"Having a car more expensive than an apartment? This is only possible in Minsk." A Frenchman reveals what surprises him about Belarusians

Proper Baguettes

"An important note: I am not a representative of 'my generation' or 'all people of the south'. I am a representative of myself," emphasizes Jean-Marie. And it's hard not to agree with that.

Павялічыць

Jean-Marie Carouvert lived a life full of adventures. His family's homeland is Bandol, a Mediterranean resort an hour's drive from Saint-Tropez, a town with yacht marinas, sandy beaches, and Mourvèdre grapes. But he was born in the Parisian suburb of L'Haÿ-les-Roses, received an education in IT, and managed to work in France, Italy, Poland, Morocco, and even Washington, D.C. He created a variety of businesses — from commercial sales and printing to software.

"Once I opened a small pastry shop in Bordeaux, France, that exclusively made canelés — waffle tubes with filling. I invested so much money in the business! But it turned out to be unsuccessful. It was a disaster," Jean-Marie laughs. "But experience is also important. My next culinary attempt took place already in Belarus. I first found myself in Minsk in 2008: a friend invited me to open a joint business. Before that, I had lived in Washington for three years, where I had a turbulent romance. But the relationship ended, I was unmarried, I came to Belarus — and I never left."

Павялічыць

In Minsk, Jean-Marie met a Belarusian woman — and fell in love. Soon she became his wife (and later — ex-wife), and two children appeared in the family — what's not a reason to stay?

"After the relationship began, I decided it was worth opening a business here in Belarus.

Then, 18 years ago, there were no baguettes in Minsk — only black factory bread and batons. I couldn't find bread that was as delicious as French bread. A baton is not at all the same thing. A French baguette must be baked with salt and without sugar.

So I opened the first private bakery in Belarus called "Boulangerie". Near Tarasovo, we made baguettes, as well as croissants and pain au chocolat — classic French chocolate buns. Our customers were wholesalers: ProStore, Preston Market, Komarovka, TSUM, and so on. All the equipment and some raw materials, such as yeast, were purchased in France. I underwent an internship in France, in a family boulangerie, to learn how to bake bread correctly.

I was very passionate about this business, literally in love with it, but spending every night without sleep, waking up at four in the morning to check if the dough had risen, working non-stop... It's quite exhausting. Twenty-seven people worked for us on baguettes alone, and still, "Boulangerie" required my round-the-clock involvement. As a result, after three years, I wanted to close the business, but my ex-wife decided to sell it — and she succeeded. I don't regret this experience anyway; it was a beautiful adventure."

Павялічыць

It seems that adaptation difficulties — with the exception of the dough that didn't rise — didn't affect Jean-Marie at all. Although there were still two problematic points.

"The most difficult thing in Minsk is the weather. How can you live without the sun? I don't understand. No, seriously, the only problem in Belarus is the weather," the Frenchman states, looking at the cloudy May sky and the endless rain outside the window. "And, of course, the language is a disaster.

You see, I'm not a linguist, I'm an IT specialist. I lived in Washington for three years — and no English. The same goes for Russian, although I've been living permanently in Belarus since 2008.

My ex-wife spoke French fluently, as she had a linguistics degree with honors. And my current fiancée, Nastya, who didn't know a word of French three years ago, learned the language for me — an excellent proof of love. As a token of gratitude, I bring her coffee in bed every morning. Our wedding is planned for 2028 — it's a beautiful date.

So at home, I speak French. I live in such a comfortable 'cocoon'."

Incorrect Consumerism

Jean-Marie notices details that are not always familiar to our jaded eyes. For example, a strange difference between the French and Belarusians is the culture of consumption: how trade is organized and how people shop.

"In Belarus, internet delivery is very often used — from Onlíner Prime to all sorts of other marketplaces, courier services, online hypermarkets, but in France, there is no similar system. Yes, Amazon operates there, but it's organized differently; you have to buy a 'delivery subscription'."

In Belarus, for very little money, your purchase will be delivered wherever it's convenient, whereas in France, delivery costs astronomical amounts. That's why people try to buy everything offline. Food products, for example, are generally not ordered by anyone.

French people are forced to go to stores themselves (and almost nothing works on Sundays). The same applies to restaurant food delivery. Yes, it exists in France, but, I repeat, it's very expensive. Hypothetically, you order sushi for €10, and you pay €30 for delivery.

Павялічыць

And this changes the attitude towards consumption. In Minsk, you can just click on a desired item, and then not even come to the pickup point and not collect it, having changed your mind. But in Paris, people are more sensitive and sensible about this: they save, they plan purchases in advance.

By the way, about restaurants. Twenty years ago in Minsk, apart from "Gurman" and News Café on Karl Marx Street, there was nothing. There was a restaurant disaster. But now there are plenty of establishments!

