Slave factory
Who doesn’t dream of demonstrating one’s talent under the spotlight, basking in the applause and adoration of a grateful audience, signing autographs and giving interviews? All these dreams came true for the finalists of the first season of the Belarusian TV show X Factor.
However, Buro discovered that the rising stars got their roles at the state “serf theatre” under far from fairy-tale conditions. Behind the success of the young artists are oppressive contracts and slave-like conditions. In this investigation, we will reveal how the state-funded Belteleradiocompany spent around a million euros to create new pop stars. We will also touch on how it came about that it is not the state that profits from young performers, but rather a private production centre connected to the family of Aleksandr Lukashenko.
MUM, I’M ON THE TELLY!
In October 2021, Belteleradiocompany launched a musical TV show called X Factor.
A star-studded panel of judges on the set of X Factor. Source: sb.by
The production of the large-scale reality TV show cost the media company a considerable amount of money – everything was done on a grand scale.
Buro compiled a cost estimate for the tender purchases of Belteleradiocompany. X Factor received a significant financial boost of almost 900,000 euros from budget funds, by conservative estimates. The following were paid for from the pockets of Belarusians: the design of production sets (including scenery, lighting and sound), the arrangement of make-up rooms, rights to use copyrighted musical pieces, filming equipment, and the services of directors, choreographers, scriptwriters, presenters, photographers, stylists, set decorators, voice couches, and even a specialist to monitor the psychological state of the contestants. Post-production costs, including editing, voice-over, computer graphics and social media promotion services, were covered by the same funds.
During the show, the jury selected the top 14 participants, who were offered intriguing terms for future collaboration with the state-owned enterprise.
The Buro editorial team obtained an exclusive document – an addendum to the contract between the top X Factor participants and Belteleradiocompany.
Essentially, the addendum outlines what would happen to them after the project ends. For example, the contestant cannot refuse the “community-beneficial assignments” of the media holding for two whole years, i.e. they must participate in any events for free, including advertising campaigns and sponsorship integrations. In addition, the artist cannot perform, give interviews or engage in civic activities, such as public and political events, rallies and protests, without the approval of Belteleradiocompany. Otherwise, a fine of 1,000 base values will be issued (equivalent to approximately 11,600 euros at the time of signing).
Buro asked music journalist Aliaksandr Charnukha to explain why young talents participate in state music reality shows.
“Opportunities for young people in Belarus are limited at the moment. And if there is even a slight chance for them to express themselves creatively, they [the youth] will certainly take advantage of it. Naturally, the Belarusian state uses this [music reality shows] to find new artists, and this has a country-wide reach. It’s extremely efficient and successful”.
This document is significant in another way, in that the finalists are handed over to a private production firm without any competition or tender. Belteleradiocompany emphasises, however, that the media holding “created an original image and reputation, improved the skill and artistry of the participant and led to growth in their professional relevance” – all at its own expense, i.e. using public money. Clearly, these investments can and should be monetised in the long run. The only issue is that the income from the artists’ performance, whose promotion was funded by taxpayers, will not be received by the state or Belteleradiocompany, but by a private production centre. The pro-governmental media holding demanded that the finalists conclude an exclusive contract with this centre.
“... shall sign an exclusive agency agreement with the production company specified by the Licensee [Belteleradiocompany], as well as an agreement to transfer exclusive rights to intellectual property on the terms and conditions proposed by the production company and within the timeframe specified by the Licensee. The refusal of the Licensor [X Factor participant] to sign the contract(s) may result in suspension from participation in the project”, reads one of the clauses in the addendum to the contract with Belteleradiocompany.
Buro asked Maria Kolesava-Hudzilina, a well-known lawyer who has worked with stars from the world of show business, among others, to comment on this provision of the addendum.
“It is definitely a violation of freedom of contract and the civil code. The artists are put in a situation where they have little choice. According to the Civil Code and the principles of contract law, no one can be forced to enter into a contract. Equality of arms between the parties is a prerequisite for any agreement, and this is not the case here. It’s a kind of formal blackmail”.
