Since what year has Lukashenka ruled the country. Alexander Lukashenko - Biography

Lukashenka, Alexander Grigoryevich (Belarusian Alyaksandr Rygoravich Lukashenka; August 30, 1954, Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region) - President of the Republic of Belarus from 1994 to the present. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the Security Council.

Biography

A Belarusian, Lukashenka never gave information about his father, he took his mother's surname. He grew up and was brought up without a father.

Graduated from two higher educational institutions: Mogilev State University. A. A. Kuleshov (1975) and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (1985). Historian, economist.

He worked as a teacher, was the secretary of the Komsomol committee of rural school No. 1 in the city of Shklov (Mogilev region).

In 1975-1977, and then in 1980-1982, he served in the border troops and in the Soviet army.

1975-1977 - instructor of the political department of the military unit 2187 of the Western border district, Brest.

1977-1978 - Secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the City Pishchetorg, instructor of the Oktyabrsky District Executive Committee of the city of Mogilev.

1978-1980 - Executive Secretary of the Shklovsky regional organization of the All-Union Society "Knowledge".

1980-1982 - Deputy commander of a tank company of military unit 04104 for political affairs (Mogilev region).

1982-1983 - Deputy Chairman of the collective farm "Drummer", Shklovsky district, Mogilev region.

1983-1985 - Deputy Director of the Shklovsky plant of building materials.

From 1985 to 1987, he served as secretary of the party committee of the collective farm named after Lenin in the Shklovsky district.

1987-1994 - Director of the state farm "Gorodets", Shklovsky district, Mogilev region.

Since 1990 - People's Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus of the XII convocation from the Shklov constituency.

In June 1993, he was elected chairman of the commission of the Supreme Council for the study of the activities of commercial structures created under government bodies (April 1993 - July 1994).

On November 24, 1996, following the results of a referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution, the countdown of the 5-year term of the presidency began anew.

In September 2001 he was re-elected President of the Republic of Belarus.

On October 17, 2004, a referendum was held in which 77.3% of Belarusian voters supported the exclusion from the Constitution of the state of the restriction on the number of presidential terms and allowed Alexander Lukashenko to participate in the next presidential election.

In March 2006, for the 3rd time, he was elected President of the Republic of Belarus for a 5-year term.

He is perceived by a part of Russian society as one of the contenders for the presidency of Russia and the Union State. In 2007, the movement "Lukashenko 2008" was created, which supports his election as president of Russia. Lukashenka himself has repeatedly rejected this possibility and has never made any attempts to be nominated for the post of President of the Russian Federation.

Perceived by some politicians and public figures as "The Last European Dictator". In 2006, the Free Belarus movement was created in Poland, which advocates the liberation of Belarus from the dictatorial, in their opinion, Lukashenka's regime, which ranked 5th from the end according to the results of an audit of democracy conducted by the international company Worldaudit.

Wife - Galina Rodionovna (married since 1975).

Has three sons - Victor, Dmitry and Nikolai. The youngest son Nikolai was born in 2004. The president's wife does not appear in public. She does not live in the capital (separately from her husband).

The mother of the youngest son Nikolai is a woman "working as a doctor."

In the urban village of Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region, Belarus.

In 1975 he graduated from the Faculty of History of the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute (since 1997 - Mogilev State University named after A.A. Kuleshov) with a degree in history and social science teacher. In 1985 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (in absentia) with a degree in economics of agro-industrial production.

After graduating from the institute, he worked as a teacher, was the secretary of the Komsomol committee of rural school No. 1 in the city of Shklov (Mogilev region).

In 1975 he was drafted into the army, served in the border troops; until 1977 he was an instructor in the political department of the Western Border District, the city of Brest.

In 1977-1978, Lukashenka worked as a secretary of the Komsomol committee of the city food service, after that - as an instructor of the Oktyabrsky district executive committee of the city of Mogilev.

In 1978-1980 he was the executive secretary of the regional organization of the society "Knowledge" of the city of Shklov, Mogilev region.

In 1980-1982 he was deputy commander of a tank company of a military unit for political work (Mogilev region).

From 1982 to 1994, Alexander Lukashenko worked in various positions in the agriculture of Belarus: in 1982-1983 he was deputy chairman of the Udarnik collective farm in the Shklovsky district of the Mogilev region; in 1983-1985 - deputy director of the Shklovsky plant of building materials.

In 1985-1987 he was the secretary of the party committee of the collective farm named after V.I. Lenin, Shklovsky district, Mogilev region.

In 1987-1994, Lukashenka worked as the director of the Gorodets state farm in the Shklovsky district.

He was elected a People's Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus. He headed the commission of the Supreme Council for the study of the activities of commercial structures created under state government.

In June 1993, he headed the parliamentary commission to combat corruption.

July 10, 1994 Alexander Lukashenko was elected President of Belarus. Gained more than 80% of the votes.

September 9, 2001 was elected President of Belarus for a second term, gaining 75.65% of the vote.

At the 2004 referendum, voters voted for lifting restrictions on the number of presidential terms and granting Alexander Lukashenko the right to participate in the 2006 presidential election. The relevant provision was removed from the Constitution.

Lukashenka was re-elected president with 83% of the vote.

