Galina Lukashenko Is Alexander Lukashenko's Wife: 10 Facts
Galina is estranged from her husband, who has reportedly referred to himself as the last dictator in Europe. Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since July 20, 1994.
The Belarusian first lady has not been seen with her husband at public events and meetings for several years now. Before she went off the radar, she worked as the head of the Department of the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee for the improvement of Population in 1998.
Shocking Details About Galina Lukashenko
1. The Belarusian First Lady Was Raised in a Strict Home
Born on New Year’s Day of 1955, Galina’s parents Rodion Georgievich Zhelnerovich and Elena Fedorovna raised her alongside her younger sister in Byelorussian SSR, the Soviet Union. While her father was from Brest her mother was from Slutsk.
Her mother brought up Zhelnerovich’s sisters strictly. She worked as the head teacher of the school attended by her daughters in a village called Ryzhkovichi. After high school, Galina attended Mogilev State University.
Galina lost her father in 1983 while her mother also passed in 2019.
2. Galina Lukashenko Was Alexander Lukashenko’s High School Love
While attending the same school, the couple acted a play together. Galina who played the role of Snow White caught the attention of Alexander and he fell in love with her.
While dating, Alexander would send her all kinds of flowers and write poems for her. The former was reportedly very handsome and was always engaged in major school activities as host which most girls admire about him.
A year older than his wife, the president would travel four kilometers back and forth from Alexandria to his lover. No matter the weather condition, the high school lovers would walk around Galina’s house and spend time together. Their fairy tale continued until Galina finished her three courses and he earned a diploma degree.
According to reports, Alexander Lukashenko proposed to Galina a day before graduation under the witness of the Dnieper River close to the school.
In 1975, the lovebirds officially became a couple and Galina left the dormitory and moved in with her husband. However, Alex who had served in the army was demobilized and was to work as the secretary of the communist youth league committee of Mogilev. On her own part, she secured a job as a kindergarten teacher.
The Belarusian first family became larger after the birth of their first son, Viktor Lukashenko on 28 November 1975 second child. He was followed by Dmitry Lukashenko on March 28, 1980.
3. Galina Almost Lost Her First Son to an Infectious Disease
Just after Galina got a job as a kindergarten teacher, her son Viktor fell ill with an infectious disease and was reportedly in need of a long-term hospitalization so she had to quit her job and they ended up spending more than a year in the hospital until a doctor advised her to take her family out of the village.
After they left the village, her son began to slowly recover, and later on, she got another job as a kindergarten teacher and settled with her family there.
4. Her Husband’s Political Career Began After He Returned from the Army
Shortly after Lukashenko’s husband returned from the army upon completing his second service, he began his political career and by 1989, he was participating in elections. He contested for the soviet people’s deputies in the Mogilev constituency but lost by a narrow margin.
Alexander didn’t relent as he ran for another office in 1990 and this time, he got elected as the People’s Representative of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus.
Following the Soviet Union’s disintegration in 1991, Belarus became an independent country and in July 1994, Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the votes in the second round of the presidential elections.
President Alexander Lukashenko is currently serving his sixth term as the president of Belarus.
5. The First Lady and Her Husband Began To Spend Less Time Together
Although things got better, Galina and her husband began to grow apart. As her husband’s position became higher and higher she also began to work in different governmental offices.
Even before he became president, he was living in two different places. Sometimes, the Belarusian president would visit his family in Ryzhkovichi while working in the capital Minsk.
After he became president, Galina reportedly stayed back with her boys in the village. She also did not move in with the president in the capital claiming her boys were still in school.
Galina Lukashenko reportedly lives a reclusive existence on Zemlyanichnaya Street in Shklow on a farm where she was once spotted milking cow.
6. The Mother of Two Has Stayed Away From Her Family’s Controversies
According to reports, Galina Lukashenko is the only one in her family that is not involved in the US/EU sanctions. In 2020, her husband and her two sons were sanctioned by the European Union after the president claimed he won the August 9th election to mark his sixth term in office.
The results of the election raised eyebrows and many people in the country believe it was rigged. Due to the sanctions, the first citizen of Belarus and his family cannot travel to the EU countries. Their travel visas were blocked and their assets were frozen. No EU Company or citizen can also associate with Alexander and his sons.
Even her daughter-in-law is not left out. Lilya Lukashenko, Viktor’s wife was sanctioned by the European Union on June 21, 2021
See Also: Artur Ocheretny Married Putin’s Ex-Wife: What We Know About Him
7. Her Husband Fathered another Son Out of Wedlock
Galina’s husband has been seen with quite a number of women in public. The president allegedly had an affair with his physician, Dr. Irina Abelskaya and it birthed his third son, Nikolai Lukashenko on 31st August 2004.
Nikolai is said to be quite close to the president and they have been seen together severally in public. There are rumors that the president might be grooming his third son to become the next president of Belarus.
8. The President Allegedly Maltreats Galina
They didn't seem a particularly happy couple in the first place pic.twitter.com/1FyZTf3Duh
— Tadeusz Giczan 🇺🇦 (@TadeuszGiczan) July 16, 2020
According to former Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir and his wife Julia, Alexander Lukashenko treats his wife like a dog. According to the couple who were once close to the first lady, the president only gives her orders and she has to obey.
President Alexander allegedly stopped Galina from meeting with Julia and her husband. In 2016, it was also reported that no one could visit her without his consent. She reportedly leaves her home only when she has to visit her children and grandchildren in Minsk.
9. Her Sons Are Both Working in Their Father’s Administration
Her first son, Viktor has worked at the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and at a military exports company, Agat after his mandatory military duty. The graduate of Belarusian State University worked as his father’s assistant on the National security and later a member of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus.
In 2021, Viktor succeeded his father as the President of the Belarus Olympic Committee. However, it was reported in March 2021 that he has been relieved of his post as the Aide to the president for National Security.
The second son, Dmitry Lukashenko, is a businessman and the current head of the Presidential Sports Club. He is one of the key persons handling the financial operations of the Lukashenko family.
10. Her Husband Aided Russian Forces During the Invasion of Ukraine
Alexander Lukashenko and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin used to be powerful allies until 2020 when the Belarusian president accused Putin of trying to make Belarus a part of Russia.
However, in February 2021, Galina’s husband allegedly allowed Russian forces to attack Ukraine from Belarusian territory in the Invasion of Ukraine. A large number of troops and vehicles were reportedly seen in Belarus near the border with Ukraine.
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