Ivan Eismant, the producer of X Factor and concurrently chairman of Belteleradiocompany, revealed who the pro-governmental holding company had appointed as the production company.
“When we created Factor.BY, the initial task was to establish a production company within Belteleradiocompany. It’s a significant effort, but we managed to find a private investor. Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya was established and is now producing these artists. Our task was not just to create a TV project, but also to contribute to the development of the Belarusian entertainment industry”.
X Factor producers. From left to right: Volha Salamakha, Ivan Eismant, Volha Shliaher, Hleb Shulman. Source: facebook.com/XfactorBelarus
Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya then offered to sign a cooperation agreement with all the X Factor finalists. We will further explain precisely how the “marionette theatre” from the Pinocchio story works.
CAGED BIRDS
Two sources connected with the show confirmed that this document was offered to participants in this form.
The conditions faced by the up-and-coming stars of Belarusian pop music are truly slave-like!
According to the contract, the producer has absolute power over those under their control. They have the full right to negotiate and conclude commercial deals on behalf of the artist, including with state authorities, to determine the timing of events, including advertising, and the amount of the fee at their discretion. In turn, the artist cannot back out of the producer’s agreements if they are not satisfied with the amount of remuneration or the format of the event, for example.
In addition, rising stars must hand over the logins and passwords for all their personal social media and email accounts to the producer or a person designated by the producer.
Another interesting clause in the contract is that the producer can, at their discretion and without the artist’s knowledge, “resell” them to another producer or company.
The rights of the artist, based on this contract, are essentially nonexistent. They cannot even terminate the document once it has been signed until the two-year term expires. The contract will then be renewed automatically each year. The artist can terminate the contract after two years by giving the producer at least 35 days’ advance notice. If terminated prematurely, a fine equal to the artist’s entire annual income will be imposed. Moreover, if the artist is ill for more than two days, goes on maternity leave, or does not perform for more than two weeks (although this is the producer’s liability), the term of “serfdom” is automatically extended by the duration of the “downtime”.
“All of this is very strange because the right to rest and labour is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. It should not be considered a prerequisite to extend the contract simply because someone was ill. That’s nonsense”, believes lawyer Kolesava-Hudzilina.
Concert activities cannot be conducted on the side without the knowledge of the Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya. Disclosure of the terms of the contract and information about producers and employees is also prohibited. There is a penalty for any breach of contract.
But the newly minted stars have no shortage of responsibilities! Obey unquestioningly and do whatever the producer tells you. Under the contract, they are king and god.
“It’s classic Eastern European serfdom. Production centres and the state want artists who are as docile and predictable as possible. How do you ensure this? Such inhumane contract terms are the only way to achieve total control”, says music journalist Aliaksandr Charnukha.
Although it may seem that the contract is already fully bonded, it can be made even more secure. The “financial conditions” part deserves special attention.
“The parties have agreed that the Agency Fee payable to the Producer is 90% of the Revenue (after deducting Expenses). The cost of the Artist’s Work under the Contract shall be 29 Belarusian rubles per month. The amount of remuneration payable to the Contractor under the Contract shall be 24.94 Belarusian rubles, net of taxes and other obligatory payments”.
It turns out that, after taxes and fees have been deducted, each artist’s monthly fixed salary will amount to around 25 Belarusian rubles! In addition, the performer is paid a fee for each performance. However, the producer will first deduct the expenses incurred: travel, props, accommodation and meals, concert venue rental, stage costumes and advertising costs. If the organiser of the event refuses to cover these costs, they will be at the artist’s expense. The producer will keep 90% of the remaining fee for their own services, with the rest being paid to the performer for their performance.
“I’ve seen 50/50 contracts, 60/40 and 70/30 contracts. But 90/10? I’ve never seen anything like that! This is definitely a bonded deal”, believes lawyer Maria Kolesava-Hudzilina.
On top of that, the artist will not know how correct the producer’s calculations were, or how much money was involved in the deals concluded with the event organisers. This is because, under the contract, the producer can inform the musician of their earnings in any format, without providing receipts or contracts.