And in some sense, restaurants in Belarus are now better because the French do not make an effort to win over the client.

In France, salaries are very high, but so are taxes. Having three or four chefs at the same time, like here (the conversation takes place in the Cultura restaurant. — Note by Onlíner), would cost an establishment enormous money; it wouldn't pay off. This has led to many restaurants in France using semi-finished products, sous-vide meat and vegetables. If you want to order something more complex and refined than pizza, the prices can unpleasantly surprise you.

Павялічыць

Incidentally, baguettes in Belarus have also now learned to bake — from craft producers, for example, at the 'Usyo Svayo' market, to large cafe-bakeries like Paul, Thierry, Moulin."

Real Estate Curiosities

In recent years, Jean-Marie's business has been related to real estate. Therefore, he gladly discusses the differences between France and Belarus.

"When it comes to real estate in the tourism sector, there's a big difference. Belarus specializes in short-term rentals, but in France, it's complicated: you have to ask all the residents of the building if they agree before you can rent out your apartment for short stays. There are regions where it's forbidden to rent out property for more than three months a year. This is super-regulated capitalism," Jean-Marie smiles. "And if someone has moved into your apartment, until recently, you could only evict them through court. And I'm not talking about tenants with whom a long-term lease agreement has been concluded, but about squatters with suitcases. The rules literally changed in 2026.

Павялічыць

If your tenant doesn't pay rent for a long time, in France you can only get it through court, and that's a long process — two to three years. Moreover, if the person has no money to pay, no one can force them: c'est la vie."

By the way, right now Jean-Marie is developing an AI assistant — a chatbot that will answer clients himself. At this point, his love for programming and his current rental business have converged.

The Most Beautiful Women

France is a country where gender equality has practically triumphed. Does Jean-Marie find it surprising how roles are distributed in a typical Belarusian family?

"Yes, there is a difference in cultural characteristics here. Patriarchal society is absent in France. There is no such thing that a man must support a woman. In financial matters, there is equality between husband and wife.

In Belarus, society is, of course, more patriarchal. But, you know, emancipation in France didn't happen overnight either. Everything began to change in 1965 when amendments to the Civil Code were adopted. Before that, a patriarchal system existed in France: the man was the head of the family, he earned money and brought it home, while the woman was responsible for shopping and household chores.

If a wife earned money, she was obliged to give it to her husband — that's what the law stipulated. Yes, indeed, a married woman could not open a bank account or manage her own property without her husband's permission. But after 1965, a woman could dispose of her money as she wished."

Павялічыць

Indeed, in Jean-Luc Godard's 1961 film "A Woman Is a Woman," the main character Angela, albeit with a significant degree of sarcasm, still put on an apron and served dinner to her Émile, and from admirer Alfred, she expected him to pay the bill by default: "I have nothing with me." Such scenes are impossible to imagine, for instance, in the work of our contemporary, director Julia Ducournau.

"Today, the mentality of French and Belarusian women differs greatly," Jean-Marie continues. "French women wanted to be fully equal partners, and in France, true equality between men and women has now arrived; families live on a 50-50 principle. Even on the first date, at the beginning of a relationship, everyone pays for themselves. But perhaps women slightly regret the time when gallantry was the norm… When my girlfriend and I go to a restaurant, I pay. I don't allow Nastya to pay, but this is not a modern approach.

Павялічыць

In France, you will rarely meet a woman with makeup, and even less so with nail polish. It's not that this is a sign of bad taste, no, it's just that over time we, the French, have lost the desire to be perfect. Of course, I'm not talking about everyone, but about the majority.

Women, like men, strive for a comfortable life and comfortable clothing. Can you imagine a woman in a corset now? No, of course not. Beauty standards are shifting towards more relaxed ones. French women can look luxurious, apply makeup when they go out, but even then they won't wear heels. I remember when I first came to Belarus, I was pleasantly surprised: girls everywhere walked in heels, in any weather: rain, cold, snow…

I can confidently tell you: the most beautiful women in the world are Belarusians!"

Sacred Time

Another consequence that equality brought to France is the attitude towards children. Here, Jean-Marie also has something to be surprised by when looking at Belarusians. But, unfortunately, this surprise comes with a negative sign.

"Men in France are more involved in raising children than in Belarus. This is also an echo of the patriarchal system, where a woman dedicates more time to a child than a man. This doesn't mean that Belarusian men don't love children, but the style of communication is different.

My ex-wife and I have two children: a 14-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. I regularly sit with my daughter for two or three hours, do homework, work on the alphabet, and handwriting exercises. This is absolutely normal. When I spend time with my children, no other plans — work, business, calls, meetings, force majeure — can interfere. Time with children is sacred time.