In the presidential elections held on December 19, 2010, the incumbent president of Belarus again won, gaining 79.65% of the vote.

Alexander Lukashenko took office as President of Belarus for the fourth time.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the republic, heads the Security Council.

In 1997 he was elected chairman of the Supreme Council of the Union of Belarus and Russia. Since January 2000 - Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.

President of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko was awarded the Russian orders "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree (2001) and Alexander Nevsky (2014). Awarded with the highest awards of foreign states: the Order of Jose Marti (Cuba, 2000), the Order of the Revolution (Libya, 2000), the Order of Francisco Miranda 1st class (Venezuela, 2010), etc. He has awards from the Russian Orthodox Church, including the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (2002), the Order of the Holy Right-believing Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy, I degree (2005), the Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, I degree (2007), etc.

The end of Islam Karimov's rule in Uzbekistan brought to a new level the question of the transit of power in the post-Soviet republics, where the leadership is dominated by political elites associated with the era of the Soviet Union. Belarus is no exception, where discussions about who will get power after Alexander Lukashenko have been topical for more than a decade. Lenta.ru analyzed the current state of the Belarusian political reality and tried to figure out who could take the helm of the republic after its first president.

Hot topic

Over the past month, the topic of the continuity of generations in the governance of Belarus has gained unprecedented scope. It was discussed not only by Belarusian, but also by Russian experts. Articles about the sons of Alexander Lukashenko and their future are now and then in the information space, and the President of Belarus himself actively spoke out on the topic of his successor, even when he was not asked about it.

In a recent large exclusive interview with TASS, Lukashenko once again stated that he did not want his youngest son, 12-year-old Nikolai, to be president. “With us, you can become president not earlier than 35 years old. Is it that I have to be president for another 20 years?! Yes, I won’t live to see Kolya become president ... ”As the head of state explained, Nikolai himself does not express a desire to engage in politics, since the Lukashenka family is used to not “ruling”, but “serving”, which is a very serious burden that not for everyone. True, when saying all this, Alexander Grigorievich was a little cunning, since at one time he repeatedly stated that one of his children could well become the head of the republic: "Presidents are not made, presidents are born." And the fact that the question of who will rule the country is being discussed in his family speaks for itself.

Is there a successor?

The specificity of the current Belarusian political system lies in the fact that during the rule of Lukashenka, the change of power elites through elections was actually blocked in the republic, and political competition was reduced to zero. This led to the fact that all branches of power in the country were under the complete control of the president and his administration, and the opposition turned into a marginal group that has no popularity in the Belarusian society depoliticized during the years of Lukashenka's rule and cannot offer an adequate alternative to the current head of state. Clear and open mechanisms for the transfer of power, both at the local level and at the level of senior leadership, have ceased to exist in the republic, and elections are more and more like theatrical performances. That is why the local establishment has recently been increasingly asking the question of who and how will get power after the incumbent president. True, at the moment this is more of a rhetorical question, since the current head of state is not going to cede his powers yet.

Alexander Lukashenko, who celebrated his 62nd birthday in August this year, today looks, as before, cheerfully and confidently. He gives advice on proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, tells how to grow watermelons, harvest crops, manage international conflicts and even who is elected president of the United States. However, all this does not mean that the Belarusian leader does not think about the future of his children and does not calculate options in case he needs to transfer power. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why, back in 2005, he appointed his eldest son Viktor as national security assistant, whom many then began to call his successor.

Back in 2007, during a press conference for the leaders of the Belarusian media, President Lukashenko said that “Viktor is weaker today and tomorrow he will be weaker than the current president,” and therefore it makes no sense to prepare him for the presidency. “I will train the smallest one to be my successor,” Lukashenka stunned everyone. Then it seemed to many a joke, but later it became clear that Lukashenka did not even think to amuse anyone. For example, in 2008, during a visit to the Khoiniki district, he said: “Everywhere the question is being discussed, allegedly this organization (the public association Belaya Rus - approx. "Tapes.ru") was created for the future president, and that this president will be my eldest son. I have already said: the youngest son will be the president of Belarus.”

In 2012, during a visit to Venezuela, speaking about the prospects for cooperation between the two countries, Lukashenko, that “my son Nikolai is here, and this suggests that we have seriously and for a long time laid the foundations for cooperation - there is someone to take over the baton in 20 years 25". After that, no one sneered at the words of Alexander Lukashenko, and the experts feverishly discussed what was really behind all this.

It would seem that all of the above convincingly indicates that the Belarusian president sees his youngest son as the future head of state. However, today it is unlikely that any of the analysts assumes that at one fine moment Alexander Grigoryevich will do the same as Boris Yeltsin did in 1999. Just like that, “take a briefcase under his arm” and leave, as the Belarusian leader once promised, if the people do not elect him again, he will not be able to: this will endanger the entire political system he created, on the functioning of which his fate directly depends families. This means that preparations should already be underway in the upper echelons of power in the republic for the transfer of powers to reliable hands that will preserve and hold on to everything that the first president of Belarus has been creating for so long and stubbornly.

Photo: Sergey Vasiliev / Kommersant

To whom Belarus?

