Top-5 Fake News. Russian Celebrity Confused Switzerland with Lesotho, & Representatives of Belarusian Propaganda Media Chopped Firewood for Freezing Poles

Russian singer Victoria Tsyganova, together with her husband and producer Vadim, gave an interview to the top Belarusian propagandist Grigory Azarenok on November 2. 

During the conversation, the celebrity correlated the level of well-being and the number of suicides in Western countries:

“And all this consumerism, an idle, comfortable existence will simply lead to collapse. In Switzerland, people live very well — they have the highest suicide rate.”

According to World Bank data, the suicide mortality rate in Switzerland was 14.5 people per 100 thousand population in 2019. The country ranked 31st in the world in terms of suicide rates. In Russia, this figure is almost twice as high — 25 people per 100 thousand. The Russian Federation was in 9th place in terms of suicidality. 

First place was occupied by the African state of Lesotho — 72 people per 100 thousand population.

On October 30, European diplomats paid homage by visiting Kurapaty in Minsk, the mass grave of victims of Stalin's repression. The head of the German mission in Belarus Michael Nowak was bombarded by questions from Lyudmila Gladkaya, representative of the Belarusian propaganda newspaper ‘SB. Belarus Today’:

“I lay flower to honor the memory of the victims of Stalin’s terror here,” the diplomat told her.

“Yes? Did you know that on May 9 it is customary for us to lay flowers in memory of the huge number of victims of fascist terror? Have you been there?” Gladkaya asked. 

“You know, I have laid flowers in many places…” 

“No, have you been at the flower-laying ceremony, at the gala event on May 9?” she attacked again.

“We take part in many events,” the diplomat answered.

“On May 9, were you at the flower-laying ceremony? On May 9th? No,” she finished.

The day after, propagandist Grigory Azarenok and pro-government political scientist Alexei Dzermant commented on that dialogue on the air of the program ‘Azarenok. Napryamuyu’:  

“This is also very important about those German men. They never came to Khatyn on May 9. They do not make us happy with their presence, to honor the memory of the victims. No, that's not interesting,” Azarenok stated.

“This again highlights the focus of their ideology,” Dzermant added.

Chargé d'Affaires of Germany Michael Nowak has been heading the embassy in Minsk since July 4, 2023. His predecessor, Manfred Huterer, annually on May 9, solemnly laid flowers and visited the Yama and Khatyn memorials, as well as the Krasnyi Bereg and Trostenets complexes.

On October 31, Aleksandr Lukashenko had a meeting with the Minister of Energy of Belarus to discuss the completion of the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said that electricity in Belarus has become more affordable, and its consumption has increased. Propaganda-run TV channel ONT added that it was caused by lower tariffs.

“Lower tariffs encourage the use of electric heating for homes and water,” the news outlet said.

In 2023, the preferential gas tariff is 0,206 BYN per cubic meter. And electricity costs 0,045 BYN per one kW. Taking into account the efficiency of modern gas boilers, one megajoule of heat with gas costs 0.066 BYN vs. 0.124 BYN of heat with electricity.

Thus, heating with gas is two times cheaper than heating with electricity.

Since the launch of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, electricity in Belarus has become more expensive. In 2020, the cheapest tariff for heating houses was 0.03 BYN per kW, and in November 2023 — 0.04 BYN. The tariff for heating flats increased from 0.16 to 0.20 BYN over the same period.

Belarus held the second Firewood chopping championship on October 29. The day after that, Alexey Avdoninin, pro-government analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, in the air of state-run ‘Alfa Radio’ claimed, that the event should help the Poles in the fight against the “frost genocide”.

“We started chopping wood to help them. We bring this firewood to the border and citizens, since we have a visa-free regime, citizens of neighboring countries can come and take this firewood and stock them up before the winter.<…> We see that the event is scaling. Therefore, there will be even more help to our neighbors,”, the propagandist said.

A year ago, while chopping wood with oligarch Sergei Teterin, Aleksandr Lukashenko did state that he was ready to help President of Poland Andrzej Duda with firewood: 

“Let's not let Europe freeze, Semenych, let's help our brothers, maybe they too will help someday,” Lukashenko said.

“You think about everyone: about Europe and the whole planet,” Teterin added.

“Well <...> The main thing is that Duda and Morawiecki don’t freeze in Poland,” Lukashenko stated.

Last year, journalists' cameras recorded that the chopped firewood was taken not to the border with Poland, but to a senior woman from the village of Gaishche, Minsk region. This year the Poles did not get any firewood either. Two lonely Belarusian seniors from the Minsk region were presented with 5 cubic meters of firewood each.

On October 4, the propaganda-run Belarussian news agency BelTA covered the topic of three Belarusian cement plants, which have been successfully developing thanks to the timely decisions of Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“There was a big problem regarding the further development of the holding, associated with unaffordable debts. The head of state adopted Decree No. 181, which in principle made it possible, firstly, to keep three factories working, which today operate at full capacity and more than 60% is exported, and secondly, to ensure their normal systemic operation and development,” propaganda claims. 

They were talking about the Belarusian Cement Plant, and both enterprises Krasnoselskstroymaterialy and Krichevcementnoshifer, which Lukashenko decided to modernize almost 20 years ago. Over a billion euros have been invested in these enterprises, mainly with Chinese loans, guaranteed by the government. But the factories never became profitable and their debts are now being paid back from the state budget. 

In 2023, the enterprise Krasnoselskstroymaterialy reported losses of 40 million BYN, and in 2021 — 20 million BYN. 

The Belarusian Cement Plant has finished 2022 year with minus 40 million BYN, although in 2021 it managed to reach a profitability of 1.5 million BYN. During this period, losses of the enterprise Krichevcementnoshifer increased from 10 to 23 million BYN. 

Decree No. 181 provides another deferment from the payment of debts. This time — until 2049.

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