People in Minsk watch currency exchange offices overnight to buy dollars

Belarus is back in 2011, the time with long queues at currency exchange offices and foreign currency deficit.

We already have the first indications of the currency crisis. In many banks dollars and euros are sold out. People are waiting for the other portion of dollars at currency exchange offices and then immediately buy them up, "Nasha Niva" reports.

In 2011 the railway station used to be a symbol of lack of currency. The longest queue was made up of about 1000 people, who had several times a day to confirm their place in the queue. Why was it the railway station? Firstly, there was hope for foreigners who bought the Belarusian rubles. Secondly, it was warm and light to wait there.

On the night of December 19, 2014 the Belarusians spent at the railway station. Queues were relatively short. At midnight a few dozens of people were waiting for the currency.

About 5 people were standing at every "Belarusbank" currency exchange office in the basement; about 20 people were standing at "MTBank", "BPS-Sberbank" (rumors had the information that the currency was on sale there) and the "hidden" "Belarusbank" currency exchange offices on the upper floors. Finally, about dozen of pensioners, many have high stools with them, occupied the way to the main "Belarusbank" currency exchange office.

The official currency exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus is fixed at 10890/dollar. People hope to buy the U.S. currency at 11490/dollar. It is 5.5% higher.