Who is Lukashenko anyway?

Eighteen years in power and counting, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko retains a mesmerising hold on a country whose public spaces still glorify the mythological beasts of Soviet-era rule.

Towering bronze statues of Lenin in front of city halls remind visitor and resident alike of Lukashenko's power and anachronistic vision. The Soviet star, hammer and sickle sit on top of the Cyclopean edifice of the state post office headquarters in Minsk.

Lukashenko is the product of a defu...