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THE BURNING EDGE: TRAVELS THROUGH IRRADIATED BELARUS
In The Burning Edge the writer Arthur Chichester takes the reader on a journey to the furthest edge of Belarus, Europe's least known country where he makes his way through towns and villages seemingly known only to those that continue to reside in them. On his journey through the irradiated borderlands he meets an assortment of characters struggling to make sense of a life in the shadows of the Chernobyl tragedy. At the end of his time in the region he decides to take one last journey off the map and walk alone through the irradiated forest on an adventure that will lead him through landscapes untouched and unseen since 1986. This is the first travel book to bring the region to a Western readership.
182 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published April 9, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
December 7, 2018
Jai Bhole Kei
I found Mr Chichesters book through his alter ego. Mr Bald and Bankrupt a You Channel, a travel diary quite like no other. You can hear that same voice in this book. The explorer, the non judgemental, inquisitive explorer, who thrives on the path least travelled. Whether a writer or a film maker. His quality is apparent. Jai Bhole Kei
I found Mr Chichesters book through his alter ego. Mr Bald and Bankrupt a You Channel, a travel diary quite like no other. You can hear that same voice in this book. The explorer, the non judgemental, inquisitive explorer, who thrives on the path least travelled. Whether a writer or a film maker. His quality is apparent. Jai Bhole Kei
October 18, 2018
Belarus is probably the least known and visited country in Europe. Information in English on Belarus is limited and often focuses on a Western centric view of the country and lacks any attempt to penetrate beyond the usual issues of contention. Therefore Arthur Chichester's 'The Burning Edge, travels through irradiated Belarus' is a valuable and fascinating read for anyone who wants to try to understand the real Belarus and its people. Chichester had the advantage when visiting the country of speaking the language fluently which undoubtedly gained him entry in a fuller way than the visitor who does not. (I have visited Minsk and found people friendly and welcoming and was sad that my poor language skills meant that communication could not get beyond the absolute basics) Chichester also set out to explore off the beaten track, namely the borderlands between Belarus and Ukraine, cities, towns and villages which have rarely ever seen a westerner. He sees first hand the devastating changes brought about both by the Chernobyl disaster and the collapse of the Soviet Union both of which impacted upon the social and physical lives of the people living there. Many people he meets have a nostalgia for Soviet times when there was work, community and a future. Says Christopher "It is only in the West where the Soviet Union has been demonised, and we therefore expect the people who lived under the system to have the same revulsion towards it that we have been indoctrinated into". After the collapse of the Soviet Union the mafia moved in and a spiral of violence and terror wiped out any initial hopes of a prosperous future. Christopher meets survivors of those lawless mafia days who tried to make an honest living, says one elderly woman whose son was murdered by extortionists "Thank God we don't live in those times any more, we have Batska to thanks for that". Lukashenko who reigned in the mafia and restabalised Belarus is known in the West as Europes last dictator but he has a popular following in the country (even though Christopher finds those who curse him as well as praise him). Western style democrat he may not be but "he dragged the country out of the dark days of Bandit Capitalism when the cities of the newly independent republic were controlled by track-suited thugs with hard faces and harder hands, and who has with an iron grip turned Belarus into a well run , orderly nation of law and order that, despite its reputation in the West, is the envy of citizens in many of the former Soviet Republics". Lukashenko has kept state control over much farming and industry with the profits helping to support some of the ambitious social projects and to maintain services which in other countries are history. Traveling on foot, hitching and in buses Christopher is invited into the lives of heavy drinkers, workers, lonely women, proud pensioners, the broken, the angry and those whose dream is to leave. The towns and cities in some places are half ghost towns, people have left and those who have not do not have money for leisure activities. Young people leave if they can for a better future they hope elsewhere and in this Belarus experiences what so much of Europe has. In the most remote areas, where Chernobyl did its worst and most were evacuated he meets hangers on, elderly and resolute. He meets a 79 year old arthritic widower, living in a house with no indoor plumbing ".. toughness and an ability to endure the unendurable, passed down through generations, that has allowed the Belarussian people to survive despite the attempts of greater forces to wipe them out". There is a strong sense of attachment among the old for their roots and for their dead. Chichester describes his encounters with both people and places clearly and graphically making this an informative and gripping read which also throws light onto a place which is misunderstood and neglected.
January 1, 2020
Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the meltdown zone... This book was written by one of my favorite youtubers, Bald and Bankrupt (check him out!). This written travel account was just as interesting as his video travelogues - I marked around 80 passages that contained interesting information or anecdotes from his trip.
So why in the world would he go to the Chernobyl exclusion zone? For one thing, he was a school boy when the Chernobyl disaster happened, and it made an impression. But mostly he likes to go where few Westerners have gone before and talk to ordinary people (he speaks Russian). Some of those he met lived alone in the Zone, having refused to be evacuated. Others lived in larger towns just outside the Zone, where radiation is perhaps just as unsafe but the government didn't want to relocate so many people.
It's a trip I would never make myself, so it was interesting to read about it!
So why in the world would he go to the Chernobyl exclusion zone? For one thing, he was a school boy when the Chernobyl disaster happened, and it made an impression. But mostly he likes to go where few Westerners have gone before and talk to ordinary people (he speaks Russian). Some of those he met lived alone in the Zone, having refused to be evacuated. Others lived in larger towns just outside the Zone, where radiation is perhaps just as unsafe but the government didn't want to relocate so many people.
It's a trip I would never make myself, so it was interesting to read about it!
April 19, 2021
"Bald and Bankrupt" is one of my favorite YouTube channels. The host, Mr. Bald, a/k/a Arthur Chichester, visits the dusty corners of the world and fraternizes with the messy humanity that he finds there, producing travelogues that examine the language and history of each place instead of just momentarily stepping off the plane to snap a selfie like every bore on your Facebook feed. The results are by turns inspiring, funny, and sad.
So it's not surprising that Mr. Bald's first published book plays out like a series of good Bald and Bankrupt videos. The narrative recounts a couple of weeks spent wandering around the Chernobyl exclusion zone in rural Belarus, surveying the ghosts of the country's Soviet past and wars, navigating the depopulated towns and eerily quiet forests, and meeting the assorted inhabitants: elderly people left behind, young families dreaming of escape to western Europe or America, drunks wanting vodka money, bored hotel receptionists, cougars hungry for young men, working folks fearful of losing their livelihoods, isolated villagers happy for the company, the sick and the lonely, the busybody police. The characters are instantly recognizable, even if the language and geography aren't.
On the downside, the book could use an editing pass; Mr. Chichester is an articulate narrator of his YouTube adventures, but there are some grammatical problems and awkward phrasings that get in the way here. Nevertheless, hopefully he'll continue publishing, since The Burning Edge is a welcome, more introspective complement to his filmed work.