In an interview with Belteleradiocompany, the producer of the Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya himself described the commercial relations with his charges as follows:
“We [at Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya] have a paternal dictatorship. The father says it – and that’s how we do it. I keep explaining to artists: you don’t need billions to be happy. I have a theory about how everything in the world is harmonised. If you have a lot of something, then, accordingly, you’re lacking something else – for example, family happiness or health. So you’re still paying something for something, right? I essentially convey this same message to them, and they already largely agree with it”.
At least seven finalists of X Factor in 2021 may have signed this production contract under these financial terms: Nastya Kravchenko, Nikita Belko, Nikol Furgal, Andrey Panisov, Viktoriya Poplevchenkova, Karina Erofeeva, and Marina Baranovskaya.
The calculation of the gross income of these artists, filed for them with the National Social Security Fund by Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya, indicates this.
“As for these artists’ logic, they have two choices: nothing or 10%. They don’t have a real audience of their own — the production company provides them with one. That’s why they agree to these terms. They don’t consider the possibility of a [monetary] bonus because they can’t independently generate it”, says music journalist Aliaksandr Charnukha.
Thus, we found out that Belteleradiocompany spent almost a million euros of taxpayers’ money on creating X Factor and promoting up-and-coming pop stars. For some reason, however, the state media holding decided not to recoup its investment, but rather to give the earnings from the young artists to the management of the newly created and completely unknown Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya. Thanks to the bonded contract, the production company received young musicians at its complete disposal – silent and powerless puppets. All that was left to do was pull the strings and collect the gold coins.
Buro discovered the identity of the all-powerful Director, as well as how much he earns from artists.
GOLDEN KEY
Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya ensured that its “marionettes” were not left without work or applause. And all because the leadership of the powerless troupe enjoys the authority and trust of not only the management of Belteleradiocompany, but also Lukashenko’s family members.
Thus, Sialuk presented one of her first “immortal” creations to Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya: the composition “What Have You Done for the Motherland?”. “The cry of a provincial methodologist’s soul” – a line from the song – was voiced by X Factor finalists Nastya Kravchenko and Nikita Belko.
Since then, Kravchenko and Belko have become regular performers at pro-government events, supporting Anna Lukashenko and her entourage.
Nastya Kravchenko at the Unity Marathon. Source: Instagram account @komariki_press
“Being close to power presents certain opportunities. It’s the easiest path to ‘success’: the ‘chance of a lifetime’, the ‘lucky ticket’. From the point of view of an insecure teenager who does not yet know how the world works and cannot take responsibility for going their own way, [cooperation with the state] is the simplest and most understandable framework”, says Aliaksandr Charnukha.
Serving the interests of state propaganda and the business interests of the family of the Belarusian president not only generated local popularity (let’s face it), but also substantial revenue in the accounts of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya, mostly from budget funds.
“I think Lukashenko subconsciously understands that [controlled show business] is a matter of national security. The pro-government narrative in popular music has always existed; it’s just that it has now been decided that [domestic show business] will be conducted through some ‘professional’ associations. The state is reluctant to spend large sums of money, so it uses no-names and promotes them instead. And the specialists are just as fitting – affiliated self-taught producers. The resident Belarusian show business industry is entirely focused on serving corporate interests”, remarks music journalist Aliaksandr Charnukha in an interview with Buro.
To be fair, it should be noted that, given the growing recognition and “demand” for the work of some nurselings of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya, decent royalties are now being paid for concert activities, in addition to the contractual salary of 29 rubles.
For example, Nastya Kravchenko earned almost 49,000 Belarusian rubles in gross income over nine months in 2024. Nikita Belko earned nearly 35,000 before taxes and National Social Security Fund deductions were made, and Marina Baranovskaya earned almost 31,500.
For artists who did not perform regularly, the infamous sum of 29 rubles still appeared in the National Social Security Fund declarations for 2024. This suggests that the contract may have been extended on the same financial terms as those offered in 2021, after the X Factor show ended.
