MINSK, 17 May (BelTA) - The main strength of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is his ability to communicate with a wide range of people, a labor veteran Vera Kostenko shared her memories of the Belarusian president and his early steps in leadership on the air of the First News TV Channel, BelTA has learned.
Journalists introduced Vera Kostenko as "a legend of Mogilev Oblast, the first secretary of the district party committee in Shklov District
a shock worker of labor, and an ideologist, who witnessed the early steps of the future president in leadership”.
This year, Vera Kostenko, a well-known and respected resident of Mogilev Oblast, turned 90. Her life has included a childhood during wartime and 50 years of professional experience. She has witnessed the development of Belarusian statehood firsthand.
Vera Kostenko personally interviewed Aleksandr Lukashenko when he was a teacher and director of the Gorodets state farm. She was responsible for sending him to Moscow for a meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Her signature was required for Aleksandr Lukashenko’s enlistment in the army.
Even today, Vera Kostenko closely follows the president’s work.
"He has one great trump. A truly great one. And he has kept it with him all his life. It is his ability to communicate: there is no substitute for words. No matter where he is, whether among farmers, military personnel, or journalists, he knows how to speak to all categories of people! This skill is something many leaders lack. But to possess it, one needs an immense wealth of knowledge, courage, and an understanding of the constraints of the position. Because it is not just about conversation; it is about outlining different directions for the country's future, describing the country, and giving guidance for the way forward. This is his gift," Vera Kostenko said.
She quoted poet Vadim Shefner: "You can kill with a word, you can save with a word. With a word, you can take armies to follow you."
She recalled how Aleksandr Lukashenko, while working in the Znanie society, would stay late in the library studying political literature. "In the evenings, he picked up his children, Dmitry and Viktor, sat them at the table, and they flipped through magazines while he worked. At that time, I arrived late, the driver parked the car, and I saw the light still on in the library. I walked in and saw that there was Aleksandr Grigorievich [Lukashenko], studying political literature. He was a hardworking man, and rather handsome, by the way."
One of her encounters with Lukashenko was related to his desire to become an army officer. "He had already enrolled in the agricultural academy and was working in the Udarniк collective farm. The military enlistment officer required my signature because Aleksandr Lukashenko wanted to become an officer, and there were only five spots. I asked him: 'Did you pass the commission?' He said: 'Yes, I did.' Imagine, there were only five spots! I signed the documents and asked: 'Are you planning to connect your life with military service?' He replied: 'I do not know yet, I’m still studying at the academy.' I told him: 'I regret losing you as a specialist. You made a great impression on the people, and we sent you to the collective farm named Udarniк for a reason. We would love to keep you here. But the country needs you, and you are suited for it, you have the desire… I will sign'."
Vera Kostenko also noted that Aleksandr Lukashenko could be quite stern at times. "We met every day at work. Sometimes he would come in, get angry, and start giving orders," she recalled.
However, she saw this as a positive trait for those receiving criticism: "If someone sincerely tells you about problems and criticizes you, you should thank them and bow to them. They are saving you with their honesty."
During the filming of the report, journalists accompanied Vera Kostenko to Aleksandr Lukashenko’s hometown, including the experimental presidential fields, where she noted the strong crop growth. "I know how deeply the president is connected to the land and the farming community, both in spirit and heart. His life is not just about diplomacy or state-building: his sacred bond with the land sustains him," she emphasized.
Vera Kostenko also played a role in Lukashenko’s trip to a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. At the time, Aleksandr Lukashenko had recently become the head of the Gorodets state farm. The meeting with Gorbachev focused on the development of lease contracting within the framework of a new economic policy, an innovation for agriculture. "Suddenly, the Central Committee [of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union] called, saying two people needed to be sent to speak with Gorbachev about agricultural restructuring. The regional secretary said, 'Let’s send Aleksandr Grigorievich.' Some protested, saying: 'He is young! We have 400 collective farms, why should we send him?' But we insisted. When he returned, we learned that he spoke twice at the meeting and even corrected some participants himself. That takes courage!" Vera Kostenko recalled.
"When everyone started heading to the seminar, the Gorodets farm wasn’t ready yet. What did he do? He worked tirelessly, day and night. He accomplished so much! He loved setting records," she said.
For example, Aleksandr Lukashenko was curious about how much land a tractor operator could cultivate in a single shift with diligent and efficient work. Even then, he motivated people to work hard while also responding to their needs by providing new, high-quality equipment. Through this example, he demonstrated the agricultural achievements that were possible.
Vera Kostenko shared that she struggled deeply during the collapse of the USSR, even experiencing heart problems. "The country was gone. Who should take the helm in such a storm, historical, human? Who should steer Belarus? The people realized that a completely different approach was needed, that leadership had to come from among them. I believe society was ready to evaluate him as a candidate. Think about how many paths he had traveled by the age of 40. To take the helm of the ship, to lead, but in a way that the masts wouldn’t break and the people would remain safe," she said emotionally.
Vera Kostenko highlighted that Aleksandr Lukashenko faced a difficult path in his early years as president, but he consulted with the people and found ways to consolidate power. "It was an extremely tough journey, and he endured it. Many envied that Belarus remained an island where many aspects of the Soviet system were preserved. There were numerous obstacles to prevent the union with Russia. Reading materials and imagining the forces directed against the president of Belarus, I thought that only an unstoppable person could withstand that," she remarked.
Vera Kostenko also expressed her distress over the erasure of "ideology" and "propaganda" in the years following the collapse of the USSR. "It hurt me. I saw it as a form of betrayal, a kind of ignorance. Any state without ideology is lifeless," she asserted.
Reflecting on Aleksandr Lukashenko’s childhood and teenage years, Vera Kostenko noted his frugality, as he understood the value of hard-earned money. "He knew what it meant to wield an axe, a scythe, and to harvest bread," she said.
At that time, the hardships of war and post-war years were still fresh in people's memories, and everyone, young and old, understood the meaning of labor.
Journalists accompanied Vera Kostenko to a bakery in Kopys, which Aleksandr Lukashenko had recently visited during a work trip. The bakery serves as a model to replicate its success in other small settlements, according to the president.
With tears in her eyes, Vera Kostenko recalled how, during the war, people, including her mother, often had nothing to feed their children. "I remember the war years. My mother stood beside me. My younger brother said: 'I’m hungry!' And my mother’s tears fell because she had nothing to give," she recalled. "I believe our country is known for warming people's souls by sending food. Others envy us for having the ability to feed our own people."
Vera Kostenko dreams of a future where nations exchange recipes instead of protest notes and proposed erecting a monument to bread and farmers.
"Our youth are well cared for. We have done everything to encourage childbirth. We give them so much. They are cherished. This is priceless. No era can compare to this. It is impossible to place anything alongside living in a peaceful country with a sufficient level of human well-being. It is incredibly valuable. I think that was once only a dream," she added.
Vera Kostenko, in a maternal way, even sympathizes with Aleksandr Lukashenko, acknowledging the immense workload he carries daily. "He has traveled across the entire country. He can handle three or four national-level issues in a single day and broadcast them worldwide. I tell you, this is something that cannot be measured. There are no scales, no system yet invented to quantify his daily contributions," she said.
She advises Aleksandr Lukashenko to take care of himself but does not want him to retire. "We need you. We will always need you. Now, another five years of presidency. He has such a unique presence: there will be more books, more films about him. Figures like him, personalities like his, will always be needed," Vera Kostenko concluded.
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