MMAP - First Quest of Belarus, August 2010 - Sianno

We arrived at Sianno from Kokhanava just in time for our next presentation. Lilya, the librarian, was already waiting for us.

 In Sianno our key contact was Anna Borodina, a music teacher at the local art school. She spread a word, and our presentation enjoyed a good audience of local intellectuals. Those were not kids like in Kokhanava, but it did not make the communication less interesting. The audience included the reporter from the only local newspaper and an official from the local authorities.

The official was very friendly and also made a presentation about developing tour/recreation in the region.

However, when one of the participants from the audience suddenly suggested 'Let's compare the Independence Day in Belarus and the US', the official felt uneasy and said that we would better keep away from such comparisons :). It was very revealing :). But we did not insist. We did this comparison during a less formal talk after.

 A bike tour around a small town. Definitely we were pioneers in this. Dmitri did it in spite of a broken finger (see the plaster bandage).

 That was the first of the three punctures we had during the whole quest.

 About 20 years ago Vasil Bandarevich started his own unique teaching project which combined Visual Arts and the History of Sianno. 90-s was an excellent time for educational innovations like that. His students are recreating the history of their ancestors since.

Now such courses are much more difficult to implement.

I would have never believed that another tour around Sianno could take half a day. Vasil Bandarevich was telling us about his native town's history since pre-historic times, and always had an illustration for every event. I learned a lot about my own country, in full accordance with the MMAP project mission.

Olga the reporter prepared an article about our visit to be published in the local newspaper. However, the chief editor banned it from publication. 'Not in my term of office!' he said. No wonder, as he is totally dependent on the local authorities, who are also totally dependent on the group of power in Minsk...

Still, when next time we will be seeing Vasil Bandarevich again in October and would meet with his students, we will get the access to school teachers and kids. When official people see 'those Americans' in person, their hostile attitudes often melt :).