"Some will be able to answer in five years." A Belarusian asked those who emigrated to Poland and then returned if they regret it
A Threads user with the nickname prtymd asked Belarusians who returned to their homeland after several years of living in Poland to share their experiences and tell how their lives had changed. "Do you regret doing so, or, on the contrary, are you happy and think you did the right thing?" she asked. And she gathered many answers for and against returning. The publication Most reviewed the comments and selected the most interesting ones.
Evening Minsk. Photo from social media
"It turned out, it's just not for me"
Most commentators who decided to return to Belarus generally highlight better career prospects, the opportunity to see relatives and friends, a solved housing issue, and the absence of document problems.
"I returned after two years. I'd say this: if you're moving from Minsk, where you have your own housing and a job with a salary of 3000 rubles or more, there's no point in most cases. The inflation of recent years, the rise in real estate, and the dumping of the labor market by Ukrainian citizens have nullified all the benefits of moving. Also, in absolutely any Polish team, you will never get serious career growth, especially to a managerial position, which is sometimes achievable in Belarus in one or two years. And the constant stress over documents: lose your job – you're shaking," wrote user optimus_x_x_x.
Anastasia (nass.aistudio) and her husband returned to Minsk ten months ago after six years of living in Warsaw:
"We don't regret anything; we were fine both there and here. We love Warsaw and Poland very much; it was there that we grew up and acquired valuable skills and resources. But with the birth of our son, we realized that we want to raise him near family. There are opportunities everywhere, you need to work everywhere to live well; no one gives money away for free anywhere."
"I returned after six years with an education and a good remote job; I don't regret anything. It was a great experience, but it turned out it's just not for me," yarco.ceramic explained her choice.
Kirill (meblova) lived in Poland for nine years and returned:
"I had a wide circle of contacts, I was a soloist in a choir with which I traveled all over the country, and I had no problems with the language. But there is always a 'but.' My parents are aging without me, my nephews are growing up without a connection to me... You will never become 'one of them.' <…> Context cannot be learned like a language; you can only be formed within it, so there will always be a feeling of being a stranger."
Alexey (aliakseipankin) and his family returned to Belarus after four years of living in Poland:
"The reason was more within me: I stopped growing in my career and professional development; I needed to move to another level. My wife also worried [about] the difficulty of nostrification (in 2016, it was much more difficult) — she is a doctor. And finally, the need to support parents and communicate with friends."
"I don't regret it. Salaries are higher in Poland, but rent costs more. Prices for many things are the same or higher. And the increase in income tax (Poland has a progressive scale. — Most note) is depressing: by law, you are already rich after 120 thousand zlotys a year — pay 32%. You have to learn the language, you have to solve problems with documents to, perhaps, one day become a citizen. And for now, live on temporary rights. People often write, saying, they couldn't cope, gave in, and returned. Probably. But why create difficulties for yourself?" wonders alexey.mars.radziuk.
"How can one miss rudeness, a mortgage at 18%?"
But many participants in the discussion did not understand those who returned to Belarus. Most often, they pointed to European freedom, high incomes, and a good level of adaptation in the new environment.
"Four years in Krakow — and I wouldn't go back, even if I could! This feeling of freedom and respect for a person, when you don't have to shy away from the police, when you have rights and they are respected — is priceless for me. I adore relaxed, smiling Europeans, Polish mountains, and the opportunity to travel the world for little money without humiliating waits at the border for 10-20 hours," wrote olga_welness.
"I've been living in Minsk for about two months. And I realized that it's not for me — I'm already preparing documents to go back to Poland. Yes, in Poland, there's a feeling that sometimes you give more than you get. But in comparison, for me, there turned out to be more drawbacks here [in Minsk]. It's difficult with people — it's hard to get anyone to go anywhere; everything comes down to household matters. There's a lack of visual appeal and variety: in Warsaw, you can change several 'pictures' in a day — from quiet neighborhoods to skyscrapers and the old town," shared.yes_im_so.
"I've been living in Poland for four years and enjoying life here. I don't want to go back. Only to visit for a couple of weeks — and back. I have dances here, Polish friends, a new hobby, and it is here that I am pursuing my life's work, which I dreamed of for many years. I don't know why, but it was here that I got a breath of fresh air and started to develop," wrote bondviktoria.
"Everyone who writes about returning from Warsaw simply couldn't cope with the rent, not finding a normal job or not having normal competencies. But Poland is big, and no one will bring anything on a platter," believes aleksei_vik.
"How can one miss rudeness, the lack of opportunities to travel around Europe, a mortgage at 18%, the almost complete absence of opportunities for your children, the cult of personality, the limited choice of poor-quality products, low-quality housing, the lack of guarantees of personal safety, bad food in schools, very weak medicine, especially in district and regional centers?" serafim_ch99 doesn't understand.
"To each their own. After four years of living, I can't imagine returning at all. But I'm sure it's all about acclimatization, so to speak, in a new place. I have a great job, I know the language at C1 level, Polish friends. If I sat at home and knew the language only at the level of a 'Biedronka' store employee, I would also want to go home," notes masza9049.
A user under the nickname logovaz ironically pointed out that for many, returning to Belarus is simply dangerous.
"Keep in mind that some of those who returned to Belarus won't be able to answer you right away; ask them again in five years," he wrote to the author of the question about returning.
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