Memorable impressions

During the 2nd CIS Games, participants and guests will be offered excursion routes for every taste

The start of the 2nd CIS Games is getting closer: on August 4th, a sports forum will open in Belarus, during which thousands of athletes will compete for medals in 20 sports. The competitions will be held in 11 cities, and this decision is not accidental: such a scale will allow the guests of the Games to get to know Belarus better and visit all its regions.
The day before, the series of videos Sports in Belarus, which are dedicated to sports tourism and facilities built in the participating cities, was presented at the Dinamo stadium. According to Dmitry Morozov, Director of the National Tourism Agency, they show tourist presentations of cities that will host participants and fans of this major event, «The concept of the videos is to show that our country has an infrastructure for all sports that is ready to receive tourists. At many sites, qualified specialists conduct tours.» With sports facilities, in general, everything is clear: participants and fans will be able to evaluate them directly during the competition. And what else are you ready to offer the guests of our country?
Right now, in the corresponding section on the official website of the 2nd CIS Games, you can find several dozens of different excursion tours. Tsentrkurort, for example, has prepared daily routes with departures from all cities hosting the sports festival. They offer to go from Minsk to Dudutki, Naroch, Khatyn, Soligorsk and not only, from Grodno to Lida and so on, from Brest to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Pinsk District and many other places. Mound of Glory, Mir and Nesvizh, Studenka and Brilevskoye Field, Stalin Line, BELAZ plant — the routes are designed for every taste. In addition, there are programmes designed for several days or even a week at once.
The travel company Ilva, based in Vitebsk, has prepared no less thoroughly. For example, guests are offered an eight-day rich tour, which includes a bus and walking tour of Minsk, a trip to Mir and Nesvizh, a visit to Khatyn, acquaintance with Vitebsk, trips to the museum-estate of the artist Ilya Repin — Zdravnevo, Orsha. The programme, of course, includes not only excursions, but also visits to competitions in cities hosting the CIS Games. Director of the travel company Larisa Petrovskaya says, «We have prepared both a large tour that needs to be booked in advance, as well as various individual excursion programmes around Vitebsk and its environs for those who will be in the regional centre. They can be ordered on the eve of the start of the tournament or at any time during the Games. The schedule of excursions has already been submitted to the Department of Sports and Tourism, hotels and the organisers of the Games, so that guests and participants who express a desire can familiarise themselves with them and choose the right ones.»
Now the participants decide which places they would like to visit and at what time. In general, the expert says, holding such a multi-sport forum is a great opportunity to show guests our country and draw attention to it.
There are enough proposals from other local organisers. Guests staying, for example, in Molodechno, are invited to a city tour, during which they promise to introduce the history of the district centre and its main attractions: the Molodechno castle, the Stalag-342 memorial complex, the Church of the Intercession and many others. During the 2nd CIS Games, it will be possible to go on an excursion from Molodechno to Minsk or Zalesye, where the Museum-estate of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky is located. In addition, guests are offered a trip to the Naroch region and the Stalin Line historical and cultural complex.
From Grodno, you can also go on a one-day tour, during which it is planned to visit the Synkovichi fortress church, Zhirovichi and Slonim. You can choose another route, including excursions around Novogrudok and Lida. Along with the classic routes, there are also original offers. For example, go on a trip along the Augustow Canal on a ship, visit the Palace and Park Complex in Svyatsk, look into the village of Sopotskin to see the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Belarusian customs and traditional games.
For the 2nd CIS Games, a 'guest card' will be issued, which will also help the participants and guests of the multisport forum to get acquainted with Belarus. Director of the Minsk Tourist Information Centre Aleksey Rusakevich says, «This is not a new project. 'Guest Card' is a plastic card that gives its holder the right to visit the facilities of the tourist industry in Minsk and Belarus with discounts. We plan that by August the number of objects will be about 500. These are cafes and restaurants, museums and hotels, amusement parks and other places. Discounts for visiting them with a 'guest card' range from 5 to 50 percent.»
The validity of the 'guest card' developed for the 2nd CIS Games is from August 1st, 2023 to August 15th, 2024. It is planned that it will go on sale closer to the beginning of the last summer month. Not only the participants of the Games, but also all fans will be able to use it.
«We have many objects that are not particularly known to a large number of people. The 'Guest Card' was created for this purpose in order to fully unlock the potential that our country has.»
Aleksey Rusakevich says that many tourists come to Belarus not as part of organised tourist groups, but individually. And for them, the 'guest card' is an opportunity to visit not the most iconic places, to visit the outback, to see something authentic.
You can buy a 'guest card' at the Stolitsa shopping centre, and the possibility of selling it in the regions is also being explored.

By Tatiana Pastushenko