Yuras Ziankovich Seriously Debated with Provocateur Tsierakh, Known as Lyudozhor. Why?

Screenshot of the video on the YouTube channel PlusMinus

Yury Tsierakh publishes columns and "neuro-comics" (comics on political topics, created by artificial intelligence) in the newspaper "SB. Belarus Today." He also runs an aggressive Telegram channel "Lyudozhory", where opposition politicians, independent social and cultural figures, Ukraine, and the West are slandered. As a provocateur, Tsierakh also previously spread disinformation in the media.

Together with propagandist Liudmila Hladkaya and caricaturist Aleh Karpovich, he released the book "The Reversal of the Rebellion" in 2022 — Ziankovich is also mentioned in it.

The discussion between Tsierakh and Ziankovich was published on the newly created YouTube channel PlusMinus (it currently has 26 subscribers). The moderator was blogger Max Morrison. They did not reach an understanding: Tsierakh is convinced that the state deservedly punishes those who disagree with the authorities. And he advised those who want to return from emigration to contact the repatriation commission.

Given Tsierakh's persona, a perfectly logical question arises: why invite a marginal propagandist to a discussion?

"Nasha Niva" asked Yuras Ziankovich about the strange conversation. He explained that the channel's producer invited him.

— The proposal for a specific conversation with Lyudozhor was his. I said I was ready to talk to anyone, because I'm not afraid of a heated discussion. As far as I know, Lyudozhor said the same thing. Therefore, it was decided to make the pilot program with the two of us.

Yuras adds that he knew Lyudozhor before the events of 2020, but indirectly.

— In 2020, he actively started supporting Lukashenka on the eve of the elections. I asked him why, and what made Lukashenka so dear to him. He then told me that he was alienated from the "BChB-supporters" (referring to the opposition) by the conflict around Kurapaty, when he was going to "Let's Eat Let's Eat" and encountered rude and aggressive behavior from picketers. Since I've been connected with this conflict since 2017 — and still believe that the problem was fabricated and artificially inflated — in this regard, I had understanding and sympathy for him.

At least the person was able to explain his position sincerely and credibly. Certainly, in his case, it's not about money or any administrative preferences — financially and business-wise, everything was good for him even without politics. I think it was even better without politics, because politics hinders any business (what kind of entrepreneurship Tsierakh has is unknown — NN).

Since then, Ziankovich says, he periodically exchanges messages, and sometimes calls Tsierakh.

— I also noticed that over four years, when Lyudozhor wrote about our case, he never made an unethical attack against me and never insulted me. He wrote based on facts. This is also a clear signal for me that the person does not mix personal relationships with politics. It is very important to be able to maintain human relationships even in the face of acute political conflicts. Unfortunately, many people among opposition figures do not know how to do this, mixing the personal with the political. It was all the more unexpected to encounter such a thing from a Lukashenka supporter.

To the question of whether he is satisfied with the results of the discussion, Yuras answers:

— Not 100%, because it would have been possible to finally corner Lyudozhor and force him to admit the incorrectness of references to a law when the law itself is criminal. But I believe that, for the most part, I managed to refute his argumentation, to show (in his own words) that courts sign everything brought to them, and (again, in his own words) to show that Lukashenka's regime is so weak that it fears simple words. A regime that fears words will not withstand even minimal active actions. This is a confession of weakness and an understanding that there is no public support.

On Facebook, Ziankovich wrote about the debates: "Some opposition figures have already badgered us endlessly with their requests 'let's have a round table,' 'we need to talk,' 'we need to hear the other side,' 'nothing will work without dialogue.' (...) So, we decided to model a real round table for you with a hardcore representative of the regime. Here's the dialogue. See for yourselves what the 'other side' looks like, with whom we will have to deal. (...) If you think a 'real round table' should look different, then I have no other regime to show you. This is their normal, their logic."

Let us recall that in 2022, similar debates were held between propagandist Ryhor Azaronak, blogger Yury Tsierakh, journalist Dzyanis Dudzinski, and former BYPOL member Aleh Talerchyk. The online meeting was organized by the YouTube channel "Platform 375" (other discussions were also published there). The debates were hosted by journalist Kiryl Pazniak. In September 2025, he was arrested, and his channel was declared an "extremist formation." His 20-year-old daughter Yanina was also arrested.

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