At the request of the Buro, lawyer Maria Kolesava-Hudzilina analysed the draft addendum and production contract, reaching a disappointing verdict for Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya: the documents contained numerous violations of civil and labour laws.
“I think there’s definitely a violation of Articles 9 and 10 of the Civil Code here – it’s both an abuse of right and coercive contracting. I can also state a clear violation of Articles 180 and 390 of the Civil Code, which address the bondage of the deal. As far as labour law is concerned, there is some subordination in place, among other things, and the legislation explicitly states that a proper employment contract must be concluded. This violates Article 59 of the Labour Code. There should also be no underreporting of labour wages; that would violate Article 61. Nothing can be withheld [in the form of fines] at an employer’s discretion, [as this violates] Articles 75 and 77”.
ARE YOU REALLY A PRODUCER?
And yet: what merits did Belteleradiocompany recognise in Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya that led them to give their “voices” to it? Why was this firm permitted to operate under conditions that violate civil and labour laws? Why did Lukashenko’s daughter-in-law notice this particular company?
In search of answers to all these questions, we investigated the identities of the owners of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya. The firm was established on October 15, 2021 by two Belarusian individuals: Dzmitry Rakusau and Siarhei Rohach.
The latter has also become responsible for running the company and publicly producing X Factor graduates. For some reason, however, he prefers not to reveal his real surname and goes by the name Minsky on social media.
Siarhei Rohach (Minsky). Source: sb.by
Belarus-born Minsky was a famous entertainer at the turn of the century. His vocal career took off in 1998 at the Slavianski Bazaar, but it was short-lived – the failed singer turned to the producers.
Admittedly, Minsky-Rohach’s career path has been more sports-related, according to the data provided by CyberPartisans. From 2011 to 2014, he worked at the Presidential Sports Club, the permanent chairman of which is Dmitry Lukashenko, the middle son of our “national leader” and the husband of Anna Lukashenko-Sialuk.
Rohach worked for the Minsk Football Club from 2013 to 2014 and for the Minsk Cycling Club from 2014 to 2015.
In 2018, Siarhei Rohach and his wife, Tatsiana, together with other partners, opened the event agency Rozovaya Zebra. They each own 50% of the firm. Among other things, the company organised sporting pro-government events.
From 2018 to 2020, the family of the future co-owner of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya organised an international Christmas hockey tournament for which Lukashenko provided the prizes. The “No. 1 hockey player” himself – Aleksandr Lukashenko – usually takes to the ice as part of this tournament. The Presidential Sports Club co-organised the competition. The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Belarus hosted the 2022 Embassy Cup, at which Rozovaya Zebra made its appearance. The event was organised to celebrate Russia Day.
Rohach’s portfolio includes sports events held under the auspices of the National Olympic Committee, which is headed by Viktor Lukashenko, another one of Aleksandr Lukashenko’s sons. In 2019, the event agency organised the International Olympic Day celebrations.
Additionally, the producer collaborated closely with the cycling federation. Rozovaya Zebra was entrusted with organising the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Cycling World Cups, the Minsk Grand Prix on the track (timed to coincide with the II European Games) and the My First Bike family festival.
A black streak hit Rozovaya Zebra in 2024 when one of the agency’s co-founders was arrested by the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime for participating in protests following a denunciation by pro-Russian activist Volha Bondarava. Following this incident, the Ministry of Culture removed Rohach’s firm from the register of “trustworthy” organisers of cultural and entertainment events and included it in the register of unscrupulous suppliers. Meanwhile, all signs suggested that Rohach’s new business was unaffected.
In 2022, Rozovaya Zebra’s revenue totalled almost 1.3 million Belarusian rubles, while its net profit amounted to nearly half a million, equivalent to around 170,000 euros. In 2024, the event agency generated over a million in revenue, but finished the financial year with a negative balance sheet.
It is not by chance that Siarhei Rogach was chosen as an X Factor finalists’ producer. We also discovered a link between the reality show and the Lukashenko brothers, in addition to his extensive working ties with them.