Everyone knows Lukashenka's reverent attitude towards his younger offspring. However, it is at least too early to speak seriously about transferring the levers of power to him. There are much more chances to get Belarus under control and become a new "dad" with the eldest son Viktor. And the conditions for this in the country are already being formed today. At present, Viktor Lukashenko is formally the president's assistant for national security and seems to be unable to apply (in case of unforeseen circumstances) for the presidency. According to the legislation of the republic, "in the event of a vacancy in the position of president or the impossibility of fulfilling his duties," his powers are transferred to the prime minister - "until the newly elected president takes the oath." And Viktor Lukashenko is not applying for this position either.

At the same time, today it is difficult not to notice his growing influence: in recent years, using the administrative resource, Viktor was able to almost completely take control of the power structures of the state, contributing to the appointment of his people to key positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB and the Security Council of Belarus. This allows him to react quite calmly to talk about his younger brother and feel confident. Moreover, with all his love for Nikolai, Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko understands perfectly well that his life cannot be eternal, and he may well not see the political development of his youngest son.

Photo: Alexei Filippov / RIA Novosti

As for Lukashenka's middle son, Dmitry, he has practically no chance to head the state: he is too far from politics. Therefore, only Viktor remains, who has no serious competitors in Belarus yet. However, some danger is posed by the local nomenklatura, which, having certain connections with the Kremlin, may try to nominate an alternative candidate from their entourage. But while Lukashenka's father is in power, all these attempts will be severely suppressed, which means that his eldest son has time to prepare for a possible confrontation between officials.

Waiting is worse than death

One way or another, it is still too early to send Alexander Grigorievich to a well-deserved rest. Rumors about his poor health have been circulating in the country for many years, but they do not find their confirmation: the Belarusian leader is doing well and he certainly does not intend to give power with his own hands, despite the fact that from time to time he declares that he has already “been fed up with the presidency”.

The head of Belarus cannot trust anyone other than members of his family, which is confirmed by constant rotations in the authorities and purges in the president's inner circle. This complicates the situation with the search for a successor and forces Lukashenka to cling tightly to power. If the first Belarusian president has the strength to govern the country for another twenty years, the country will still not escape the crisis of the transfer of power. Lukashenka's eldest and youngest sons may start fighting for the presidency, and this does not promise anything good for the Belarusians.

- the first and so far the only president of Belarus, the country has entrusted him with the main post in the state for more than two decades. The President is not only a leader, but also the main source of news in the country: he determines the vectors of development in almost all spheres of public life, takes a serious part in the discussion of not only political, but also economic and social problems. Biography of Alexander Lukashenko - in a special review by Sputnik.

Alexander Lukashenko's parents

The Belarusian leader was born on August 31, 1954 in the village of Kopys (Vitebsk region). Lukashenka was brought up only by his mother Ekaterina Trofimovna, and there is very little information about the president's father. The mother of the future head of state worked as a milkmaid on a farm, and her son often helped her and loved her very much - familiar families repeatedly stated this in interviews with journalists.

The president was always very close with Ekaterina Trofimovna, but he canceled his visit to Pakistan. The mother of the president of Belarus was buried in her small homeland - in Alexandria.

Personal life of the President of Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko is married - in 1975 Galina Rodionovna Zhelnerovich became his wife. The couple is still married, although Galina Rodionovna lives in the Shklovsky district and there is no information about their meetings. It is known that the president's wife works in the local administration.

Lukashenka has two adult sons - Viktor (born in 1975) and Dmitry (born in 1980). The eldest son of the head of state, Viktor, is Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus for National Security, a member of the country's Security Council. Sredny, Dmitry, works as the chairman of the central council of the "Presidential Sports Club" association and is a member of the NOC of the republic.

The president's youngest son, Nikolai, was born on August 31, 2004. Now the young man is studying at the Ostroshitsko-Gorodok secondary school, he is fond of sports, music and.

The President of Belarus is already a grandfather, in total Alexander Lukashenko has seven grandchildren and granddaughters: Victoria, Alexander, Valeria, Yaroslav, Anastasia, Daria and Alexandra. Victoria Lukashenko entered the paid department at BSU in 2016.

Education of Alexander Lukashenko

According to the official biography of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko has two higher educations: he graduated from the Mogilev State Pedagogical Institute named after Kuleshov in 1975, and ten years later - from the Belarusian Agricultural Academy. So, the head of state has a diploma of a historian-teacher and an economist.

Interests of President Lukashenko

The main hobby of Alexander Lukashenko is, he even has his own team. In addition, the President of Belarus is also involved in other sports: skiing and a number of others. The head of state also admitted that he used to love football, but after a knee injury, he was forced to abandon this sport.

In addition, the president is engaged in agriculture on the territory of his residence: he grows not only potatoes and simple vegetables, but also melons and watermelons. He also has his own animal farm.

In various interviews, Lukashenka also admitted that he closely follows the news on television and in newspapers, and also listed his favorite books and films.

Five presidential elections

Alexander Lukashenko was elected to the post of President of Belarus five times. The first time - in 1994, the last -. Each time he receives significant support from the electorate: more than 75% of the vote, and the last time he achieved the maximum number of Belarusian votes - 83.5%.