So it's not surprising that Mr. Bald's first published book plays out like a series of good Bald and Bankrupt videos. The narrative recounts a couple of weeks spent wandering around the Chernobyl exclusion zone in rural Belarus, surveying the ghosts of the country's Soviet past and wars, navigating the depopulated towns and eerily quiet forests, and meeting the assorted inhabitants: elderly people left behind, young families dreaming of escape to western Europe or America, drunks wanting vodka money, bored hotel receptionists, cougars hungry for young men, working folks fearful of losing their livelihoods, isolated villagers happy for the company, the sick and the lonely, the busybody police. The characters are instantly recognizable, even if the language and geography aren't.
On the downside, the book could use an editing pass; Mr. Chichester is an articulate narrator of his YouTube adventures, but there are some grammatical problems and awkward phrasings that get in the way here. Nevertheless, hopefully he'll continue publishing, since The Burning Edge is a welcome, more introspective complement to his filmed work.
December 18, 2020
I got this book as a present:) enjoyed reading it, but often felt sad, probably bcz I grew up in Belarus & personally knew ppl who had to go to Chernobyl, to help (they r died, quite young..).
February 18, 2020
Yes, yes, YouTube.
Right around discovering his channel, I watched the old Soviet film, Come and See. This film is realistic depiction of WW2 in Belarus. By realistic I mean hella disturbing and nauseating Nazi atrocities. But you need that historical context to understand why Belarus is still very concerned about an 80 year old event. It gets brought up many times in this book and he brings it up many times in his Belarus YouTube videos. Or rather, the people of Belarus bring it up to him when he reveal his Englishness.
There is so much that can be said about Belarus from the 20th century onward. This book is more of a light anthropological take on the travel vlogging experiences. An ethnography, perhaps? I feel like it could be expanded on in the future with some fancy editor or publishing house. That being said I'm not sure the author is the armchair academic type, as he's always going around the earth.
Right around discovering his channel, I watched the old Soviet film, Come and See. This film is realistic depiction of WW2 in Belarus. By realistic I mean hella disturbing and nauseating Nazi atrocities. But you need that historical context to understand why Belarus is still very concerned about an 80 year old event. It gets brought up many times in this book and he brings it up many times in his Belarus YouTube videos. Or rather, the people of Belarus bring it up to him when he reveal his Englishness.
There is so much that can be said about Belarus from the 20th century onward. This book is more of a light anthropological take on the travel vlogging experiences. An ethnography, perhaps? I feel like it could be expanded on in the future with some fancy editor or publishing house. That being said I'm not sure the author is the armchair academic type, as he's always going around the earth.
March 18, 2021
Reads like a 133-page transcript of a Bald and Bankrupt episode (and you bet I read the whole book in his voice). That said, it was everything I was expecting and wanting it to be. If you’re a fan of his YouTube channel, by all means give this a go. On the other hand, I have a hard time recommending this to anyone not already familiar with Bald’s travels in the former Soviet republics.
The book is told episodically, as Bald wanders from one rural village to the other, just like in his videos. What truly brings his book to life is his interactions with the locals. The dialogue tells more volumes about the character of Belarus than from any outsider’s commentary. In between the dialogues, Bald provides his own insight about Belarus. He’s not striving to be the next Rick Steves, and in that regard that’s what makes him so appealing to the millions of fans he’s gained over the years. When other travel writers are wandering the well-trodden roads of the capital cities, Bald has taken the time to learn Russian and travels to villages tucked away and forgotten in the forest.
In his own commentary, he lends his knowledge and other times leaves the reader to interpret what he sees as he travels through Belarus. His typical sense of humour is found in traces throughout, and also his unapologetic (and often cringeworthy) honesty. You love it or you hate it. I wasn’t too big of a fan of when he was boasting and riding on the rumour that he was from the Times, or when he blew off interaction with a local to visit a fast food restaurant.
Most of the time spent reading, I really wish he’d included more visual elements in the book: Maps, especially. Bald’s book lacks any clear direction until about the last third, and often I got lost in all the names as he went from one place to another. As much as I do really like his storytelling, his writing style was often comprised of long, winding sentences. He does state in the beginning of the book that if he had been able to publish again, he would have gone back and changed much of what was in the book. He also never expected, as he said, anyone more than his mother or a few friends to read this. It works well as if you were reading his diary, but as a published book, it needed some work and better organization.
All-in-all, a quick and easy read. I did enjoy it, but as a stand-alone book on Belarus I think it’s lacking. As a companion to his YouTube channel, I think it works just right. If you haven’t already watched Bald and Bankrupt’s YouTube videos, check them out. I do really enjoy them, and if you end up liking them as well, I’d check this book out. If he wrote another book down the road, I definitely would pick it up.
The book is told episodically, as Bald wanders from one rural village to the other, just like in his videos. What truly brings his book to life is his interactions with the locals. The dialogue tells more volumes about the character of Belarus than from any outsider’s commentary. In between the dialogues, Bald provides his own insight about Belarus. He’s not striving to be the next Rick Steves, and in that regard that’s what makes him so appealing to the millions of fans he’s gained over the years. When other travel writers are wandering the well-trodden roads of the capital cities, Bald has taken the time to learn Russian and travels to villages tucked away and forgotten in the forest.
In his own commentary, he lends his knowledge and other times leaves the reader to interpret what he sees as he travels through Belarus. His typical sense of humour is found in traces throughout, and also his unapologetic (and often cringeworthy) honesty. You love it or you hate it. I wasn’t too big of a fan of when he was boasting and riding on the rumour that he was from the Times, or when he blew off interaction with a local to visit a fast food restaurant.
Most of the time spent reading, I really wish he’d included more visual elements in the book: Maps, especially. Bald’s book lacks any clear direction until about the last third, and often I got lost in all the names as he went from one place to another. As much as I do really like his storytelling, his writing style was often comprised of long, winding sentences. He does state in the beginning of the book that if he had been able to publish again, he would have gone back and changed much of what was in the book. He also never expected, as he said, anyone more than his mother or a few friends to read this. It works well as if you were reading his diary, but as a published book, it needed some work and better organization.
All-in-all, a quick and easy read. I did enjoy it, but as a stand-alone book on Belarus I think it’s lacking. As a companion to his YouTube channel, I think it works just right. If you haven’t already watched Bald and Bankrupt’s YouTube videos, check them out. I do really enjoy them, and if you end up liking them as well, I’d check this book out. If he wrote another book down the road, I definitely would pick it up.
