Russians are considering moving to Belarus. Why is it so appealing here for them?

Illustrative photo. Photo: Lookby.media

What's all the fuss about?

The weather has improved, the sun has begun to warm up, and Russians have traditionally flocked to Minsk to stroll along the capital's avenues, eat Belarusian cuisine, and shop in mass-market stores. Usually, that's where it ended, but this year our neighbors saw in Belarus not only tourist potential but also a prospect for relocation and permanent residence.

Individual posts about this began to appear on Threads. Then there were more and more such posts… After that, the collective unconscious could no longer be stopped. Similar posts flooded social networks.

Some of them gathered hundreds of comments from Belarusians. There are positive ones, and there are also those that show no joy about such attention from their neighbors. Judging by the messages, some residents of Minsk fear that the influx of Russians will raise already high real estate prices.

What do Russians say?

'Onliner' contacted Russians who wrote posts about the supposed relocation. They confirmed their plans and eagerly shared details. Interestingly, the speakers were chosen randomly, but almost all of them are not even thinking about buying real estate in Minsk. It's only about renting.

Sofia lives in Moscow. She is considering various countries for relocation, but, according to her, Belarus is currently the most affordable option.

"No matter how many 'stay in your own country' comments I received under that post, I am confident that there are good and kind people in Belarus. Why Belarus? The Belarusian language is not difficult to learn, plus I will always be understood in Russian. Also, judging by the comments, people there are quite tidy. For now, I can't give a precise answer as to what kind of real estate we will be considering. Of course, if you look outside the center of Minsk, prices are very acceptable for a Russian salary. However, as far as I've found out, it will be more difficult if you work in Belarus (RB)."

Olga also lives in Moscow, but, according to her, she has EU citizenship. She considers Minsk only for a temporary stay.

"I am planning to move to Minsk for 4–6 months, until autumn. I have EU citizenship, and after that, I plan to move to Lithuania. So I am seriously considering moving to your country, but only for a specific period.

In the long term, travel and direct flights across Europe are very important to me, as well as the opportunity to develop business there.

What attracts me to Belarus is that I have friends in Minsk (that's the most important thing). Overall, Belarus has wonderful people, easy adaptation, good quality and accessibility of medicine. My work is related to artificial intelligence; it's all online. I'm not going to buy real estate, but I'm ready to rent housing at the same price as my apartment in Moscow — that's $600–700. I'm currently looking for options through friends."

Sofia is 18 years old. She and her boyfriend are considering moving from Yekaterinburg to Minsk.

"We are so serious that in April we will go to Minsk for a week. We'll see everything with our own eyes. We really want to visit your country, curious about what products are on the shelves, what the prices are like. Of course, we plan to browse all the mass-market stores! The same shops are interesting, and creativity. Well, I also have relatives living there, not close ones, but still.

What they told us about your country really attracts us!

We've heard about the cleanliness in many cities, well-maintained recreational areas, friendly and responsive people, local brands — from cosmetics and clothing to sweets and sausages. We really want to try and see everything!

It's harder for me to talk about real estate. It seems that housing in Minsk will cost significantly more than in our city. Currently, my boyfriend, our dog, and I rent a two-level apartment for 40 thousand Russian rubles ($495) in total. But in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, where we would like to settle, a similar apartment would cost 50-70 thousand ($620-860). We haven't approached the apartment search responsibly yet, because we want to come as tourists first."

Katya lives in Volgograd. She has already explored options for living in Belarus. Notably, she is interested not in Minsk, but in smaller cities.

"Yes, I have already looked for accommodation options, compared prices, and studied what documents are needed to live in Belarus. My mother has visited Belarus many times and praised your country highly. She liked the attitude of the people, the quality of goods and products, and the prices. Your drivers follow traffic rules, unlike our irresponsible ones. And she often told me: 'Try moving there, it's good there.'"

When it comes to buying housing, I haven't thought about it. But for rent, prices are indeed lower than in Volgograd. My city is small (1 million inhabitants), but the salary levels and cost of living here are completely incomparable. Renting a 2-room apartment costs us 30–35 thousand rubles ($370–430). But the prices for housing in small Belarusian cities are pleasing. It would be cool to rent something around 20,000 rubles ($250)."

Expert: "The share of Russian buyers could grow to 10%"

Natalia Litovskaya, a real estate market expert and author of the Telegram channel 'Litovskaya on Housing', expressed her position on the relocation hype:

"On social networks, our fellow citizens remind Russians who are considering moving that our salaries are lower, the mentality is different, and to fit into society, one should start learning the Belarusian language. And yes, indeed, more and more Russians are considering buying an apartment in Minsk. They are interested either in comfortable new buildings or in comfort-class secondary housing.

For now, the share of foreigners remains the same 3–4%. There is no relocation. But it is possible that the share of Russian buyers will increase to 10% in the summer. This is a force majeure that citizens expecting price reductions are not morally prepared for. The influx of people with 'ready' money could fuel the rise in capital prices. And even a small devaluation will not negate this."

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