As head of state, Alexander Lukashenko is actively involved in and interested in all issues of society and the development of the country. He regularly holds meetings with political, economic, security and social blocs of the executive branch, regularly speaks to parliamentarians and closely monitors the implementation of his instructions.

Wikipedia has articles about other people with that surname, see Lukashenka.

"President of Belarus" redirects here; for political office, see President of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarusian Aliaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka
Lukashenka in 2014
since July 20, 1994
Head of the government:	see list
Predecessor:	post established
since May 15, 1997
Predecessor:	Vladimir Ryzhenkov
since January 26, 2000
Predecessor:	post established
May 15, 1990 - July 20, 1994
Citizenship:	Belarus
Religion:	"Orthodox atheism"
Birth:	August 30, 1954 ( 1954-08-30 ) (60 years) Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region, BSSR, USSR
Mother:	Ekaterina Trofimovna Lukashenko
Spouse:	Galina Rodionovna Zholnerovich
Children:	sons: Viktor, Dmitry, Nikolay
The consignment:	CPSU (1979-1991)
Education:	1) Mogilev State Pedagogical Institute 2) BSHA
Profession:	1) Teacher of history and social science 2) Economist-organizer of agricultural production
Website:	president.gov.by
Military service
Years of service:	1975-1977, 1980-1982
Affiliation:	USSR USSR
Type of army:	Border Troops, Tank Troops
Rank:
Awards:
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko at Wikimedia Commons

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko(belor. Aliaksandr Rygoravich Lukashenka; genus. August 30, 1954, Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region, BSSR, USSR) - Belarusian politician and statesman, the first president of the Republic of Belarus (from 1994 to the present), president of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (since 1997), commander-in-chief of the armed forces Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus. In October 2014, he announced his intention to participate in the 2015 presidential election.

early years

Alexander Lukashenko was born on August 30, 1954 in the urban village of Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region. Belarusian by nationality. Grandfather, Trofim Ivanovich, originally from Ukraine, Sumy region. Before the war, the mother of Alexander Grigoryevich lived in the village of Alexandria, Shklovsky district, Mogilev region, and after the war, she got a job at the Orsha Flax Mill, after giving birth to a son, she returned to the village and began working as a milkmaid on a farm. Alexander grew up and was brought up without a father.

In 1975 he graduated from the Faculty of History of the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute with a degree in History and Social Science, and in 1985 he graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in absentia with a degree in Economist and Organizer of Agricultural Production. From 1975 to 1977, Lukashenka served in the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR, where he was an instructor in the political department of the military unit of the Western Border District in Brest. After serving in the border troops, he began his career as the secretary of the Komsomol committee of the city food trade of the city of Mogilev, and in 1978 he became the executive secretary of the Shklov regional organization of the All-Union Society "Knowledge".

Since 1979, a member of the CPSU. From 1980 to 1982 he served as deputy commander of a tank company for political affairs. In 1982, he was appointed deputy chairman of the Udarnik collective farm in the Shklovsky district, the following year - deputy director of the building materials plant in Shklov, and in 1985 he began and until 1987 worked as the secretary of the party committee of the Lenin collective farm in the Shklovsky district. In March 1987, he became the director of the Gorodets state farm in the Shklovsky district of the Mogilev region, and since January 1988, he was one of the first in the Mogilev region to introduce a lease contract at the state farm.

The beginning of a political career

During the period of "perestroika" in 1990, he was elected a people's deputy of the Supreme Council of Belarus. Heading a temporary commission of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus to study the activities of commercial structures that operate under the republican and local authorities and government, he became known for his critical speeches, in particular, against the Chairman of the Supreme Council Stanislav Shushkevich.

May 25, 1991 published in the publication "Narodnaya Gazeta" a program article "Dictatorship: Belarusian version?". Later, the faction "Communists for Democracy" was formed in the Supreme Council of Belarus, one of the leaders of which was Lukashenka.

In October 1991, a congress of the organizing committee for the creation of a new democratic party was held in Minsk, which eventually became known as the Party of People's Accord. The organizing committee includes many members of the faction "Communists for Democracy", party functionaries, teachers of the Higher School of Education under the Central Committee of the CPB. Lukashenka becomes one of the co-chairs. The process of creating the party was difficult, in the conditions of disputes and intrigues, and soon Lukashenka left the organizing committee.

During the ratification of the Belovezhskaya Accords in the Supreme Council of Belarus, which marked the end of the existence of the USSR, Lukashenka, according to some sources, was the only deputy who voted against, according to others, he did not participate in the vote, and according to others, he abstained from voting. Later, Lukashenka assessed the collapse of the USSR as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."

In April 1993 - July 1994, Lukashenka headed the temporary commission of the Supreme Council for the fight against corruption.

President of Belarus

Pre-election activity

Main article: Presidential elections in Belarus (1994)

Results of the first round of presidential elections in support of Lukashenko.

