"I love when Belarusians act Belarusian": Social media jokes about the weather and discusses problems
Parents argue whether it's normal to make schoolchildren clear snow from around the school, while singer Alyaksey Khlyastou, now working as a taxi driver, hit the road despite the blizzard. We've gathered Belarusians' reactions to Cyclone Uli.
In Threads, Veranika's post from the capital went viral. She published a video of a man near the train station deftly wielding a shovel:
"Heroes are not in movies, but next to us! A young guy who took a shovel from a female janitor and started clearing snow in the very center of Minsk — know that you are my hero. That's so manly."
In 7 hours, the post collected 17 thousand likes. People were delighted: "I love when Belarusians act Belarusian," "Take him in your arms and to the registry office! Such men don't grow on trees." The SMM manager of the brewery-restaurant "Syabry" offered the video's hero to visit them and promised to treat him to lunch.
A video also became popular, showing a small dog, barely visible in the snow, trying to follow its owner. "All Belarusians today are like this Jack Russell Terrier," the girl captioned her video.
Many active discussions arose about whether children should have been sent to school today. Opinions were divided: while some wrote arguments like "We went to school in any weather — and nothing happened," others believed that such feats were unnecessary.
For example, a video went viral showing a schoolboy barely trudging through large snowdrifts. "Well, now this generation, when they grow up, will tell their children how they got to school through waist-deep snowdrifts," commentators joked.
Some parents were surprised by messages from schools. One father shared a screenshot:
"Tomorrow, boys come to the gymnasium by 8:00 AM. We will be clearing snow. Please ensure that children leave home in advance to arrive on time."
The essence of this discussion is best conveyed by the two most liked comments: "And what's wrong with teaching children to work? Obviously, they're not being driven to clear Nezavisimosti Avenue. Manageable outdoor activities. Even fun ones. Weren't you children?" versus "My child is not a workforce. Communal issues should be resolved by people who get paid for it. A child goes to school to get an education. These are not 'outdoor activities,' these are extreme weather conditions."
Another mother from Minsk shared: "Red alert level. Our class teacher writes that on January 9, our fifth graders need to visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War."
In the comments to this post, another woman recounted: "And in our kindergarten, the management forced the educators to take the children outside into such a blizzard and take photos of how much fun they were having playing in the snow! How they, damn it, spend their free time outdoors!"
There were also conflicts. Near the capital's school No. 68 is a private sector. Residents of the houses decided to clear the road next to their homes — because there was heavy snowfall plus a tractor had passed, burying cars.
But the school director did not like this. The dispute was about where the snow should be raked. The subtitles explain that the director allegedly demanded that people rake the snow into their yards, not onto the school's green area.
Many Belarusians in Threads are worried about the fate of homeless animals. Someone urges people to go outside every hour and check if a cat should be let into the entrance. Others suggest that caring people take street animals into their apartments — at least for a while.
The most resourceful Belarusians have already found a way to earn extra money: a Minsk resident demonstrated business cards where a stranger offers to clear snow in 5 minutes. There's a note: "I'm in the parking lot."
Another Belarusian is outraged by taxi prices. Yandex offered her to travel two kilometers for 10.3 to 11.4 rubles.
By the way, continuing the taxi theme: singer-taxi driver Alyaksey Khlyastou showed how he was digging out his car. "I'm wearing a hat, everything is fine, don't worry!" he reassured his followers. And then he said that it took him a full 20 minutes to drive one and a half kilometers.
On TikTok, people are admiring Belarusians who, on the day a red alert level was declared, decided to beat their carpets in the snow. They weren't even stopped by the fact that the strong wind blew one of the carpets away!
People joke: "What can you do? Traditions are sacred," "You have to hurry while there's snow — it's a rare phenomenon here now," "We only need snow for this!"
And Belarusian Aksana posted a video of herself clearing snow, captioned: "I feel like the year of the Belarusian woman is somehow connected to the year of the horse, but I just can't figure out how."
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