January 23, 2021
I’m 29 years old and have never managed to finish a book I’ve read for leisure. After watching many videos by Mr Bald I become a massive fan and decided to give his book a try. The grammar is not great (my grammar is terrible and even I noticed) but I really enjoyed and found this book super easy to read. It’s written simply like a diary or journal which made it super easy to get through. This left me with a sense of joy I can actually finish a book and now I’m looking for my next so I can actually say this book has helped me get into reading !
Thanks Mr Bald!
Thanks Mr Bald!
March 30, 2025
So many thoughts about this book! First, it’s such an amazing experience to read about my own country from a westerner perspective. I love that Bald travelled to small villages and towns where I have never been, and these places are definitely not on the radar of typical tourists. I love love that he engages with locals, drinks vodka with men, and spends the nights at babushkas houses. The best story is when babushka asked him to help her in the garden because it’s difficult for her to do a gardening work (she is 87 and has arthritis). So, that was his pay for staying the night at her cottage.
I love that he travels by bus between the villages perfectly describing babushkas with their baskets full of fruit and vegetables.
He is a youtube travel blogger, not a historian or writer, so obviously the book may seem a little more generic and not going deep into Belarusian life. But that’s the beauty of it - it simply shows the perception of a foreigner/traveler on a life in small town in Belarus
I love that he travels by bus between the villages perfectly describing babushkas with their baskets full of fruit and vegetables.
He is a youtube travel blogger, not a historian or writer, so obviously the book may seem a little more generic and not going deep into Belarusian life. But that’s the beauty of it - it simply shows the perception of a foreigner/traveler on a life in small town in Belarus
September 1, 2024
This book pretty much reads like a written amalgamation of many of Bald and Bankrupt's videos, so if you're a fan of his channel like I am, you'll probably enjoy this. I do think some of the charisma present in B&B's videos is lost in written form, though.
March 30, 2019
Almanac of roads less travelled. Easygoing storytelling style in line with the Author’s YouTube channel.
Illuminating insight into the lives and locations of the area of Belarus affected by Chernobyl. The Author’s determination to find a different experience in a less known part of Central Europe is evident, while experiencing the decency and kindness of the local population. Perhaps Belarus could consider him as a tourism consultant. The stories are enhanced by his recent uploads on YouTube bringing some of the locations to life.
Illuminating insight into the lives and locations of the area of Belarus affected by Chernobyl. The Author’s determination to find a different experience in a less known part of Central Europe is evident, while experiencing the decency and kindness of the local population. Perhaps Belarus could consider him as a tourism consultant. The stories are enhanced by his recent uploads on YouTube bringing some of the locations to life.
June 5, 2019
Dull, uninspiring and in need of punctuation.
To me this read like poverty porn, cheap, plastic and devoid of any narrative. Every interaction with a local is a lesson in how generous the world has been to the author. Dreadful.
To me this read like poverty porn, cheap, plastic and devoid of any narrative. Every interaction with a local is a lesson in how generous the world has been to the author. Dreadful.
August 23, 2019
This guy traveled through irradiated Belarus, showing us what life is like now in a region of contaminated towns and villages, getting the stories of the survivors and providing fascinating first-hand accounts of those left behind. An excellent read.
April 5, 2021
enjoyable, quick, and easy read. at times you feel as if you're watching one of his youtube videos through the text.
October 22, 2021
Fun little look into Belarus
Really enjoyed this. As the title mentions, for someone who is not familiar with the Soviet Union, it was good to have his take on it.
Really enjoyed this. As the title mentions, for someone who is not familiar with the Soviet Union, it was good to have his take on it.
October 10, 2024
Dog water. Get a grip mr. bald&bankrupt
March 26, 2020
As a big fan of the YouTube channel Bald and Bankrupt, it was only fair I gave the book authored by Mr Bald himself a shot.
Compared to his videos this book is much more poignant. While Mr Bald is for the most part quite confident and plenty of smiles on camera, here he shows a much more mellow and melancholic side, one where empathy is turned up to eleven.
His quest to explore the most forgotten and forsaken villages in Belarus is a noble one. He doesn’t seek any rewards or recognition: his only drive is curiosity, and the desire to know and befriend the people of Belarus.
I hope he writes more books in the future.
Compared to his videos this book is much more poignant. While Mr Bald is for the most part quite confident and plenty of smiles on camera, here he shows a much more mellow and melancholic side, one where empathy is turned up to eleven.
His quest to explore the most forgotten and forsaken villages in Belarus is a noble one. He doesn’t seek any rewards or recognition: his only drive is curiosity, and the desire to know and befriend the people of Belarus.
I hope he writes more books in the future.
Read
February 28, 2020Not sure what the point of this book is?
A very boring read with no point. It didn't even describe the country of Belarus well. I gained nothing from this read.
A very boring read with no point. It didn't even describe the country of Belarus well. I gained nothing from this read.
January 12, 2024
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Ўголас трымаю, гонар! --
Гэта мая прастора,
Гэта мая краіна,
Край любы, край адзіны…
Лепшае побач чую,
Крылы свае ратую.
Хутка ўсё добра будзе --
Мірныя, вольныя людзі!
Неоднозначные впечатления у меня от этой книги. С одной стороны, книг о современной Белоруссии практически нет. Лично я смог найти только эту книгу. Тут стоит отметить, что эта книга не является профессиональным обзором политической составляющей сегодняшней Белоруссии, а является сборником заметок иностранного путешественника об этой стране. Это может быть и не плохо, но у меня не сформировалась картина современной Белоруссии. Если пытаться понять что из себя представляет современная Беларусь, основываясь на этой книги, может возникнуть ощущение, что Беларусь является самой захудалой, неразвитой и отсталой страной евразийского континента. Да, я знаю, что при Лукашенко прогресс страны сильно замедлился, но мне трудно поверить, что он чуть ли не полностью остановился, но именно такую страну и показывает автор (или я так увидел). Впрочем, возможно я действительно ошибаюсь.
Книга построена в виде коротких зарисовок небольших городков и сёл, которые посещал автор, чтобы познакомится с самыми обычными людьми Белоруссии, т.е. с людьми из самых отдалённых от центра поселений. В процессе путешествия автор знакомится с множеством людей, пытается понять их мировоззрение, отношение к собственной стране и пр. Я уже читал про то, что Лукашенко использует тему Второй мировой войны, в которой в процентном отношении погибло больше всего людей именно из Белоруссии, в своих политических целях или проще – чтобы оправдывать своё пребывание у власти, упрочивать это положение. С другой стороны, Вторая мировая война важна, прежде всего, для пожилых жителей Белоруссии, ибо в книге я не увидел, чтобы подобных взглядов придерживалась и молодёжь.
