Who Has Taken Chyzh’s Place In Lukashenka’s Clique?

It has become known, who now accompanies the dictator to recreational events.

The owner of Santa Braemar and Savushkin Product Aliaksandr Mashenski has often been seen in the company of dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka at recreational events. nn.by reports this, citing informed sources.

Yesterday's information about Yury Chyzh’s detention brings forth the question, who has taken his place in the ruler’s team, which accompanies Lukashenka on holiday, concerts and other similar events.

“Mashenski is more often enlisted. As far as I know, he was in Sochi during the president's short-term vacation together with oligarch Aliaksandr Shakutsin, head coach of Yunast Mikhail Zakharau, Vice-President of the Belarusian Tennis Association Siarhei Tsetseryn. Well, that is a traditional support group of businessmen, athletes, friends, beautiful girls,” – the informed source says.

However, the source reminds, it’s not a secret for anybody, that “Aliaksandr was the power's favourite.”

“Maybe not all of his initiatives were supported, and he was not allowed to do everything, but the fact that he is well received in this crowd – is not a sensation,” the source considers.

In 2010, Aliaksandr Mashenski was one of the trustees of the presidential candidate Aliaksandr Lukashenka. After that there were plans to ban the businessman’s entering the EU. But he managed to defend himself, to assuage doubts and, moreover, to import his products to the EU.

“Everyone knows that Aliaksandr Lukashenka helped Mashenski to open the door to the Russian market. It was Lukashenka’s support that allowed him to import to Russia on a large scale,” – the source says.

At the end of 2014 the revenue of Aliaksandr Mashenski’s holding exceeded one billion dollars. Only Savushkin Pradukt and Santa Braemar accumulated 480 and 442 million dollars respectively, Ezhednevnik writes, according to which Mashenski took the third place in the ranking of the most influential Belarusian businessmen. The position of milk and fish business of Brest entrepreneur got even stronger after the introduction of Russian grocery embargo on Western countries.

It is impossible not to mention Aliaksandr Mashenski’s social activities. The businessman is a member of the Council for Enterprise Development in Belarus and the Commodity Distribution Network of the Belarusian Organizations Abroad, he is the Honorary Consul of Iceland in Belarus and the chairman of the Belarusian Rowing Federation and is included in the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Development.