From the draft addendum to the Belteleradiocompany contract, we learned that the show had a script that the contestants were required to adhere to strictly. Even their “own” statements and dialogue with the jury were pre-written. Buro found a tender for the purchase of this service. The author of the 16 scripts in the comedy (!) genre was Siarhei Rohach. He received 24,000 Belarusian rubles from the public purse for this work.
A Buro journalist called Siarhei Rohach to ask why he keeps 90% of his artists’ fees for himself. Rohach said he “didn’t understand the question” and suggested they “use Telegram to communicate”. We have sent him some questions and are waiting for his response.
RABBIT EARS
Siarhei Rohach’s partner prefers to keep a low profile. Dzmitry Rakusau is 40 years old and comes from a family of security service officers.
Dzmitry Rakusau. Source: dynamo-brest.by
In a 2019 interview with Citydog, he provided the following self-description:
“I come from a family of officers. My father is a general [Dzmitry Rakusau’s father, Aliaksandr Rakusau, was the former head of the Investigative Committee for the Mahilou Region – note the Buro], and my grandfather and great-grandfather also served. With such a family background, my future was predetermined. Ever since I was a child, I have had pictures of myself wearing peaked caps, handcuffs and harnesses – basically, the full S&M kit. My entry to the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy was not contested. I spent 10 years working for the internal affairs agencies, and then I decided to switch careers”.
According to Dzmitry Rakusau, he left the Ministry of Internal Affairs to start his own business. He first became a branch manager in a large wholesale company selling fruit and vegetables, before moving to another holding company. Thanks to CyberPartisans, we discovered that Rakusau left the law enforcement agency to work for the Mahilou firm, Fruktest, before becoming an employee of Sohra, a group of companies personally owned by Lukashenko’s “moneybag”, businessman Alexander Zaitsev.
Dzmitry Rakusau. Source: Dzmitry Rakusau’s Instagram account
In 2018, Rakusau also gave media interviews in his capacity as a representative of Sohra.
From 2020 to 2021, Rakusau held the position of Director at Kairos Sport. This company once owned the “national sportswear brand” Iros. The Belarusian Olympic team was wearing uniforms from this brand at the 2022 Beijing Games.
The first branded store opened in the Zamok shopping mall in Minsk in February 2023. At the time, the media were surprised that Viktor Lukashenko attended the ceremonial event. Buro has found out that the eldest son of Lukashenko was present at the opening of the retail outlet by no means accidentally. He is not only the head of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), but also the owner of the Iros brand. From 2020 to 2024, the NOC owned Kairos Sports. The Iros trademark was subsequently re-registered and is now owned by the NOC until 2030.
Until 2022, Kairos Sport’s partners in the “national” business were Zaitsev’s Rukh Sport Management and Dana Astra, a construction company owned by the Karić brothers, who are Serbian businessmen. Aleksandr Lukashenko personally allocated the most desirable plots of land in Minsk to the Karić brothers for development on favourable terms.
The extent of the earnings of the NOC, its chairman and business partners from the “national brand” over time is yet to be ascertained. According to the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, Kairos Sport’s accounting data is classified as a tax secret.
However, Dzmitry Rakusau’s ties with Lukashenko’s eldest son extend beyond the sale of sportswear. According to CyberPartisans, in 2019, Rakusau was listed as a member of the Bastion Hockey Club sports community association. Half-brothers Viktor and Nikolai Lukashenko play for this team. In addition, we found a joint photo of Rakusau and Viktor Lukashenko wearing outfits from the HOG Minsk Chapter motorcycle club on Rakusau’s Instagram page. The club is part of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group Minsk Chapter and its main division in Belarus.
From right to left: Viktor Lukashenko and Dzmitry Rakusau. Source: Dzmitry Rakusau’s Instagram account
The club’s friends on the official website include the Iron Birds Chapter. The chapter’s founders include Artem Chaika, the son of the Russian Prosecutor General, and Viktor Lukashenko.