И, пожалуй, это всё что можно сказать об этой книге. Это типичная книга путешественника – очень короткая и очень поверхностная. Даже когда автор описывает своё общение с жителями Белоруссии, оно почти всегда очень короткое и поверхностное из-за чего невозможно понять, чем живут люди, о чём мечтают, чего хотят и тому подобное. Я всё же не думаю, что автору удалось отобразить страну и народ, что проживает в Белоруссии. Ну, хотя бы потому, что автор не затронул языковой вопрос. В Белоруссии два официальных языка – русский и белорусский. И вот что думают люди говорящие на белорусском языке, автор ничего не написал. Я не могу поверить в то, что в Белоруссии могут быть люди, которые знаю белорусский язык, но не знаю русский, а поэтому не могло быть такого, что он просто не смог коммуницировать с такими людьми (это тебе не Украина). Но в книге читатель не встретит людей знающих этой язык. Почему это важно? Мне кажется люди, которые знают два и больше языков, смотрят на этот мир по-другому. Люди, которые понимают белорусскую речь, скорее всего, имеют другие взгляды, как на страну, так и на окружающих Беларусь соседей, нежели те, кто знает исключительно русский язык. Мне особенно интересно было бы узнать мнения белорусов, которые знают белорусский язык, что они думают по поводу этих двух языков, двух культур, роли этих двух языков в будущей Белоруссии, представляет ли русский язык и русская культура угрозу для Белоруссии и пр. Возможно для британца это маловажная тема, но как мне кажется, основываясь на том, что произошло в Украине, эта тема важна.
Ещё один момент. В книге так же нет ничего о политике и о Лукашенко в частности (почти ничего нет), что тоже странно, ибо в персоналистской диктатуре всё сводится к персоне диктатора. Я хочу сказать, что просто невозможно написать книгу о диктаторской стране не упомянув самого диктатора и как люди к нему относятся, а точнее как относятся разные люди к нему. Этого в книге нет. Да, автор показывает, что страна как будто застыла во времени и поэтому представляет из себя осколок из прошлого – из советского прошлого, но на самом деле это мираж. Советский Союз, это не просто советский флаг, гимн, советские символы, но это особое поведение людей (особая психология). В Белоруссии такого просто нет, и не может быть, хотя бы потому, что границы открыты (чего не было в СССР). Можно напялить на себя майку с советским гербом, можно восстановить советский гимн и символы, но это не будет СССР, а это будет пародия. Вот именно пародию на советскую систему, которая в реальности была страшная и жестокая, я увидел в этой книге. Просто нужно понимать, что из себя представлял Советский Союз, после чего даже отдалённого намёка на СССР не появится после знакомства с Беларусью. Это просто очередная диктатура, коих в мире огромное количество. Советский Союз же был идеей и только потом – диктатурой.
Короче говоря, неплохо для иностранца, далёкого от политики, но итоговая картинка страны получилась очень размытой, а порой даже стереотипной (автор слишком часто пьёт водку).
I have ambiguous impressions of this book. On the one hand, there are practically no books about modern Belarus. Personally, I was able to find only this book. It should be noted that this book is not a professional review of the political component of today's Belarus but a collection of notes of a foreign traveler about this country. It may not be bad, but I have not formed a picture of modern Belarus. If you try to understand what modern Belarus is like based on this book, you might get the feeling that Belarus is the most undeveloped and backward country on the Eurasian continent. Yes, I know that under Lukashenko the country's progress has slowed down a lot, but I find it hard to believe that it has almost completely stopped, but this is exactly the kind of country the author shows (or so I saw). However, maybe I am wrong.
The book is structured in the form of short sketches of small towns and villages, which the author visited to get acquainted with the most ordinary people of Belarus, i.e., people from the most remote settlements from the center. In the process of traveling, the author gets acquainted with many people and tries to understand their worldview, attitude to their own country, etc. I have already read that Lukashenko is using the theme of World War II, in which, in percentage terms, most people from Belarus died, for his political purposes or, more simply, to justify his stay in power and to strengthen his position. On the other hand, the Second World War is important, first of all, for the elderly people of Belarus because, in the book, I did not see that young people also adhere to such views.
And that's probably all there is to say about this book. It is a typical traveler's book - very short and very superficial. Even when the author describes his communication with the people of Belarus, it is almost always very short and superficial, because of which it is impossible to understand what people live, what they dream about, what they want, and so on. I still don't think that the author succeeded in portraying the country and people living in Belarus. Well, at least because the author did not touch upon the language issue. There are two official languages in Belarus - Russian and Belarusian. The author did not write anything about what people who speak Belarusian think. I can't believe that in Belarus, there can be people who know the Belarusian language but don't know Russian, and therefore, it couldn't be that he just couldn't communicate with such people (it's not Ukraine). But, in the book, the reader will not meet people who know this language. Why is it important? I think people who know two or more languages look at the world differently. People who understand the Belarusian language are likely to have different views both on the country and on the neighbors surrounding Belarus than those who know only Russian. I would be especially interested in the opinions of Belarusians who know the Belarusian language, what they think about these two languages, two cultures, the role of these two languages in the future of Belarus, whether the Russian language and Russian culture are a threat to Belarus, etc. This may be an unimportant topic for a Briton, but it seems to me, based on what happened in Ukraine, it is important.
One more point. There is also nothing in the book about politics and Lukashenko in particular (almost nothing), which is also strange because, in a personalist dictatorship, everything is reduced to the person of the dictator. I want to say that it is simply impossible to write a book about a dictatorial country without mentioning the dictator himself and how people treat him, or rather, how different people treat him. This is not in the book. Yes, the author shows that the country is (as if) frozen in time and therefore represents a shard from the past - from the Soviet past, but, in fact, it is a mirage. The Soviet Union is not just a Soviet flag, anthem, or Soviet symbol - it is a special behavior of people (a special psychology). There is simply no such thing in Belarus, and it cannot be, at least because the borders are open (which was not the case in the USSR). You can put on a T-shirt with the Soviet emblem or restore the Soviet anthem and symbols, but it will not be the USSR but a parody. It was a parody of the Soviet system, which, in reality, was terrible and cruel, that I saw in this book. You just need to understand what the Soviet Union was like, and then even a distant hint of the USSR will not appear after you get acquainted with Belarus. It is just another dictatorship, of which there are a great number in the world. The Soviet Union was an idea and only then - a dictatorship.
In short, not bad for a foreigner far from politics, but the final picture of the country turned out to be very blurred and sometimes even stereotypical (the author drinks vodka too often).
Ўголас трымаю, гонар! --
Гэта мая прастора,
Гэта мая краіна,
Край любы, край адзіны…
Лепшае побач чую,
Крылы свае ратую.
Хутка ўсё добра будзе --
Мірныя, вольныя людзі!