The campaign headquarters of the candidate Lukashenka consisted of the same young politicians, who was himself. Members of Lukashenka's election team were Leonid Sinitsyn, Dmitry Bulakhov, Viktor Gonchar, Valery Tsepkalo, Alexander Feduta, Mikhail Sazonov, Yuri Malumov, Pyotr Kapitulo, Viktor Tereshchenko, Ivan Titenkov, Alexander Lukashov, Viktor Kuchinski, Vladimir Yadrentsev, Vladimir Nistyuk, Anatoly Lebedko, Nikolai Karpievich and Viktor Sheiman. However, soon after Lukashenko began to implement a policy that was not at all what he promised, many members of his team went into opposition, dissatisfied with the young president's style of government, the results of the 1995 and 1996 referendums, and integration with Russia. For some of them, such a step cost their careers. By the beginning of 2008, only Sheiman remained in the upper echelons of power in the Republic of Belarus.

In his election program, Lukashenka said that Belarus was on the verge of an abyss: there was a sharp drop in production and agriculture, high inflation rates, crime and corruption were at a high level. According to Lukashenka, it was necessary to "take the people away from the abyss", for which it was necessary to renew the government. Moreover, the new government must realize the following goals: reduce inflation and stop the impoverishment of the people, destroy the mafia, reduce the level of corruption, restore ties with the republics of the former USSR (primarily with Russia).

During the election campaign on June 16, 1994, there was an attempt on Lukashenka. When driving past the village of Liozno, Vitebsk region, the Mercedes car, in which Lukashenka and two people's deputies of the Republic of Belarus, Ivan Titenkov and Viktor Sheiman, were located, was fired upon from a Ford car that overtook and pressed it to the side of the road, moreover, one of the bullets flew in several centimeters from Lukashenka's head. No harm done. As a result of the investigative experiment carried out by the employees of the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it became known that it was impossible to fire at the Mercedes car under the conditions set forth by Titenkov I.I. and Sheiman V.V. On June 28, Lukashenka went to the Government House, but at the entrance to the building, employees of the Main Department of State Security refused to let him through, and when Lukashenka was in the building, he and three of his assistants were beaten by police, as a result of which Lukashenka received minor bodily injuries. According to the explanatory note of the police officers, submitted to the prosecutor's office of Belarus, during the incident, Alexander Grigoryevich tore off the buttons and damaged the uniforms of several policemen.

On July 10, 1994, the second round of presidential elections took place in the country, in which Alexander Lukashenko won, gaining 80.1% of the vote and thus becoming the first president of independent Belarus.

First presidential term

Solemn ceremony of signing the Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Russia and Belarus in the Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Alexander Lukashenko during the signing of the agreement on April 2, 1997

During his inauguration, Lukashenka noted:

In an interview with Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS Mikhail Gusman in 2009, Lukashenka spoke about the first days of his presidency as follows:

In 1995, at the initiative of Lukashenko, a referendum was held in the country, at which four questions were asked: on giving the Russian language a state status, on the introduction of a new state flag and state emblem, on approval of Lukashenko's policy of economic integration with Russia, and on the right of the President of Belarus to dissolve the Supreme Advice. More than 75% of those who came to the referendum gave positive answers to all four questions. As a result, the Russian language became the second state language in Belarus. In preparation for the referendum, the opposition's access to television and radio was banned. [source not specified 17 days] .

Lukashenka pursued a course of rapprochement with Russia in his foreign policy. In January 1995, Lukashenko and President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin signed an agreement on the creation of a payment and customs union between Belarus and Russia. In February of the same year, Lukashenka and Yeltsin signed an agreement on friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation between the countries, in 1996 - an agreement on the creation of the Community of Belarus and Russia, in 1998 - an agreement on equal rights for citizens of Russia and Belarus.

There was a rapprochement with a number of other CIS countries. In March 1996, Lukashenka signed the "Treaty between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic on deepening integration in the economic and humanitarian fields." In November 1999, Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed an agreement on economic cooperation between the countries.

On November 24, 1996, following the results of a referendum on the adoption of amendments to the Constitution, unrecognized by Europe and the United States, the countdown of the 5-year term of the presidency began anew, and the president received more powers.

Second presidential term

Main article: Presidential elections in Belarus (2001)

Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin. Moscow, 2001.

On September 9, 2001, presidential elections were held in the country. During the campaign, Lukashenka promised to raise agricultural standards, raise social benefits, and increase Belarusian industrial output. Lukashenka won in the first round with 75.65% of the vote. The OSCE said the process "did not meet international standards". Russia, unlike the OSCE, publicly welcomed Lukashenka's re-election. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Lukashenka, congratulated him on his victory and expressed his desire to cooperate.

In 2004, a referendum was held, as a result of which restrictions on the number of presidential terms were removed from the Constitution of the state, and thus Alexander Lukashenko received the right to participate in the next presidential election. This referendum was also not recognized by the EU and the US.

In economic terms, in Belarus under Lukashenka there was a significant [ how many?] the growth of most economic indicators (the average annual GDP growth of Belarus in comparable prices for the period from 2000 to 2013 was 6.3%), although part of this growth was provided by the re-export of Russian oil, which was imported at a price below the world price and refined before delivery to Europe.

In his foreign policy, Lukashenka continued the course towards integration with a number of CIS countries. In September 2003, Lukashenka signed an agreement on the formation of the Common Economic Space between Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Third presidential term

Main article: Presidential elections in Belarus (2006)

On March 19, 2006, he was elected President of the Republic of Belarus for the third time. The OSCE once again failed to recognize the elections. The elections were accompanied by mass protests led by presidential candidates: Milinkevich A.V. and Kozulin A.V.

