1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Andrei Ivanou, a Belarusian native, and I sit down to learn more about the fascinating, oft-forgotten country of Belarus.&amp;nbsp; Belarus has the dubious honor of being the longest-running European dictatorship thanks to their leader, Alexander Lukashenko, who seized power in 1994 following the power vacuum that was created by the fall of the USSR.&amp;nbsp; A military man, Lukashenko is often referred to as бацька (“dad”) by Belarusians because he oversees everything and dominates the country.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; If you’re like me before this episode, you don’t much about Belarus - or even where it’s located.&amp;nbsp; (Hint: It’s sandwiched predominantly between Russia, Poland, and Ukraine on the eastern edge of Europe.)&amp;nbsp; Nor have you given it much thought in terms of what life is like there. Yet for Europeans, it’s often viewed as a bridge between East and West.&amp;nbsp; And for Russia, it’s long been one of its closest allies because it serves as a critical land buffer between Moscow and the EU across the North European Plain. Andrei and I discuss what’s changed since the fall of the USSR, what it’s like to live in a dictatorship (especially after having lived in the U.S.), what’s being smuggled into and out of the country, how much locals actually make and which surprising job is the best-paid, the sort of economic propaganda put forward by the press, why Belarusian women are known worldwide for their beauty, how to travel there (spoiler alert: It’s not that easy), and more. Andrei is the CSPO at TechVice, one of the companies which my software company, CallerSmart, works with.&amp;nbsp; If you’d like to learn more about Belarus and get a “boots on the ground” taste of what life is actually like under “daddy” in Europe’s last dictatorship, then this episode is for you. Andrei’s Links:&amp;nbsp; TechVice CallerSmart Other Relevant Links: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.” Digital Nomads: The best city you've never been to | Sovereign Man Chernobyl: The Wildlife Haven Created When People Left In Secretive Belarus, Chernobyl's Impact Is Breathtakingly Grim P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on.&amp;nbsp; Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn’t like the show, please send an email to podcast@spreadgreatideas.com to let us know why so that we can do better next time.&amp;nbsp; Thanks! Spread Great Ideas: The Podcast http://spreadgreatideas.libsyn.com/website <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/12751223/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/108123800