Неоднозначные впечатления у меня от этой книги. С одной стороны, книг о современной Белоруссии практически нет. Лично я смог найти только эту книгу. Тут стоит отметить, что эта книга не является профессиональным обзором политической составляющей сегодняшней Белоруссии, а является сборником заметок иностранного путешественника об этой стране. Это может быть и не плохо, но у меня не сформировалась картина современной Белоруссии. Если пытаться понять что из себя представляет современная Беларусь, основываясь на этой книги, может возникнуть ощущение, что Беларусь является самой захудалой, неразвитой и отсталой страной евразийского континента. Да, я знаю, что при Лукашенко прогресс страны сильно замедлился, но мне трудно поверить, что он чуть ли не полностью остановился, но именно такую страну и показывает автор (или я так увидел). Впрочем, возможно я действительно ошибаюсь.
Книга построена в виде коротких зарисовок небольших городков и сёл, которые посещал автор, чтобы познакомится с самыми обычными людьми Белоруссии, т.е. с людьми из самых отдалённых от центра поселений. В процессе путешествия автор знакомится с множеством людей, пытается понять их мировоззрение, отношение к собственной стране и пр. Я уже читал про то, что Лукашенко использует тему Второй мировой войны, в которой в процентном отношении погибло больше всего людей именно из Белоруссии, в своих политических целях или проще – чтобы оправдывать своё пребывание у власти, упрочивать это положение. С другой стороны, Вторая мировая война важна, прежде всего, для пожилых жителей Белоруссии, ибо в книге я не увидел, чтобы подобных взглядов придерживалась и молодёжь.
И, пожалуй, это всё что можно сказать об этой книге. Это типичная книга путешественника – очень короткая и очень поверхностная. Даже когда автор описывает своё общение с жителями Белоруссии, оно почти всегда очень короткое и поверхностное из-за чего невозможно понять, чем живут люди, о чём мечтают, чего хотят и тому подобное. Я всё же не думаю, что автору удалось отобразить страну и народ, что проживает в Белоруссии. Ну, хотя бы потому, что автор не затронул языковой вопрос. В Белоруссии два официальных языка – русский и белорусский. И вот что думают люди говорящие на белорусском языке, автор ничего не написал. Я не могу поверить в то, что в Белоруссии могут быть люди, которые знаю белорусский язык, но не знаю русский, а поэтому не могло быть такого, что он просто не смог коммуницировать с такими людьми (это тебе не Украина). Но в книге читатель не встретит людей знающих этой язык. Почему это важно? Мне кажется люди, которые знают два и больше языков, смотрят на этот мир по-другому. Люди, которые понимают белорусскую речь, скорее всего, имеют другие взгляды, как на страну, так и на окружающих Беларусь соседей, нежели те, кто знает исключительно русский язык. Мне особенно интересно было бы узнать мнения белорусов, которые знают белорусский язык, что они думают по поводу этих двух языков, двух культур, роли этих двух языков в будущей Белоруссии, представляет ли русский язык и русская культура угрозу для Белоруссии и пр. Возможно для британца это маловажная тема, но как мне кажется, основываясь на том, что произошло в Украине, эта тема важна.
Ещё один момент. В книге так же нет ничего о политике и о Лукашенко в частности (почти ничего нет), что тоже странно, ибо в персоналистской диктатуре всё сводится к персоне диктатора. Я хочу сказать, что просто невозможно написать книгу о диктаторской стране не упомянув самого диктатора и как люди к нему относятся, а точнее как относятся разные люди к нему. Этого в книге нет. Да, автор показывает, что страна как будто застыла во времени и поэтому представляет из себя осколок из прошлого – из советского прошлого, но на самом деле это мираж. Советский Союз, это не просто советский флаг, гимн, советские символы, но это особое поведение людей (особая психология). В Белоруссии такого просто нет, и не может быть, хотя бы потому, что границы открыты (чего не было в СССР). Можно напялить на себя майку с советским гербом, можно восстановить советский гимн и символы, но это не будет СССР, а это будет пародия. Вот именно пародию на советскую систему, которая в реальности была страшная и жестокая, я увидел в этой книге. Просто нужно понимать, что из себя представлял Советский Союз, после чего даже отдалённого намёка на СССР не появится после знакомства с Беларусью. Это просто очередная диктатура, коих в мире огромное количество. Советский Союз же был идеей и только потом – диктатурой.
Короче говоря, неплохо для иностранца, далёкого от политики, но итоговая картинка страны получилась очень размытой, а порой даже стереотипной (автор слишком часто пьёт водку).
I have ambiguous impressions of this book. On the one hand, there are practically no books about modern Belarus. Personally, I was able to find only this book. It should be noted that this book is not a professional review of the political component of today's Belarus but a collection of notes of a foreign traveler about this country. It may not be bad, but I have not formed a picture of modern Belarus. If you try to understand what modern Belarus is like based on this book, you might get the feeling that Belarus is the most undeveloped and backward country on the Eurasian continent. Yes, I know that under Lukashenko the country's progress has slowed down a lot, but I find it hard to believe that it has almost completely stopped, but this is exactly the kind of country the author shows (or so I saw). However, maybe I am wrong.
The book is structured in the form of short sketches of small towns and villages, which the author visited to get acquainted with the most ordinary people of Belarus, i.e., people from the most remote settlements from the center. In the process of traveling, the author gets acquainted with many people and tries to understand their worldview, attitude to their own country, etc. I have already read that Lukashenko is using the theme of World War II, in which, in percentage terms, most people from Belarus died, for his political purposes or, more simply, to justify his stay in power and to strengthen his position. On the other hand, the Second World War is important, first of all, for the elderly people of Belarus because, in the book, I did not see that young people also adhere to such views.
And that's probably all there is to say about this book. It is a typical traveler's book - very short and very superficial. Even when the author describes his communication with the people of Belarus, it is almost always very short and superficial, because of which it is impossible to understand what people live, what they dream about, what they want, and so on. I still don't think that the author succeeded in portraying the country and people living in Belarus. Well, at least because the author did not touch upon the language issue. There are two official languages in Belarus - Russian and Belarusian. The author did not write anything about what people who speak Belarusian think. I can't believe that in Belarus, there can be people who know the Belarusian language but don't know Russian, and therefore, it couldn't be that he just couldn't communicate with such people (it's not Ukraine). But, in the book, the reader will not meet people who know this language. Why is it important? I think people who know two or more languages look at the world differently. People who understand the Belarusian language are likely to have different views both on the country and on the neighbors surrounding Belarus than those who know only Russian. I would be especially interested in the opinions of Belarusians who know the Belarusian language, what they think about these two languages, two cultures, the role of these two languages in the future of Belarus, whether the Russian language and Russian culture are a threat to Belarus, etc. This may be an unimportant topic for a Briton, but it seems to me, based on what happened in Ukraine, it is important.
