Belarus bears a more than passing resemblance to the former Soviet Union. Lenin broods from his plinth in the centre of town, the KGB is still called the KGB, the economy remains in state hands and the state is under the authoritarian control of a single leader.

Despite the presence of McDonalds, Mercedes cars, and the internet, this is a country in which Soviet leaders could have felt at home. But change is on the way. The dictatorial regime that president Alexander Lukashenko has built with generous Russian backing is now coming under pressure from Moscow – and Minsk is responding with tentative overtures to the west.