At the beginning of 2008, at a meeting of the Security Council of Belarus chaired by Alexander Lukashenko, a fundamental decision was made to build a nuclear power plant in Belarus consisting of two power units of 1,000 MW each. These blocks are planned to be launched in 2016-2018. The purpose of building a nuclear power plant is to provide the country with cheap energy and improve national energy security. According to experts, putting the nuclear power plant into operation could save about $1 billion a year on natural gas imports.

Fourth presidential term

Main article: Presidential elections in Belarus (2010)

On December 19, 2010, elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus took place. On December 20, the CEC announced that Alexander Lukashenko had been re-elected for a fourth term, receiving 79.65% of the vote. The voting results were not recognized by the rest of the presidential candidates, as well as by the US and the European Union, but were recognized by the CIS mission present at the elections, headed by S. Lebedev. The United States specifically noted that they:

« Strongly condemn the actions of the Government of Belarus to undermine the democratic process, as well as the disproportionate use of force against political activists, civil society representatives and journalists»

On January 21, 2011, Alexander Lukashenko officially took office as President of the Republic of Belarus for the fourth time.

Sanctions against Lukashenka

In 2006, the European Union, and then the United States, banned him from entering their territories. In 2008, the entry ban was suspended. In January 2011, Poland banned him from entering the country. In April 2011, the Council of the EU extended until October 31, 2011 the ban on entry into the EU of President Lukashenko and 35 other officials, while leaving in force the regime of non-application of visa restrictions in relation to them.

Criticism

“I am no longer the last dictator in Europe. There are worse dictators, right? I'm already the lesser evil."

Alexander Lukashenko, in an interview with Bloomberg

In the Western media, Alexander Lukashenko is often called "the last dictator in Europe." According to a report presented to the US Congress by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Lukashenka is driving Belarus further away from the West and pushing it into economic dependence on Russia, thanks to whose generosity in Belarus, despite the shortcomings of a centralized economy, a relatively stable standard of living is maintained. PACE member Christos Pourgourides accused the Belarusian authorities of murders and disappearances of local politicians.

For almost 10 years, until October 13, 2008, A. Lukashenko and his closest associates were banned from entering the EU and the USA due to high-profile scandals surrounding the disappearances of Y. Zakharenko, V. Gonchar, A. Krasovsky and D. Zavadsky and “violations of international Electoral and Human Rights Standards".

Lukashenka's personal life

About date of birth

According to passport data, Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko was born on August 30, 1954 in the village of Kopys, Orsha district, Vitebsk region. In mid-2009, Lukashenko announced that he was born not on August 30, but on August 31:

You understand that I am also a person, I have children, especially the younger Nikolenka, in whom I do not have a soul. He is now five years old, and I am already fifty-five. We were born on the same day, August 31

Interview of Lukashenka to the newspaper "Zavtra"

The corresponding adjustment appeared on the official website of the President of the Republic of Belarus. A year later, Viktor Yanukovych, Patriarch Kirill, Gennady Zyuganov congratulated the president, as before on August 30. Against the background of the deterioration of relations between Russia and Belarus in the summer of 2010, the press did not report congratulations on behalf of Medvedev and Putin to Lukashenka, and some media linked this fact with the uncertainty on which day the President of Belarus should be congratulated. When submitting documents for registration as a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Belarus in the 2010 elections, Lukashenko again indicated the date of birth on August 30, 1954, corresponding to the passport data, and not the previous newspaper interview.

Family

A. G. Lukashenko with ml. son Nikolai at the Victory Parade on May 9, 2012, Independence Avenue, Minsk. Behind them - son Victor in a gray suit

Wife - Galina Rodionovna (married since 1975). Not divorced, but living separately.

Has three sons: Victor, Dmitry and Nikolai. The youngest son Nikolay was born on August 31, 2004 out of wedlock. According to the main version in the media, Nikolai's mother is Irina Abelskaya, the former chief physician of the hospital of the Presidential Administration, the former personal doctor of Alexander Lukashenko. In 2011, Nikolai went to the Ostroshitsko-Gorodok secondary school, however, for unknown reasons, six months later he switched to individual home schooling.

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko with Jr. son Nikolai at the military exercises "West-2013". Grodno. polygon Gozhsky

In 2012, during Lukashenka's visit to Venezuela, the President of this country, Hugo Chavez, said that it was a holiday in Venezuela, as they received President Lukashenka and his son Nikolai, to which Alexander Grigorievich replied:

Lukashenko has seven grandchildren - four are the children of the eldest son: Victoria (1998), Alexander (2004), Valeria (2009) and Yaroslav (08/21/2013), three are the children of the middle son: Anastasia (2003), Daria (2004) and Alexandra ( February 28, 2014). In 2008, Victoria Lukashenko played one of the main roles in the Belarusian film On the Back of a Black Cat, in 2010 she starred in the Russian TV series Fortune Telling by Candlelight (she played the role of a fortune-teller heroine in childhood). In January 2013, Anastasia and Daria took first place in the literary competition “Walk, winter, your hour! ..”, dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Yakub Kolas (tales composed by them became the best in the category “Creative works of younger schoolchildren”.