When I drive along the ring road in Minsk, I sometimes see billboards with slogans like 'Pay alimony and sleep peacefully.' This is strange to me. In France, such debtors don't exist. It's simply impossible! Parents often participate in lawsuits to retain the right to live with their children. It's not like in Belarus, where a child by default stays with the mother.

For men in France, children mean a great deal — and this reveals the difference in mentality. In the last century, parents even postponed divorce for the sake of a child. Now, of course, the French divorce calmly, but children… This is such an important element!

Côte d'Azur, France

Equal participation of both father and mother in a child's life is an integral part of French culture. With my ex-wife, we strive to raise the children 50-50: half the time the children spend with me, half with her. To be fair, I must note: I don't always manage to maintain this proportion, as I travel a lot, often visit France, and the children stay in Minsk. But I truly try to be a good father. This is important to me."

The Belarusian Enigma

Status games are a distinct part of Belarusian reality that still surprises the Frenchman.

"In Belarus, a car always speaks of status. The more you earn, the more ostentatious display. In Minsk, it's possible that an apartment costs less than a car. A person can live in a small studio but own a very expensive, high-spec car.

But for the French, a car is just a means of transportation. A person can be very successful, own a luxurious house worth millions of euros in Paris, but still drive an old, worn-out car, maybe a 2000 Peugeot. Or not own a car at all.

In Paris, a car is not an indicator of status. And the attitude towards money is different: real estate is an investment, while a car is a way to invest and immediately lose money. I bought a beautiful car only after I had bought a beautiful house. And this is a typical story for the French. We can dress simply, arrive in a modest car, but think about investments and stability, about the future. Appearance is not as important for the French as it is for Belarusians."

Павялічыць

In short, we come to the main question of life, the universe, and everything: what is prestige? Everyone has their own answer. Maybe that's why the French value things with history, love to buy things at flea markets…

"I noticed that in Belarus, people try to buy an apartment in a new building because it's supposedly prestigious and fashionable. But I love old houses, apartments with history and soul, Stalin-era buildings. Belarusians prefer new buildings for the same money. I don't understand this; for me, it's an enigma: why do people want to live in standardized anthills? For example, I have an apartment in Minsk on Kiselev Street, which I rent to tourists. You enter the entrance, and there's a 70-year-old grand piano. Someone might say: "Phew, old junk." But for me, such things embody soul and beauty.

I had a rare vintage car — Mercedes-Benz W110 from 1965. I called it 'Rosalie,' and I loved it very much. And people applauded me when they saw 'Rosalie' on the streets of Minsk.

And then I sold it and bought a new Infiniti — very large, beautiful, as is customary in Belarus. But with the new car, no one gave way to me; everyone tried to cut me off. It would seem 'Rosalie' cost several times less, but it had a soul. With the Infiniti, you're a person without history, of no interest to anyone.

Павялічыць

What We Don't Notice

Why did Jean-Marie choose to stay in Minsk, although the whole world was open to him? No, it's not about the most beautiful women on the planet (though they, of course, played their role). It's simple: the Frenchman was captivated by the kindness of the Belarusian people.

"Much is better in France than in Belarus, that's true. But… In Belarus, people are very kind. It's more than hospitality. What I truly like here is human kindness.

I'll tell you an anecdotal case, almost 20 years old. The first time I flew to Belarus, and the second time I came by car. I wanted to get from Brest to Minsk, but I didn't know the Russian alphabet, so I mixed up the signs and ended up in Pinsk. I arrived and thought: 'Something about this doesn't look like Minsk' (he laughs. — Note by Onlíner). Now there's the internet, online translators, I can translate everything, but back then it was different.

Eventually, I asked a random passerby for help. And a man in Pinsk — a complete stranger! — personally drove me right to the correct road, showed me the exit to the Minsk highway, and made sure I wouldn't get lost. In France, they would say: 'Turn left, turn right, goodbye.' This incident with a stranger emphasizes Belarusian hospitality and willingness to help.

When I go to administrative institutions, dealing with documents and bureaucratic issues, there's always someone who helps me. It's very sweet.

Павялічыць

The Belarusian mentality still shocks me: when you visit, all the dishes in the house, including desserts, fruits, and cold cuts, immediately appear on the table: Belarusians immediately take out everything best they have from the cupboards. These are typical things you don't notice, but, in fact, it says a lot about society. For Belarusians, everything best is for guests. While in France, it's an aperitif with dessert — and that's it.

Of course, in France, there is a strict regulation: first an aperitif, then the main course, then cheese, and finally, dessert. It is not customary to mix the order of serving dishes. For the French, this is a shock. But behind such chaos, it is important to see the generosity and cordiality of Belarusians."

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