Autumn in Zaslavl suburbs
Of 134 cities, Minsk is not ranked first for comfort. In fact, the modest town of Zaslavl, located not far from the capital, occupies first place. Despite having only 14,000 residents, it boasts great entrepreneurial activity.
The seven criteria studied included population growth (particularly, connected with migration), monthly average salaries, and the proportion of people employed by private enterprises. The share of the population denoted as economically active is also important, as are environmental and ecological matters. Distances to administrative, educational and cultural centres were also taken into account, alongside transport accessibility.
The Belarusian capital has been ranked second, missing out on first place perhaps due to high taxes and rental payments. Entrepreneurs prefer to register beyond the capital’s borders. Interestingly, when similar research was conducted in Poland, Warsaw also came second, while the small town of Sopot, near Warsaw, took the lead.
The Belarusian ‘top ten’ features Fanipol, Logoisk, Smolevichi and Dzerzhinsk: all situated not far from Minsk. These are followed by the regional centres of Brest and Grodno.
Small settlements offer geographical proximity to industrial and administrative centres, while being ecologically cleaner. Residents can work and study in the capital, taking advantage of its facilities, while enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle at home.
By Yekaterina Medvedskaya
