Money

It's quite common to pay by credit card in bars and restaurants. But you should also have some cash if their credit card machine is not working, to pay for the taxi or leave a tip. Be careful you can give 50 000 instead of 1 000 because the colors are very similar. You can see Belarussian money and the exchange rates here. The most easy-to-use currency in Belarus is US Dollar and Euro. You can change it to Belarussian Roubles in each currency exchange point.

Maps

Minsk City Map (cenral area), Minsk Subway Station Map.

People

Almost 2 million people live in Minsk at the moment. Belarusians make up 79.3% of the city's residents. Other ethnic groups include Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (1.1%) and Jews (0.6%).

People speak Russian language in Belarus. The most commonly used and understood international language in Minsk, especially among the younger generation, is English. The second widely spoken international language is German. Some French, Spanish and Italian as well.

Food

The food in Belarus is pretty good. In each restaurant you can get a great steak for 10-25 usd.

Don't worry about Chernobyl disaster effect too much.

Safety

There's no problem to walk at night in the central area. Normaly the streets are empty.