Lukashenka is fond of skiing, hockey, playing the button accordion, and promotes an active lifestyle.

Passion for hockey

Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin and Vyacheslav Fetisov at a friendly match of Russian hockey stars, Bolshoi Ice Palace, Sochi, January 4, 2014

Ice hockey is one of Lukashenka's main hobbies. He regularly trains at the Sports Palace, which is why the Belarusian special services restrict the movement of people within a radius of up to 1 kilometer, and also forbid residents of nearby houses to open windows and windows, go out onto the balconies and loggias of their own apartments. Lukashenka played for such teams as the Team of World Stars and the Presidential Sports Club and others. In official and friendly games, Lukashenka most often plays as a winger. Lukashenka most often plays in uniform number 1, despite the fact that this number is traditionally assigned to goalkeepers in hockey. Lukashenka also played at number 99. Lukashenka himself regularly scores goals against opponents and gives assists, but statistics on his performances are not kept, although it is known that Lukashenka has never been punished with a small two-minute penalty for violating the rules.

However, experts note that with a fairly good physical preparation, Lukashenka's game has some drawbacks.

In a game without a puck, he is completely useless: he does not go into selection, he only means a fight. But he opens up very diligently - and, having received a pass, he transforms: he can throw decently, and give the transfer.

At the same time, some players in the confrontation with Lukashenka's teams play at full strength and do not give in, while others play relaxed, thus giving the president an opportunity to excel. Sometimes Lukashenka sets rules for playing hockey that differ from the traditional one. Instead of the prescribed three 20-minute periods with a stoppage of game time at the moments of removal of players and face-offs, there are two non-stop periods of 35 minutes each.

Most often, the team for which Lukashenka plays wins, there are only a few cases of defeats of teams that include Lukashenka. After one of these defeats, the coach was fired, whose hockey team defeated Lukashenka's club.

Scandal during the 2011 Christmas tournament final

In the final of the 7th Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament, Lukashenka's team met with Gazprom Export. Despite the amateur status of the tournament, former and current players of the national team of the Republic of Belarus Shabanov, Mikulchik, Tsyplakov, Makritsky, Ryadinsky, Erkovich, Kopat, Bekbulatov, Kovalev, Shitkovsky played for the Lukashenka team.

But even in this line-up, the game went badly for Lukashenka, and in the second and third periods, several more professional hockey players took to the ice, who were not even in the application for the match. Among them are the best players of the Championship of Belarus from the clubs Yunost, Neman, Brest, Metallurg, including Alexander Borovkov, Alexei Baranov, Maxim Slysh. Moreover, when the players of Gazprom Export noticed that the number of professionals in the team of the President of the Republic of Belarus exceeded all permissible norms and turned to the referee of the meeting, some Belarusian hockey players were simply dressed in T-shirts with other names and they continued the game. As a result, the team of the President of Belarus lost 2:3.

Main article: Team of the President of the Republic of Belarus

Passion for skiing

Lukashenka is fond of various sports related to skiing, including alpine skiing, roller skiing, and classic cross-country skiing. Lukashenka is a multiple winner of cross-country skiing competitions, winning both individual races and relay races. Often the competitions that Lukashenka wins are organized by his own “Presidential Sports Club”. The competitions, in which Lukashenka himself takes part, are of great interest to fans who come to see the president with their whole families. Lukashenka's successes in alpine skiing are less significant, and he does not participate in competitions. However, he regularly travels to ski resorts and conquers slope after slope. It is reliably known that Lukashenka skied down the mountains in Slovenia, Serbia, Russia (Krasnaya Polyana), Switzerland, Austria, Kazakhstan, and other countries.

Lukashenka's passion for skiing is welcomed not only in the Republic of Belarus, but also in neighboring countries: in particular, skiing competitions for the Lukashenka Cup were held in Ukraine.

Sometimes Lukashenka goes skiing not only surrounded by his bodyguards and close associates, but also by high-ranking politicians from other countries. For example, he has already skated with Putin, Nazarbayev, Medvedev.

Awards

Vladimir Putin presents Alexander Lukashenko with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class

Postage stamp of the Republic of Belarus with A. G. Lukashenko, 1996

State awards

• Medal "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" (September 6, 1997)
• Order of the Revolution (Libya, 2000)
• Order of José Marti (Cuba, 2000)
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (Russia, April 2, 2001) - "for his great personal contribution to the creation of the Union State, the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus"
• Grand Chain of the Order of the Liberator (Venezuela, 2007)
• Order of Francisco Miranda 1st class (Venezuela, 2010)
• Ribbon of the Order of the Republic of Serbia (Serbia, 2013)
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (Russia, August 30, 2014) - for his great personal contribution to the development of traditional friendly relations between Russia and Belarus, the deepening of bilateral cooperation in the political, defense, economic and social spheres

Confessional awards

• Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir I degree (2007)
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st class (2002)
• Order of the Holy Right-Believing Grand Duke Demetrius of the Don, I degree (ROC, 2005)
• Order of St. Cyril of Turov (Belarusian Orthodox Church of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2006)
• Order of the Cross of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk (Belarusian Orthodox Church of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1998, awarded "for a great contribution to the spiritual revival of the people")
• Chain of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher (Jerusalem Orthodox Church, 2000)
• Saint Sava, I degree (Serbian Orthodox Church, 2014)

