I went to Belarus to have a look at the village where my grandma grew up, and was kicked out from by the Soviets in mid 1940s, to move to Morąg.
Her village was part of Poland before WW2, but became part of the USSR after the war. Morąg was part of Germany before WW2, but became part of Poland after the war.
Uploaded on: 2015-10-18. Updated on: 2025-12-18.
Map showing Kramianica, Belarus location (opens in OpenStreetMap)
Welcome to Belarus! This is Lida Castle, originally erected to protect against the crusading Teutonic Order. Despite being protected by two rivers, the castle was taken over several times. [1]ISO 200, 36mm, f/2.8, 1/2000s.
After freeing her, I felt obliged to purchase armour for her in order for her to survive the journey. We left the peasants' bodies where they lay.ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.
This is the city of Grodno, where my grandmother went to school (it was still part of Poland then). Unbelievably, it has over 300,000 inhabitants [2], but feels like there are about 50,000.ISO 200, 44mm, f/3.2, 1/2500s.
Belarus is often referred to as the last dictatorship in Europe. They never renounced Communism, their KGB is still called KGB (the Russians renamed it to FSB), and a pig farmer named Lukashenko is their eternal president. Red is still in fashion.ISO 200, 70mm, f/8.0, 1/250s.
It might be a dictatorship, but unlike in Russia, driving culture is excellent; unlike Ukraine, it's peaceful and safe; and unlike Poland, it's clean.ISO 200, 48mm, f/8.0, 1/320s.
This is river Neman - or Niemen in Polish. The river is culturally important in that part of Europe, and was even featured on the Lithuanian 500 litas banknote. [3] I remember it from school - the too boring to read novel entitled Nad Niemnem.ISO 200, 24mm, f/5.6, 1/60s.
The beautiful, if cluttered, Great Synagogue. After the Jewish community was destroyed by the Nazis, the Soviets closed the synagogue down. It was returned to the Jewish community in 1991. [5]ISO 320, 24mm, f/5.6, 1/40s.
I thought this was photogenic enough. Five seconds after I started shooting someone was yelling at me through a megaphone, which Ksenia kindly translated as "stop taking pictures!"ISO 200, 70mm, f/5.6, 1/2500s.
It's partially in Poland, partially in Belarus, but to visit it (and effectively cross the border), you don't need a passport.ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400s.
I just couldn't decide, which photo I liked more, but it's my website, so... Incredibly, there are turtles here living in the wild. Turtles in Poland and Belarus - who would have thunk?ISO 200, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400s.
We met two Polish drunks, who had come to kill a bison, which is supposedly much cheaper in Belarus. I tried to find out what's so cool about killing an animal, but they were unable to answer cohesively.ISO 200, 35mm, f/8.0, 1/60s.
Finally, we visited the village my grandmother is from - Krzemienica, now known as Kramianica. My dad gave me a few photos with places to find.ISO 200, 35mm, f/8.0, 1/640s.
I don't think this has ever been a bustling village, but now mostly old people live there, and most inhabitants dwell here, in the cemetery. Polish names are gradually replaced by Belarussian.ISO 200, 28mm, f/8.0, 1/640s.
We spoke to the local priest (who lives with his bonsai dog - I think a Yorkshire terrier), but we failed to find any records on my family, as most of them have been lost or destroyed during or after the war. There were documents kept in the nearby settlement of Zel'va (Zelwa), but they perished in fire.ISO 200, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/800s.
During WW2, my grandmother met here Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus, a Nazi general, whose army was eventually defeated at Stalingrad, which was the turning point of the war. He was one of the Nazis that said "I'm sorry". My grandma says he was very polite.ISO 200, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/250s.
After my family moved out, the house was a surgery for several decades - my great grandfather had some medical training, and lots of practice (two world wars). It was demolished in the 90s. ISO 200, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/320s.
