Belarusians from abroad come home to share experiences

         The National Historical Archives of Belarus printed a collection of documents "Foreign citizens in Belarus (end of XVIII - beginning of XX century)." From it one can learn that the first tram in Belarusian Vitebsk was launched by a Frenchman, Belarusian brewing industry was promoted by natives of Bavaria, and Turks were among Minsk’s best confectionaries at the time.
The new book was presented by Deputy Director of the National Historical Archives of Belarus Dzianis Liseichykau:
         “The collection contains about 270 documents pertaining to the life and work of foreign citizens in Belarus. Most of us believe that majority of them came from various German principalities and kingdoms, but these materials show that Belarus became a second home for people from nearly every European country: Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and even Turkey and Persia. For example, Turks helped develop bakery and confectionary industry here.
         I was surprised to see how many of today’s Belarusian brands were established with participation of foreigners living here. It can be seen in almost every modern industry in Belarus. For instance, well-known Alivaria beer brand was developed by Lekkert brothers from Bavaria; famous lingerie producer Milavitsa was once founded by a Frencman; the first tram in Belarusian Vitebsk was launched one year ahead of Moscow and 8 years prior to St. Petersburg with the assistance of another Frenchman Fernand Gillion. Later this company was bought by a Belgian enterprise, which even circulated shares of the company they called Vitebsk Trams in Paris.
        And if you browse through ad magazines of the time, you would be surprised how up-to-date they look, with the names of many of today’s brands.”