One more point. There is also nothing in the book about politics and Lukashenko in particular (almost nothing), which is also strange because, in a personalist dictatorship, everything is reduced to the person of the dictator. I want to say that it is simply impossible to write a book about a dictatorial country without mentioning the dictator himself and how people treat him, or rather, how different people treat him. This is not in the book. Yes, the author shows that the country is (as if) frozen in time and therefore represents a shard from the past - from the Soviet past, but, in fact, it is a mirage. The Soviet Union is not just a Soviet flag, anthem, or Soviet symbol - it is a special behavior of people (a special psychology). There is simply no such thing in Belarus, and it cannot be, at least because the borders are open (which was not the case in the USSR). You can put on a T-shirt with the Soviet emblem or restore the Soviet anthem and symbols, but it will not be the USSR but a parody. It was a parody of the Soviet system, which, in reality, was terrible and cruel, that I saw in this book. You just need to understand what the Soviet Union was like, and then even a distant hint of the USSR will not appear after you get acquainted with Belarus. It is just another dictatorship, of which there are a great number in the world. The Soviet Union was an idea and only then - a dictatorship.
In short, not bad for a foreigner far from politics, but the final picture of the country turned out to be very blurred and sometimes even stereotypical (the author drinks vodka too often).
November 27, 2023
Great read of Arthur's (Bald and Bankrupts) journey to a very unknown region of the world, despite being apart of Europe. Similar to his Youtube channel you hear stories of the interesting people he meets along the way. I look forward to reading more books of his in the future!
March 25, 2021
I've been a fan of Benjamin Rich's (Arthur Chinchester is a pen name) Youtube channel Bald and Bankrupt since I first took a glimpse of his short, POV, films. In his channel, Rich travels to Belarus, among many other countries, and provides insights into countries that I never really think about. Given that the book was written before he became YouTube famous, I feel I got a more intimate perspective of Belarus than on his channel. Ben really captures the grayness, and at times quaintness, of living in an area that appears to be forgotten by time and, for all intents and purposes, destroyed by the Chernobyl disaster.
The dilapidation and erosion of the living conditions for provincial Belorussians is very interesting to read, especially when one contrasts it with how life, in general, is in the West. He travels basically exclusively around the provinces of the country where young people are seldom found as most have moved to the larger metropolitan areas of the country. As a result, many of the people he speaks to are the elderly who reminiscence about the good old days when Belarus was part of the Soviet Union. According to them, they enjoyed more access to food, culture, entertainment, and society. Still, the remaining population continues to exist in these hard areas. One also gets to learn about the incredible hardships that were persevered through by Belorussians in WWII and the sacrifices they made while defending the homeland.
Ben's adventurous personality we see in his channel shines through in his book. In the forward he remarks that he didn't think anyone would ever read it except maybe his mother. For me, reading a book that was basically written for the sake of writing adds a layer of interest; one can tell the writing isn't as polished, but it has character and enthusiasm. I basically read this over a weekend, and recommend it not only for those who are interested in travel, former Soviet republics and history, but also to anyone who is interested in writing. The book demonstrates how one can write something good by being able to share an experience with zeal, detail and confidence. Overall, this was a fun, quick read.
The dilapidation and erosion of the living conditions for provincial Belorussians is very interesting to read, especially when one contrasts it with how life, in general, is in the West. He travels basically exclusively around the provinces of the country where young people are seldom found as most have moved to the larger metropolitan areas of the country. As a result, many of the people he speaks to are the elderly who reminiscence about the good old days when Belarus was part of the Soviet Union. According to them, they enjoyed more access to food, culture, entertainment, and society. Still, the remaining population continues to exist in these hard areas. One also gets to learn about the incredible hardships that were persevered through by Belorussians in WWII and the sacrifices they made while defending the homeland.
Ben's adventurous personality we see in his channel shines through in his book. In the forward he remarks that he didn't think anyone would ever read it except maybe his mother. For me, reading a book that was basically written for the sake of writing adds a layer of interest; one can tell the writing isn't as polished, but it has character and enthusiasm. I basically read this over a weekend, and recommend it not only for those who are interested in travel, former Soviet republics and history, but also to anyone who is interested in writing. The book demonstrates how one can write something good by being able to share an experience with zeal, detail and confidence. Overall, this was a fun, quick read.
August 11, 2019
I was sincerely surprised by the deep understanding of our Belarusian mindset demonstrated by Arthur, being an Englishman.
I especially liked and fully agree with the author's understanding of:
- people's attitude towards Lukashenko. With all controversy like buying $1M cars when many people struggle to make $100 a month and most likely rigged elections, people still have a certain respect to him.
- memory about the Soviet times. It wasn't all negative and many people, especially the elderly have certain nostalgia for the times when they lived simple but happy lives, having their future certain and not having to worry about many things. Although no one in their right mind would like to get back to the USSR now, when we all know that there's so much more in the world to see and do.
- cult of the WW2 and fallen heroes. In part, it's planted by the government as a convinient ideology (we may be poor, but at least there's no war going on). But on the other hand, it's quite understandable for a nation that suffered so much and lost 25% of its population during the war.
I don't quite agree on some other things, such as:
- Arthur Chichester's representation of the Belarusian opposition, all of them being sponsored by the West and living abroad, not knowing their own country. I personally know many people and I'm absolutely confident that many of them come from the people, have nothing to do with the West and truthfully willing to make their country better. They just don't know how exactly to do it...
- from the book one might get an impression that all Belarusian women are only dreaming of getting laid by a foreigner to have a chance to leave the country. The reality is quite the opposite. Most of Belarusian women are highly moral, proud and quite reserved, sometimes a bit too much. My guess is that Arthur is a little cunning and exaggerating his own attractiveness.
Still, I'm very happy that such a book exists and will definitely recommend it to the American and British people I work with, as it will undoubtedly help them understand our mindset and culture.
I especially liked and fully agree with the author's understanding of:
- people's attitude towards Lukashenko. With all controversy like buying $1M cars when many people struggle to make $100 a month and most likely rigged elections, people still have a certain respect to him.
- memory about the Soviet times. It wasn't all negative and many people, especially the elderly have certain nostalgia for the times when they lived simple but happy lives, having their future certain and not having to worry about many things. Although no one in their right mind would like to get back to the USSR now, when we all know that there's so much more in the world to see and do.
- cult of the WW2 and fallen heroes. In part, it's planted by the government as a convinient ideology (we may be poor, but at least there's no war going on). But on the other hand, it's quite understandable for a nation that suffered so much and lost 25% of its population during the war.
