"Belarusian women are obsessed with their appearance." A Greek Cypriot on women in Minsk
Kyriakos Kyriakou was born in Cyprus, lived in London, Athens, and Amsterdam, and for the past 12 years has run the Greek restaurant Go Greek on Kastryčnickaja street in Minsk. Journalists from "Onliner" spoke with him.
Kyriakos Kyriakou runs the Go Greek restaurant in Minsk. Here and below — photos by Onliner.
55-year-old Kyriakos Kyriakou came to Belarus for love — his wife Alevtina is from Minsk.
"I never planned to live in Belarus. But in Cyprus I met Alevtina — and fell in love," Kyriakos admits.
The only thing he can't get used to is the absence of the sea and the grey, long Belarusian winter: "I think the Belarusian winter lasts six months a year," says Kyriakos.
Minsk surprised the Greek man with its safety and quietness: "60 people can sit in a church in Minsk — and you won't hear them."
He calmly allows his nine-year-old son to cycle to school — something unthinkable in Cyprus. And the cleanliness of the city streets caused him genuine shock: "I didn't believe my wife: what do you mean, they wash the streets? Wow!"
At the same time, Kyriakos notes that Belarusians are much more restrained than Greeks in expressing emotions.
"We will definitely hug, kiss, as if we haven't seen each other for a whole year, although, most likely, we met last night," he says, recalling how his wife simply waved to a friend across the street instead of running to meet her.
He was also struck by the modesty of Belarusian holidays compared to Greek ones: if in Belarus a maximum of 300 guests are invited to a wedding, then at his brother's wedding 3500 people celebrated — and that's not even a record.
It wasn't without critical remarks: "Belarusians are more obsessed with appearance, beauty, and slimness, especially women," Kyriakos emphasizes, adding that in Greece, casual style is preferred due to the heat.
He also noted Belarusians' poor knowledge of English — saying that for Cypriot Greeks, it's a matter of survival due to tourism.
The poor knowledge of English is explained by the fact that for Belarusians it is not mandatory, because the country's authorities have tied everything to Russia and focused on Russia, which, however, creates great dangers for independence.
However, Kyriakos praises Belarusian medicine: "Doctors in Belarus are very good, that's true," — and even surprised his Cypriot doctor with the quality of a Minsk MRI scan.
In twelve years in Minsk, Kyriakos, as he jokes, managed to accustom Belarusians to frappe — a cold Greek coffee that is drunk all year round in his homeland.
At the Go Greek restaurant. Here and below — photos by Onliner.
And comparing salaries, he reminds us: the average salary in Greece is about 1100 euros, in Cyprus — about 2000 euros, but the cost of housing, utilities, and groceries there is approximately three times higher than in Belarus. Therefore, although Greeks receive 13 salaries a year instead of the Belarusian twelve, the standard of living in Belarus is now significantly higher than in Greece, and is already catching up with the Cypriot one.
"Yes, the average salary in Greece is indeed about €1000," says Kyriakos. "But it's important to remember that these are just average figures. Everything depends on what exactly you do. For example, a cleaner in a restaurant will earn €900, a waiter — €1000, a cook — €1500, and a chef — €2000-4000. A lot depends on dedication, education, and experience. An important nuance: the main expenses (rent and purchase of housing, utility services, some groceries, internet, mobile communication) in Greece are three times more expensive than in Belarus," he adds.
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