It turns out that not only do Dzmitry Rakusau and Lukashenko’s eldest son share business interests, but they also have a common hobby. Remember that Alexander Zaitsev, Dzmitry Rakusau’s former boss, is also connected to Lukashenko’s eldest son. He was an assistant to Viktor Lukashenko in the State Secretariat of the Security Council back in the noughties, for which he was subject to EU sanctions in 2021.
Like Siarhei Rohach, it seems that Rakusau was also involved with X Factor from the outset.
During one of the reality TV auditions, a man took to the stage and said he wanted to sing a song. Rohach’s script in the comedy (!) genre prompted the star jury to start “perplexing” themselves on purpose, like “What is going on?” The situation was clarified by Olga Buzova, a member of the jury, who said:
“It’s Dzmitry. We [the jury] all know him. I met him as soon as I arrived in Minsk, and we had our first corporate meeting with the entire management team. We were getting to know each other”.
Unfortunately, the Buro’s editorial team was unable to reach Dzmitry Rakusau.
HIDDEN INCOME
Judging by the annual financial statements, business at Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya is booming. According to the papers, it’s a textbook example of success. In 2022, the company generated revenue of almost 400,000 Belarusian rubles. In 2023, it increased to nearly 2.1 million rubles (about 645,000 euros), and in 2024, it surpassed 2 million rubles (over 580,000 euros).
However, over its four years of operation, the production centre has not boasted profits for some reason. The company is either unprofitable or on the verge of collapse. In 2022, Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya finished the year with losses of 46,000 Belarusian rubles. In 2023, the net income was only 25,000 Belarusian rubles. For 2024, the company has a negative balance of over 300,000 rubles. The earnings seem to “disappear into an accounting fog” under the line item “procurement of goods, works, and services”.
We asked lawyer Maria Kolesava-Hudzilina how and where money can be withdrawn from Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya’s balance sheet.
“For example, a legal entity has founders and/or employees. And with these founders/employees, registered as individual entrepreneurs or other LLCs, agreements are concluded for services of an unknown nature, such as consulting services. This is most often a way of withdrawing money from the legal entity. It could be that they’re simply cashing out the money through various services”.
Buro also has data on Dzmitry Rakusau and Siarhei Rohach’s contributions to the National Social Security Fund. It shows that the owners of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya are truly dedicated – they work purely for the sake of it!
According to data from the Security Fund, it seems as though Rakusau works at Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya on a voluntary basis, as he has not received any income from the firm during its entire existence.
Perhaps producer Rohach, who is more of a public figure, has a decent salary? Also no. In 2021, his gross salary totalled 228 Belarusian rubles. In 2022, his salary increased to 258 roubles. In 2023 and 2024, his monthly gross income ranged from 298 to 358 rubles. Over the four years of production, Rohach earned a gross total of only 10,000 Belarusian rubles.
But how can the owners of a production company with a turnover of millions, which generates 90% of its income from concerts, earn less than the minimum wage per month? Lawyer Maria Kolesava-Hudzilina offered her explanation as to why not all of the personal incomes of the owners of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya may have been reflected in their mandatory social insurance documentation.
“The salary is one thing, but the earnings of the sole proprietor are in a different ballpark. If you [a legal entity] enter into an agreement with a sole proprietor, it is usually agreed that the sole proprietor will pay their dues. The National Social Security Fund operates differently from similar agencies in the EU, where deductions are based on income. I think he pays the minimum possible amount to the Social Security Fund, like many people do”.
Thus, we discovered that the state promoted new national talent through Belteleradiocompany and spent at least a million euros of taxpayers’ money doing so. At the same time, for some reason, the pro-government media group did not want to repay the budget “investments” and handed the young performers over to the private “serf theatre” of Pervaya Produserskaya Kompaniya, whose owners are connected to the Lukashenko family.
Not all of the top X Factor participants agreed to promote the narratives of the Belarusian authorities at pro-state events. Those who succumbed to the temptation of fame sing and dance under bonded terms, contrary to civil and labour laws. That’s how it is in the harsh and merciless world of Belarusian “show business”. The “voices” may be of the people, but the business is a closed circle.