I don't quite agree on some other things, such as:
- Arthur Chichester's representation of the Belarusian opposition, all of them being sponsored by the West and living abroad, not knowing their own country. I personally know many people and I'm absolutely confident that many of them come from the people, have nothing to do with the West and truthfully willing to make their country better. They just don't know how exactly to do it...
- from the book one might get an impression that all Belarusian women are only dreaming of getting laid by a foreigner to have a chance to leave the country. The reality is quite the opposite. Most of Belarusian women are highly moral, proud and quite reserved, sometimes a bit too much. My guess is that Arthur is a little cunning and exaggerating his own attractiveness.
Still, I'm very happy that such a book exists and will definitely recommend it to the American and British people I work with, as it will undoubtedly help them understand our mindset and culture.
January 24, 2021
I have been a fan of Mr. Bald's YouTube videos for a few years now and when I learned he had written a book I knew I had to get my hands on it. Mr. Bald of Bald and Bankrupt (Known here as Arthur Chichester) has made a name for himself traveling the former Soviet Union showcasing the lives of everyday people. This book was written before his YouTube success but shows many similarities to his on camera presentation.
The Burning Edge focuses on one of his trips where he travels the provinces of Belarus, particularly in the radiation zones created from the Chernobyl fallout. The book is structured like one of his videos, journaling his day to day activities and the people he meets.
Overtime, Mr. Bald has increased the outlandishness of his journeys. With this book being written a few years ago it may feel a little underwhelming at times, compared to some of his more recent videos. That being said, this trip is still an interesting one and the subject of post Soviet Belarus is one that is rarely covered in a book; especially with a first hand account like this.
Personally I really enjoyed this book. It really was like watching one of his videos but the factor of reading his story rather than viewing it allowed for me to take in different elements at a slower pace that lead to a deeper understanding of his travels. Getting to learn about the people he meets in his travels and their outlooks as well as background on the country of Belarus.
I was really impressed with this book as it is his first and he doesn't seem to be fully dedicated in becoming an author. There were definitely moments where the writing felt a bit minimal and repetitive but it was overall a successful effort in conveying his travels through writing.
I'm highly anticipating further books from Mr. Bald and hope that he goes further in detailing his travels; either by covering more of his travels or by choosing another specific location to delve into.
The Burning Edge focuses on one of his trips where he travels the provinces of Belarus, particularly in the radiation zones created from the Chernobyl fallout. The book is structured like one of his videos, journaling his day to day activities and the people he meets.
Overtime, Mr. Bald has increased the outlandishness of his journeys. With this book being written a few years ago it may feel a little underwhelming at times, compared to some of his more recent videos. That being said, this trip is still an interesting one and the subject of post Soviet Belarus is one that is rarely covered in a book; especially with a first hand account like this.
Personally I really enjoyed this book. It really was like watching one of his videos but the factor of reading his story rather than viewing it allowed for me to take in different elements at a slower pace that lead to a deeper understanding of his travels. Getting to learn about the people he meets in his travels and their outlooks as well as background on the country of Belarus.
I was really impressed with this book as it is his first and he doesn't seem to be fully dedicated in becoming an author. There were definitely moments where the writing felt a bit minimal and repetitive but it was overall a successful effort in conveying his travels through writing.
I'm highly anticipating further books from Mr. Bald and hope that he goes further in detailing his travels; either by covering more of his travels or by choosing another specific location to delve into.
January 3, 2021
I first encountered Mr Bald on YouTube when I was watching travel vlogs through Europe. I watched one video and then spent the next few weeks watching all of them!
Anyway this lead me to this book. Which, in some ways, is exactly like one of his vlogs: witty, adventurous and easy to watch. I really enjoyed the memoir style of writing which follows his first long trip to Belarus, from what I’ve understood maybe a month of traveling through the country.
Reading the snippets of people’s lives from small, forgotten villages made me really think about what is necessary in life. Some of these people literally don’t have anything. Handouts from the government are meagre and most young people have left the areas for search of a better life. The second half of the book takes us through ‘The Zone’ - an area of Belarus that isn’t officially in the exclusion zone but highly contaminated.
Once again it’s another book that makes me want to research and look into Southern Belarus and the people that call it home.
(I would say the editing could have been a little more thorough, there are a few missing punctuation marks and incorrect spellings - but it doesn’t detract from the overall story)
Anyway this lead me to this book. Which, in some ways, is exactly like one of his vlogs: witty, adventurous and easy to watch. I really enjoyed the memoir style of writing which follows his first long trip to Belarus, from what I’ve understood maybe a month of traveling through the country.
Reading the snippets of people’s lives from small, forgotten villages made me really think about what is necessary in life. Some of these people literally don’t have anything. Handouts from the government are meagre and most young people have left the areas for search of a better life. The second half of the book takes us through ‘The Zone’ - an area of Belarus that isn’t officially in the exclusion zone but highly contaminated.
Once again it’s another book that makes me want to research and look into Southern Belarus and the people that call it home.
(I would say the editing could have been a little more thorough, there are a few missing punctuation marks and incorrect spellings - but it doesn’t detract from the overall story)
May 21, 2020
As most readers, I learned about the author through his YouTube channel. I used to love reading travel books back in the day, in particular ones where there was an interesting premise (Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks comes to mind).
The first half of the book was a letdown. Full of long descriptions and uninteresting observations. Maybe because I lived in Lithuania, but to me a lot of it didn't seem to reveal too many interesting revelations into what makes Belarus different and unique. Even though the book tries to portray a positive image of the people of Belarus it focuses way too much on the bleakness of it all. The second half of the book picks up quite a bit. There are more interactions with the locals, which help drive the author's more interesting conclusions. The story also flows much more seamlessly in the second half.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who is unfamiliar with or has never visited a post-Soviet country before.
The first half of the book was a letdown. Full of long descriptions and uninteresting observations. Maybe because I lived in Lithuania, but to me a lot of it didn't seem to reveal too many interesting revelations into what makes Belarus different and unique. Even though the book tries to portray a positive image of the people of Belarus it focuses way too much on the bleakness of it all. The second half of the book picks up quite a bit. There are more interactions with the locals, which help drive the author's more interesting conclusions. The story also flows much more seamlessly in the second half.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who is unfamiliar with or has never visited a post-Soviet country before.
December 21, 2020
I found this book via looking up information on a YouTube channel I have grown to love called "Bald and Bankrupt" by the same author under his real name. This book is definitely a starting point for some of his best content - his travels through the irradiated countryside of Belarus. My only quibble with this book is that its pretty short, I'd love to see him incorporate this book into a much larger one including some of his more recent thoughts on the everyday lives of folks in "The Zone". On its own, this is an informative, quick read that makes one excited to see what the author does next. If you have never watched his channel, do yourself a favor and check it out.
