will be built. High technology and ecology are the key words.
At the bottom is money from China. The business park will become a hub in the new Chinese silk road, ie the giant project that will give China new transport routes and influence in most of the world. And to attract the investment, the tax relief for companies is very generous.
The small business is also something that Lukashenko hopes for. This applies primarily to the IT sector. We visit a company that sells virtual reality technology to companies so they can train their employees in everything from surgery to emergency situations on oil platforms.
- Minsk is one of the world's leading centers for IT entrepreneurs, says one of the managers.
"But Belarus is Europe's last dictatorship, with freedom, oppression and a security apparatus that monitors everything," I object.
- Although we are actually completely free to do what we want, he says. President Lukashenko has realized that in order for Belarus to develop as a fully independent country, the economy must flourish and entrepreneurs become world-class innovators.
And on the surface, it seems that a lot is actually changing. At least in Minsk, and at least for some Belarusians. But a majority of the country's population still lives under very scarce circumstances. Officially, the minimum wage is around SEK 5,000 a month. In reality, many only earn about half.
But Lukashenko's modernization project may be mostly about how he should retain power himself and create a good starting point for the one he will eventually appoint to his successor. It is probably most China he snails at. Democracy can wait.