MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko celebrates his 60th birthday on August 30, 2014. Here is the factbox presenting the Belarusian leader’s biography.
President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was born on August 30, 1954 in the town of Kopys, Orsha District, Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus.
In 1975, Lukashenko graduated from the Mogilev State Pedagogical University named after A.A. Kuleshov as a professor of history and social science. In 1985, he graduated from the Belarusian Agricultural Academy as an economist specializing in agriculture.
After graduation, Lukashenko worked as a teacher and the secretary of the Komsomol committee at the School N1 in the city of Shklov (Mogilev region).
In 1975-1977, Alexander Lukashenko worked as a political instructor of the Western Border District.
In 1977–1978, he worked as the secretary of the Komsomol committee of Mogilev’s food trade department, and as instructor of the Oktyabrsky District Executive Committee of Mogilev.
In 1978-1980, Alexander Lukashenko served as the executive secretary of the Znaniye Association of the town of Shklov.
In 1980-1982, he became a deputy commanding officer for political work in an army unit in Mogilev region.
In 1982-1994, Lukashenko occupied different positions in Belarus’ agricultural sector, including deputy director of the agricultural enterprise Udarnik in Shklov District, deputy director of the construction materials factory in Shklov, secretary of the Communist Party committee of the state farm named after Vladimir Lenin, director of the agricultural enterprise Gorodets, Shklov District.
In 1990, Alexander Lukashenko was elected as a member of the parliament of the Republic of Belarus. He led the Supreme Council’s commission on commercial entities operations.
In 1993, Lukashenko took the helm of the parliament’s anti-corruption commission.
On July 10, 1994, Alexander Lukashenko garnered 80 percent of the votes in the country’s presidential election and became the President of the Republic of Belarus.
He was reelected to the office on September 9, 2001 with 75.6 percent of the votes.
In 2004, Belarus held a referendum and decided to lift the restrictions on the number of terms for the country’s president.
On March 19, 2006 Lukashenko ran in his third presidential election winning the race with 83 percent of the votes.
On December 19, 2010 Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election again, securing 79.6 percent of the votes.
Alexander Lukashenko is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, and heads the country’s Security Council.
In 1997, he was elected the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Union of Belarus and Russia.
Since January 2000, he has been the Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.
In 2005-2006 and in 2008, Lukashenko was the Chairman of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community.
He is also the President of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus.
Alexander Lukashenko is the winner of the international premium of Andrey Pervozvanny “For Faith and Loyalty” (1995), laureate of 1997 International Sholokhov Award – “for the courageous political publications and selfless position in the matter of protection of the national interests.” In 2001, Lukashenko was awarded with Russia’s 2nd Class Order “For Services to the Fatherland.”
Lukashenko was also given international awards, such as Order of Jose Marti (Cuba, 2000), Revolution Order (Libya, 2000), the Order of Francisco de Miranda First Class (Venezuela, 2010), a special award of the European Olympic Committee for an outstanding contribution to the Olympic movement (2008), and many others.
Lukashenko’s wife Galina Lukashenko is a civil servant working in the Shklov District Executive Committee.
Lukashenko’s eldest son Viktor is the president’s aid on national defense.
His second son Dmitry heads the Presidential Sport Club.
Lukashenko’s youngest son Nikolai was born out of a wedlock in 2004.
Alexander Lukashenko is fond of skiing and ice hockey.