August 25, 2021
"It was still early and the canteen wasn't yet open when I entered the heavy wooden doors, but the cook, a burly woman who told me she had worked there since being laid off from her job as a teacher, took pity on me when she realised I was from out of town, hastily setting a place at a table in the large empty hall which was overlooked by a mural of factory workers in greasy overalls. The men and women held shovels and spanners aloft with muscular arms whilst wearing purposeful expressions on their faces indicating, I suspected, that they were not merely building things, but were in fact building the future." (Chapter Ten, pages 63–64)
October 16, 2022
What a disappontment, despite an interesting idea behind this book... Full of stereotypes and colonial viewpoints of a "white man" travelling in what he sees as a wild east. I wish he checked historical facts a little bit more than just getting ideas from his girlfriend as he himself admits...
April 30, 2025
Having heard that Bald and Bankrupt had released a book—and being personally fascinated by the remnants of the old Soviet empire—I couldn’t resist picking it up. What I found was a natural extension of his YouTube channel, whose success, in my opinion, rests on three key strengths:
Finding beauty and quirks in the mundane — whether it’s a derelict village at the edge of the world or a simple human interaction, he uncovers something worth seeing where most wouldn’t even look.
Blending personal stories with broader history — he regularly zooms out from the immediate moment to place it in a wider context, giving depth to what might otherwise seem anecdotal.
Knowing when to step back — he avoids over-explaining or sentimentalizing. In the book, Bald could well have described us with great details how he comes back to his car, how he’s leaving the country with a tear in his eye, etc. He doesn’t do any of it and lets the reader draw his own conclusions. It's called killing your darlings and that’s something many writers are struggling with.
The result is a travel memoir that feels raw, unfiltered, and human. It’s also a quiet tribute to a region where people have endured more than most. I was reminded of a trip I took to Minsk in 2014, where I drank with soldiers who showed me their military books—on the first page of which was written: “No people suffered more than the Belarusian people.”
The Burning Edge is a powerful piece of travel writing—unpretentious, moving, and full of strange, often beautiful detail. A must-read for anyone drawn to the forgotten edges of Europe and to travelling in general.
Some quotes that sticked with me :
Finding beauty and quirks in the mundane — whether it’s a derelict village at the edge of the world or a simple human interaction, he uncovers something worth seeing where most wouldn’t even look.
Blending personal stories with broader history — he regularly zooms out from the immediate moment to place it in a wider context, giving depth to what might otherwise seem anecdotal.
Knowing when to step back — he avoids over-explaining or sentimentalizing. In the book, Bald could well have described us with great details how he comes back to his car, how he’s leaving the country with a tear in his eye, etc. He doesn’t do any of it and lets the reader draw his own conclusions. It's called killing your darlings and that’s something many writers are struggling with.
The result is a travel memoir that feels raw, unfiltered, and human. It’s also a quiet tribute to a region where people have endured more than most. I was reminded of a trip I took to Minsk in 2014, where I drank with soldiers who showed me their military books—on the first page of which was written: “No people suffered more than the Belarusian people.”
The Burning Edge is a powerful piece of travel writing—unpretentious, moving, and full of strange, often beautiful detail. A must-read for anyone drawn to the forgotten edges of Europe and to travelling in general.
Some quotes that sticked with me :
"Two middle-aged prostitutes with hard features only slightly softened by
thick make-up sat at a table in the hotel’s lobby cafe. They attempted to make
seductive eye contact as I waited to be served at the counter, but I wasn’t that
lonely yet."
"The fact was that for a thirty-
something single mother living in Rechitsa, escaping the provinces was
something of a pipe dream. Her hopes she told me, lay in finding a foreign
husband on the internet, hope he would visit and fall in love and take her and
Dimitri back to his country. America, Germany, Mozambique…It didn’t
matter where, just so long as it was away from the cramped apartment she
shared with her grandmother and the boredom of life in provincial Rechitsa.
Tractors and women; the country’s two biggest exports."
"It would be easy for outsiders to judge
Belarusian men for their drinking, but living here in the bleak landscape of
decaying villages and with futures that consisted of nothing more than a hard
life working on the farm, every man had a right to seek his own solace
wherever he chose. I would have made the same choice."
March 10, 2021
I have grown to love the author’s YouTube channel (Bald and Bankrupt), and was interested in this book - written prior to his YouTube fame.
As a millennial, I grew up with the knowledge of Chernobyl, but was too young to remember the fallouts beyond the political. This book delves into the human impact: what happens to a country where nuclear waste falls from the sky and permanently contaminates huge areas where people actually live?
Pros of this book: similar to his YouTube channel, the author is fantastic about delving into “real life” and looking at cities (villages, in this case) as people actually live in them: the services (or lack thereof), the neighbourhoods and community (or lack thereof), the local amenities (planned or evolved over time).
Cons: The author really, really needs an editor. I was tempted to correct the spelling and grammar mistakes as I went along and send a marked up version back (not that I’m an expert, so keep that in mind!). However, the technicals don’t deter from the story, so it’s not the end of the world.
The one truly uncomfortable aspect is a scene where the author fetishizes domestic abuse. Not to dismiss this in any form, but to clarify, the author fetishizes the entrapment, not physical abuse. Bald’s YouTube sometimes hints at misogynist views, in a manner of ingrained culture (not actively defended values). It’s unfortunate, and I hope in his travels the author learns to recognize and address these views. To be clear, it hasn’t stopped me from watching his channel, nor from giving a high review of the book - but it is an uncomfortable section.
As a millennial, I grew up with the knowledge of Chernobyl, but was too young to remember the fallouts beyond the political. This book delves into the human impact: what happens to a country where nuclear waste falls from the sky and permanently contaminates huge areas where people actually live?
Pros of this book: similar to his YouTube channel, the author is fantastic about delving into “real life” and looking at cities (villages, in this case) as people actually live in them: the services (or lack thereof), the neighbourhoods and community (or lack thereof), the local amenities (planned or evolved over time).
Cons: The author really, really needs an editor. I was tempted to correct the spelling and grammar mistakes as I went along and send a marked up version back (not that I’m an expert, so keep that in mind!). However, the technicals don’t deter from the story, so it’s not the end of the world.
The one truly uncomfortable aspect is a scene where the author fetishizes domestic abuse. Not to dismiss this in any form, but to clarify, the author fetishizes the entrapment, not physical abuse. Bald’s YouTube sometimes hints at misogynist views, in a manner of ingrained culture (not actively defended values). It’s unfortunate, and I hope in his travels the author learns to recognize and address these views. To be clear, it hasn’t stopped me from watching his channel, nor from giving a high review of the book - but it is an uncomfortable section.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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