Alexander Lukashenko

Alexander Lukashenko

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 1, 2025 Duration: 14:45

Despite just winning a seventh consecutive presidential term, a look at Alexander Lukashenko’s early life reveals rather humbler origins.

Brought up by a single mother in a poor village in eastern Belarus, he first made his mark as the manager of a farm in the late 1980s.

After moving into politics at the end of that decade, he quickly established his reputation as a man with authoritarian instincts – and by 1994, he was elected president of Belarus for the first time.

Ever since, he has managed a balancing act between Russia, his closest economic and political partner, and overtures to the West. But, the country’s faced sanctions following its role in the invasion of Ukraine, while many Western governments have labelled this latest election as a sham.

Stephen Smith takes a closer look at the man often referred to as Europe's last dictator.

Production Team Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Sally Abrahams, Charlotte McDonald and Nathan Gower Editor: Ben Mundy Sound: James Beard Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Jack Young Credits Animal Farm by George Orwell, recording produced by Ciaran Bermingham Narrated by Roger Ringrose


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Profile
Podcast Episodes
Professor Sir John Curtice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:39
Sometimes known as the “sultan of swing,” Professor Sir John Curtice has become an institution of election coverage in the UK. But is there more to the man than stats and figures? There might be some broad beans and jam,…
Jordan Bardella [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:37
Who is National Rally's 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella? Stephen Smith looks at the life of the boy from the Paris suburbs who joined the far-right as a teenager and rapidly became the face of National Rally, helping…
Rylan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:03
Rylan Clark is on the cusp of becoming a national treasure. Having defied the odds of most reality TV stars, he has managed to stay the course, cementing his already steady career rise to the top with his most recent tel…
Alan Bleasdale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:33
Alan Bleasdale, the Liverpudlian screenwriter and playwright, is in the spotlight this week as a stage version of his iconic 1980's TV series 'Boys from the Blackstuff' opened at the National Theatre. Born in Liverpool,…
Ann-Marie Powell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:48
Ann-Marie Powell, is the exuberant and colourful, garden designer, whose' Octavia Hill 'Garden was one of the eight main gardens in competition at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. After dropping out of college she spen…
Baroness Floella Benjamin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:02
You may know her from Play School, Bafta or the House of Lords, Baroness Floella Benjamin doesn’t sit still, she’s even appeared in panto.Stephen Smith hears about the remarkable life of the Trinidad-born actress, TV pre…
John Swinney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:59
After over four decades in the SNP and nearly two in government, John Swinney is finally stepping up to the top job for the first time, becoming Scotland’s new First Minister.He’s no stranger to big jobs - it’s actually…
Isaac Levido [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:57
Isaac Levido has established a formidable reputation as a election strategist, helping to craft wins both in the UK and Australia. Thought of as a protege of the quasi-legendary election guru Sir Lynton Crosby in his ear…
Paul Sinton-Hewitt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:55
Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun, was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa at the age of five, where he was brought up in care with his two siblings. Always a keen middle distance runner, he was a second…

«1...678910