A man listed things that can earn you a fine in Belarus: noisy outdoor recreation, photos in rapeseed fields, picking lilac, bicycles in the hallway, scooters on the staircase, even snow around a parked car. The post went viral instantly, and commenters started adding more reasons — all the way to flower beds near apartment buildings and complaints on TikTok. We gathered the actual rules and amounts.
Why the post went viral
Every item on the author’s list is not a fantasy but an actual provision of the Administrative Code or the Public Amenities Regulations. Individually, each rule looks reasonable (don’t trample someone else’s crops, don’t dump snow on the sidewalk), but gathered in one list they create the impression that ordinary life is a minefield of fines. Commenters kept adding more: feeding stray cats, flowers in tire planters, grilling on a riverbank, music at a picnic. The tone of the discussion was less legal than exhausted: “you’ll get punished for everything.”
Rapeseed: photos OK, entering the field — a fine
A rapeseed field is an agricultural crop, not a photo spot. Taking pictures from the roadside is not prohibited by law, but walking into the crops counts as damage to someone else’s property. The fine is up to 30 base units (up to BYN 1,350, roughly $400). Driving onto the field carries additional liability under Article 18.18 of the Administrative Code. State TV host Vadim Borovik warned that authorities “can easily track down the offender” using the photo’s geolocation.
Lilac: pick a branch — up to BYN 1,350
Breaking lilac branches in parks, courtyards, and streets is prohibited by the Law on the Plant World. The fine under Article 16.17(3) of the Administrative Code is up to 30 base units (BYN 1,350). On top of that, the offender must compensate for environmental damage. You may only pick lilac on your own private plot.
Bicycles and scooters in apartment hallways
Storing them on landings and in vestibules is classified as cluttering common areas. Fine: up to 20 base units (up to BYN 900).
Snow around your car — clear a one-meter radius
Since May 16, 2025, a government regulation requires car owners to clear snow on residential property around their parked vehicle within a radius of at least one meter. Violation falls under Article 22.10 of the Administrative Code, with a fine of up to 25 base units (up to BYN 1,125).
Noisy outdoor recreation and campfires
Lighting a campfire outside designated areas in a forest carries a fine of up to 12 base units (BYN 540) under Article 16.41. If it causes a forest fire — up to 30 base units (BYN 1,350). Excessive noise disturbing others may be classified as minor hooliganism (Article 19.1, 2–30 base units). In April 2026, forest access restrictions were introduced across nearly the entire country.
Flower beds near apartment buildings — also banned
Unsanctioned planting of flowers and shrubs in courtyards is a violation of public amenity regulations: fine up to 25 base units (BYN 1,125). Using tire planters is separately prohibited — tires are classified as waste.
The “base unit” keeps growing — and fines with it
Since January 1, 2026, the base unit in Belarus is BYN 45 (it was 42 in 2025). All amounts in this article are calculated at the new rate. The increase is small, but every fine automatically got heavier.
Bottom line: why “punished” became the phrase of the year
None of these fines are new — the rules have existed for years. But the sheer number of reasons to be punished, multiplied by a growing base unit and constant reminders in state media, creates a feeling that anything outside your apartment is a danger zone. The post went viral not because it contained falsehoods, but because the truth turned out to be more absurd than the joke.