On November 7, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko joined a timber‑cutting competition in Minsk, filming himself swing an axe — a clip that has since spread widely online.
Timber‑Cutting Contest Held in Minsk on November 7
The competition took place at the Wyb Lake reservoir in the Minsk region, with journalists, press staff and representatives from Russia and China in attendance. President Alexander Lukashenko took part, taking an axe and cutting wood himself.
Viral Video Shared by Russian State Agency
The clip, distributed by the Russian state news agency TASS among other outlets, shows Lukashenko cutting timber with 3,500 participants, claiming to “show solidarity” despite a scheduled working visit to the Zhitkovich area.
Republican Rhetoric: “We’re Having Fun”
During the event the president told reporters, “We’re having fun here, chopping this wood for heating as a joke.” He added that “times are not easy” and urged support for citizens beyond Belarus’s borders with such supplies.
Historical Use of Wood‑Cutting in Propaganda
Belarusian officials have repeatedly used wood‑cutting spectacles to craft a populist image, offering firewood to neighbors during Europe’s energy crisis and staging similar contests in 2022 to highlight neighboring countries’ shortages.
Criticism of the Stunt’s Motives
Observers view the spectacle as a means to present a friendly image while diverting attention from the shutdown of visiting journalists, reflecting the broader pattern of propaganda under Lukashenko’s rule.
