Here are a few pictures from my recent scouting trip to Kalinigrad (Russia), Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia. I loved Belarus, even if it is considered the last dictatorship in Europe with pure Stalin architecture and 80% of its population works for state run enterprises. There is something beautiful about the city, though I hear the countryside is extremely poor. The Belarus women are like none I have ever seen. Really a fascinating place. Lee Harvey Oswald lived here before killing President Kennedy. Belarus set him up in a nice apartment in brand new area of city then.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUciDUgnjmQzgt_L-pDPUli6mq3DzSeimEfC-rn-Oc-XVqRvIQd3VKW86zsEOLvmvxvdPuEEGLOCUur1nv-5Jv6nvOtrZ9PEfBn2wSDHi0-ao1EVy7n7UO0DwXky3mFme6DRPtWjvN-nZ/s1600/P1030332.jpg) |
Kalinigrad, Russia |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4M2Tx5rnXzm8bE5S1m5MADwdlS3RbYNoH5Stm8ROTc346dJEpx3V6gZ6Qpe21ZbN0qGo2PtSBA2CrIoifdqCMDO1kP_tNIN-rqoRr145_tWha-fu_q7jltWXP-GJKpplqpT5JLwvSgFE/s1600/P1030347.jpg) |
Kant's tomb, Kaliningrad |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFNjdj5JWsYPHwpp_sHR0HEIcPR_-TE2zAO7qkKt6rRlAVNAzrpE0-7Bqd42aNzDGoNXGQ-I0n3SsjK2-puM1Q2BYQUVfb511zsAbJNCINGN3n8Qpzbrcm_7sqyd5BzqFRT5GLaALD3TI/s1600/P1030362.jpg) |
Amber Mines, Kalinigrad |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk_Tt7rb9Ioya2bMcdXk_s2bHki2JuIj0NtPG2uQgumwZEarfzh_QnnjHGf27H6VAEjl-GCYSVe9VkAN6Kl5w3SNIR6Jet2qFXuVGqH8xD0Yg_SXDp-0oeZUHFST4dPPyGpCd98Al2w7_/s1600/P1030396.jpg) |
Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND-bn9kg5eSv247f5gSoxRxHyvrvEMiKmCO0TJ9HYyTdh2T4EGJLQg8prDJAjdoza_NpttxW5ZxDdAVKJVnVyH-fKcp81bWSOhGiHtvRDGSUIHxiKVtry0vEKdwA3_f4_d3OCyQ9rUa8d/s1600/P1030410.jpg) |
Afgan War Memorial, Island of Tears, Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn7VOYxx22Go22EOpNoZPp4C5miTuiZkwvg4uDN6hqP-do4DSi-uhW5mspP-oxILe8AqpWvrwigOicqO9a0wQT8s-4MaflPJa4E3xgmW1MJajPDEOAaucfZT7ov_0g_R_fehWZVMZaEf-/s1600/P1030427.jpg) |
Memorial to Jewish Holocaust, Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC0X8CZ1ygG0Hdicak1BvrgAceTo4mkb8dVZP3nilZwdXvDnH6sRh2GTu4MlKfMazFFJVAf6tvbKXi-3pSj7p3M3gfVv6nYnEfXl00PLWOA2TBQJEFHpK-_FtaSJ6mOwe3ROqaHbEafrJ/s1600/P1030445-001.jpg) |
St. Michael. Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjOf0ibW7iUk3aGHoMqcJq7yW04SERzgq5SPhCPvviVD7SduOQkHbUeUdYGFfljAbCHHxECcO2JFvf8-dHsnzdpbCrEGHIxBfE5JLcMmUeiZG046XHS18IEw9eTgDKUPnOy9BhaUwCdc4/s1600/P1030492.jpg) |
Stalin Architecture, Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqnwdXMzoE9Z2xq5uuQ9d_Z_PayQ0dr7eeK5LDLrv6xe2FI6kO_aon44BHC7PfVb2GcfPFu7MX4zWejqlkNxNRRl7SCtJtozpQ7z0pskChAVE6GfUy6JWeEqHyH2i6ndi9zgwie3iwu38/s1600/P1030502.jpg) |
Belarus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGFBuchyphenhyphenWG8OfEZ9l3nQCJZmBQ5D6x3ruoV1beXeDvnYKwG0SysZpiXShQTAxBy29NId07QIUEkSUMugTQagEdjbM0xhbdMDzc6Sd4i91L7YQikJ7ZCFXRZ-C2sNJWVGOZs1CB8kgmtEp/s1600/P1030550.jpg) |
Black Madonna, Vilnius, Lithuania |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqgpHsB8wStj3CrAeYUM-gR4Hdv4qIx-kl0-4j8Rk3lTT9htcHavKYh7AYYdwrOR1hQiQxbB2J85y3R44rZFMuyjagpyz_ST9SemPNX-iVI7JJ98Tqa2wPY2cUZ8u5jbx0rXQf3syRB8N/s1600/P1030583.jpg) |
Lithuania |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HC12v3iIUwHk6ItsZ_0UaeqmqAL89ZM371htb5k05li-bOrMcOtwVp1FUpC78awpdxIIcDR3NEodtWVnfaAnXQGyTs2_hqaccnkVsiJ1-5dCD4MmXAawwyVapIrv-7vzLVljsYnJIRxc/s1600/P1030608.jpg) |
Photographer David Whalen, overlooking Vilnius |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDRF-lbTz2GhF613LrDsMXQTKaRZVVJCrLt5Twa4BVlH1CfSiNrvDowRECi2nTEbVWkTcEaWU_fPd4fpSll4p9WLcFFY_c27BCDS6gxl2jU-Od-FrkQhyKbbOwh-IE9Ui78Nc1qlOPs3e/s1600/P1030615.jpg) |
Vilnius on annual town feast day, St Caspian |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT8e_sfe1VXaQtKfZFGkq116QOClRysybUg6DrIeD_vpDXd50WsPqbnan-FEXuHV3CAowAt6BKU3evk9wzKTwIjZBybca8BbhNDSKbUbFEwS74AS-fhChxFTXvRdaGgFlWNS1ExV-h8zV/s1600/P1030758.jpg) |
Riga, Latvia |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGUj3GhpKsg7iOEZtYxysTvqL1moXIeKhbFkmFGMnciwtoIu-RAiCTueHZI8LmGfMGPJ1m7slhis6EdtWb8Uv7lcUryaX9BAw0uOdthrEgt6QNHYqgAH0CtuXajuXQcRZG80BDoHRyEpW/s1600/P1030809.jpg) |
Riga |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTve21loDflkNFNpP7npnk-nVhQf4vqB_2xrbAr8H6mv_Ec6eTHmmDUB0B7Sup3xxXwtqUTFLavPaDcxIQjyCRcy6fB1a2pNlrY6ODTz7YiGap7mrUIBFnatIufTt0xZHN9J0OUZc5yRu/s1600/P1040104.jpg) |
Riga at night |