In August the so-called “River bus” started taking regular runs in Vitebsk oblast (region).
This wheeled exhibition hall became one of the results of the “Dvina/Daugava panorama”, carried out cooperatively by Sweden (Gotland island), Latvia and Belarus (Vitebsky region – a region of West Dvina river). 

The primary goal of the “Dvina/Daugava panorama” project is to raise the three countries’ citizens awareness of their common history and culture, strengthen widen their contacts and facilitate tourism in the region.

The Slaves and the Scandinavians have a long history of interaction, which started precisely in the Dvina/Daugava region. This very river was the oldest of ways that the Northerners used to get to Greece and Constantinople. Ragvalod, the first Polotsk duke, mentioned in chronicles, was a Viking. In 1229 Vitebsk, Polotsk, Riga and Gotland island signed a commercially-political treaty, quite advanced for the jurisprudence of the time. Swedish cartographer Olaus Magnus created the first map of the region, naming this land “Russia Alba” – “White Russia”.

This interesting historical background is considered a formidable argument for restoring the “From the Varangians to the Greeks way” as an international tourist route.

An informational tour for over 20 representatives of leading tourism companies and mass-media of Scandinavia has already been conducted. It included visits to Vitebsk, Polotsk and Minsk, Berezinsky biosphere reserve and “Khatyn” memorial.

The “River Bus” became the next stage of the project. This mobile exhibition has already travelled through Latvia. It spreads information about the common history of Slavic, Baltic and Normandic tribes. Besides, the visitors could also learn about the “Dvina/Daugava panorama” project itself and the excursional routes to the Dvina region.

The “River Bus” travels through cities and towns of Vitebsk region. And next year a similar one, prepared by Vitebsk tourist companies will take runs across Sweden.

The “Dvina/Daugava panorama” organizers think that the project’s realization should increase incoming tourist activity by 10 percent. It is expected that both Scandinavian and Belarusian tourist companies will include this route to their catalogues.

Andrei Aleksandrov