Other awards

• Laureate of the International Prize of St. Andrew the First-Called "For Faith and Loyalty" (1995)
• Mikhail Sholokhov International Prize (1997, the prize was awarded "for courageous political journalism and selfless stance in protecting the interests of the people")
• Honorary Citizen of Caracas (2010)
• IOC Special Prize "Gates of Olympus" (2000)
• Honorary Citizen of Yerevan (2001)
• Medal of the International Federation of Festival Organizations "For the Development of the World Festival Movement" (2005)
• IOC Special Prize "Sport and Society" (2006)
• Honorary Diploma of the Eurasian Economic Community (2006)
• Laureate of the Ig Nobel Peace Prize (2013)

Service in the Armed Forces of the USSR and Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko at a military parade, 2001

In 1975, Alexander Lukashenko was drafted into the army, where from 1975 to 1977 he was an instructor in the political department of the military unit of the Western Border District of the USSR KGB Border Troops in Brest. The second time Alexander Lukashenko served in 1980-1982. in the Mogilev region, as deputy commander of a motorized rifle company. Currently Lieutenant Colonel. At official military events, he wears a uniform similar to the uniform of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, with epaulettes decorated with the coat of arms of the Republic of Belarus; documents approving such a form are unknown. There is no rank of marshal or general of the army in the Belarusian army. In children's clothing, similar to a military uniform, his son Nikolai also appeared several times in public.

Health status

On January 12, 2001, the independent newspaper Nasha Svaboda published an article entitled "Medical Conclusion", which included a medical report by psychiatrist Dmitry Shchigelsky about Alyaksandr Lukashenka's mental illness. According to archival materials referred to by the psychiatrist, in particular, the outpatient card, Lukashenka was repeatedly diagnosed with mosaic psychopathy in his youth. The diagnosis was first made by Soviet civilian psychiatrists in 1976, confirmed by military psychiatrists in 1982, when Lukashenka was commissioned from the army under article 7b with a diagnosis of “mosaic psychopathy” from the position of political officer of military unit 04104. At the same time, evidence of this diagnosis in the form of copies of conclusions with the indication of the names of doctors was not provided. In this regard, the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Belarus initiated a criminal case against Shchigelsky under Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code - slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus. Shchigelsky himself managed to leave for the United States just before the publication of his medical report. In the future, the facts about "mosaic psychopathy" were repeatedly mentioned on the Internet, as well as in the documentary film "Godfather".

Statements about homosexuality

On November 2, 2010, during a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Poland and Germany in Minsk with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, according to some human rights activists, deliberately used homophobic rhetoric and insults against the German Foreign Minister, openly gay Guido Westerwelle. Commenting on the position of Westerwelle, who registered a civil partnership, Lukashenko said that he “does not understand how a man can live with a man,” and that he “has nothing against lesbians, but he would send gays to state farms with pleasure.” However, a few days later, Lukashenka publicly expressed regret over these statements that offended Westerwelle. The President at the same time confirmed that he does not accept non-traditional sexual relations: “ This is beyond my understanding, as I think, most, if not all, who are present here", - Lukashenka told reporters.

On March 5, 2012, Lukashenka, responding to the next accusations of "dictatorship" voiced by Westerwelle, said: " As for ... either pink or blue, who shouted about dictatorship there ... Hearing this, I thought: it’s better to be a dictator than blue».

Facts

• Lukashenka has a negative attitude towards the use of high-tech gadgets in his work, believing that “ pointing your fingers at an iPhone or iPad is not a presidential job”, and the position of the head of state itself requires a conservative approach.
• January 31, 2011. According to reports from EU diplomatic sources, Lukashenka is banned from entering the EU countries and the United States. His assets in the EU have also been frozen. The imposition of sanctions is connected with the persecution of opposition activists after the December presidential elections.
• In 2012, Lukashenka, in an interview with a Reuters correspondent, stated: “ I am the last and only dictator in Europe, and moreover... anywhere else in the world. You came here and saw a living dictator… They say even bad publicity is good publicity».
• In March 2013, on one of the main Finnish channels, Nelonen, while the presenter was talking about one of the main topics of the week - the death of Boris Berezovsky, they mistakenly accompanied the story with video materials depicting the living Alexander Lukashenko. Many Finns, believing inattentive TV people, "buried" the current president of Belarus.
• Despite the fact that Belarus voted against the resolution of the UN General Assembly, according to which the annexation of Crimea to Russia is considered null and void, on October 3, 2014, in an interview with Euronews, Lukashenka stated: “Many people here say that at one time Crimea “wrongly” went to Ukraine, that this territory is primordially Russian, and so on… This is the wrong approach.”. In the same interview, to the question “Would you be ready to recognize the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic?” Lukashenka replied “No, no, but we have a completely different position. We would not want the destruction of the Ukrainian state.”. In the same interview, regarding Novorossia, Lukashenka noted: “I initially stated that the project, for example, Novorossiya, was not perceived by me. I stand for the unity and integrity of the Ukrainian state. So that there are no frozen conflicts there, some zones like Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh, which are always fraught with the danger of an explosion.”.