“Inflated ego, self-admiration” Tikhanovsky’s press secretary resigns

02/12/2025 - 11:33

Siarhei Biaspalau has left Sergei Tikhanovsky’s team and shared his version of what has been happening inside the group.

Siarhei Biaspalau has left Sergei Tikhanovsky’s team and shared his version of what has been happening inside the group. / Белсат

Sergei Tikhanovsky’s press secretary, Siarhei Biaspalau, announced his departure from the team of the blogger and former political prisoner, and on his Facebook page shared numerous rather scandalous details about Tikhanovsky’s working style.

He also spoke about when the first warning signs appeared and about the role of Vadim Prokopyev, with whom Tikhanovsky is currently in the United States.

Euroradio presents a brief summary of Siarhei Biaspalau’s emotional post, preserving the author’s tone and spelling.

“When Sergei was released, I was genuinely happy. His first interview and first press conference made a strong impression on me and created the image of a decent man with great potential. I wanted to help.

Through Aliaksandr Kabanau, I offered my assistance absolutely free of charge. I arranged with the Belarusian House in Warsaw to organize a meeting for Sergei with bloggers and the media.

Already there, the first warning bells started ringing: inflated ego, self-admiration, resentment toward the media, and talk about creating a special group where everyone would obediently post only what Sergei says. At that time, I attributed it to the consequences of five years in prison — the man had just been released, he needed time to recover and readjust.

At that same meeting, it was decided that I would become the press secretary. This decision was made by Sergei himself. I did not ask for it — initially I only wanted to help organize the event and support his work in general. I saw great potential in Sergei and thought he could become a ‘third force’ capable of uniting people. But, unfortunately, that did not happen.

The longer I stayed, the more I saw how he treated people on the team. That became my first major disappointment. Sergei does not know how to work with people.

One cameraman didn’t last even two weeks. The first assistant stayed about the same. The second cameraman — less than a month. The bodyguard lasted the longest — about two months. The team was forming and collapsing at the same speed it was created. Sergei’s rude behavior irritated almost everyone.

At the very beginning, I told him directly:

‘I’m here as long as we’re fighting a common enemy, not each other. The moment we start fighting among ourselves — I’m leaving.’ It seemed to me Sergei heard me then.”

When the incident in New York happened, I nevertheless supported Sergei.

I didn’t approve of the situation itself, but I thought that, in a sense, it might even be useful: now no one could say that “everything in the opposition is bought” and that he had no independent opinion. Although, as he later admitted himself, it all looked quite nervous.”

Biaspalau also recalls the moment when Tikhanovsky began to openly show irritation toward the actions of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office.

“Sergei returned from the U.S. to Warsaw for a couple of days. I met him at the airport; we talked for a long time at the hotel. He was very irritated by the Office’s actions. That’s when I felt that his main enemy was starting to change: instead of the regime, he was focusing more and more on those who were easier to fight here, abroad.

Anyone who dared to criticize or even have a different opinion automatically became ‘pro-Office.’ I quickly ended up in that category too.

Around the same time, Vadim Prokopyeu became Sergei’s ‘main authority’ — the person who, in his opinion, ‘truly loves Belarus’ and whose opinion is the only correct one.

Still in Warsaw, on November 17, Sergei sent me a message in Signal — a strange post written in my name. I quote the beginning:

‘Siarhei Biaspalau to all interested parties: I can no longer watch as Sergei is once again made the guilty one, while false information is being spread…’

The rest of the text was a harsh attack on the Office: accusations that it was full of ‘marginals,’ that Franak (Viačorka) and Dzianis Kuchynski were allegedly engaging in harassment, that the Office didn’t help with a visa or information about the award, and that Sergei himself was ‘used and then thrown away.’

I asked, ‘What is this? I didn’t publish this anywhere, and I didn’t write such a text.’

He replied, ‘It’s from you. Post it everywhere, send it to journalists, and drop it in the reformers’ chat.’

I said, ‘That’s direct escalation. I won’t do that. I’m ready to write a softer and more honest post, without exaggerations, because I know how things actually happened. I’ve never done smear campaigns and I don’t intend to start now.’

To which Sergei replied: either do it this way, or not at all. After that, he concluded that since I wasn’t willing to publish it under my name, it meant I was ‘Franak’s agent,’ and he no longer trusted me.”

"Больше любят русские". От Тихановского ушёл пресс-секретарь

“We argued and fought for a long time, and I realized it was impossible to change his mind.”

For him, there was only one good person — Vadim Prokopyeu, and only his words were the truth.

“As long as Vadim pays and praises him, he’s the best friend. When that stops, he’ll become a ‘scumbag,’ just like everyone else who’s gone through that same path — from friend to enemy. The funny and scary thing is that Sergei doesn’t even deny this scenario.”

Biaspalau recalls an episode in the United States, when Russians came to one of Tikhanovsky’s meetings.

“The event itself went outwardly well, although I couldn’t tell whether there were more Belarusians or Russians in the audience. One Russian even suggested that since Belarusians were ‘not grateful enough’ to Sergei for everything he’s done, maybe he should start advocating for their interests in the U.S.

After the meeting, in a conversation with the organizers, I learned that Sergei was dissatisfied with the amount of donations collected and said that he was ‘loved more by Russians,’ because they donate and give more money. That made me cringe with second-hand embarrassment.

But the most shameful and painful thing happened the next day.

First, Vadim Prokopyeu called me and said that as a member of Sergei’s team, I had to defend him — and that I was obliged to post that very text. Then Sergei himself started calling, practically blackmailing me: if I didn’t publish the post, he would cancel my return tickets.

He kept setting ultimatums — one hour, then two — threatening, swearing, and hurling insults I honestly hadn’t heard in such concentration for a very long time.

At some point, I just told him where he could shove those tickets, and that same day I bought my own ticket from Los Angeles to Warsaw with my own money.

The situation was extremely unpleasant and dirty. After such blackmail and an attempt to use me as a tool for personal grudges, I had absolutely no desire to continue any kind of cooperation with Sergei.”

Translation carried out with the help of AI.