Alyona Lanskaya

Alyona Lanskaya, also known by her real name Alena Mikhailovna Lyapokhina, was born on September 7, 1985, in Mogilev, BSSR, USSR.

From a young age, she had a passion for music and found joy in holding concerts on the rooftop of her parents’ garage.

Her musical journey began in her early years when she started giving solo concerts and singing in the school choir during her first-grade days. As she grew older, Alena’s talent blossomed, and she performed with various groups and participated in children’s discos. Her dedication to music led her to perform at the prestigious national harvest festival Dazhynki in Shklov at the age of 15.

After completing her studies, Alyona pursued her love for music while attending the Mogilev Economic Vocational and Technical College, specializing in “Banking,” and later the Belarusian-Russian University, where she studied “Finance and Credit.” Despite her academic pursuits, she continued to participate in various city and national music competitions, showcasing her exceptional talent and passion for singing.

In 2005, Alyona gained recognition when she participated in the ANT television channel’s project Song of the Year in Belarus-2005, which was held during the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. Her song “Tishe-Tishe” won the hearts of the viewers and triumphed in the Silver Gramophone teleproject, maintaining its position at the top of the music charts for several weeks.

The year 2008 marked a milestone in Alyona’s career when she released her first music video for the song “Padaryu Mne Svitanak”.

She received a first-degree diploma at the European Music Competition “Sarandev” in Dobrich, Bulgaria, in May 2008. Her outstanding performances of the songs “Imyony” and “Don’t Lie” impressed the audience and judges alike.

Throughout her career, Alyona Lanskaya has achieved remarkable success in various music competitions, including winning the top prize at Sarandev-2008 in Bulgaria and the Cup of Europe-2009 in Russia. She won Atlantic Breeze-2010. Moreover, she received accolades and acclaim as the laureate of the Young Talents of Belarus competition, broadcast on the First National Channel of Belarusian Radio. Additionally, she earned the prestigious 1st degree laureate title at the competition of young performers of youth songs during the V International Festival Youth for the Union State in Russia.

In May 2009, Alyona secured the first place at the International Competition Cup of Europe-2009 held in Russia.

Alyona won the International Competition Atlantic Breeze-2010, held in New York, USA, in May 2010.

On March 8, 2010, her debut solo album titled “Labirynty lyosu” was released, featuring songs in Russian, Belarusian, and English.

In April 2010, Alyona Lanskaya became a laureate in the Pop Vocal category at the Young Talents of Belarus competition. In May, she unveiled her third music video for the song “Life is Ok!,”. In September 2010, Alyona’s became the winner the competition of young performers of youth songs during the V International Festival Youth for the Union State.

In July 2011, Alyona Lanskaya won the coveted Grand Prix at the Vitebsk-2011 competition, a significant event held during the internationally acclaimed arts festival Slavianski Bazaar.

Towards the end of 2012, Alena Lanskaya decided to participate in the qualifying rounds for the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest 2013. On December 7, 2012, the nation eagerly awaited the results of the national qualifying round conducted by the Belarusian state broadcaster. It was an exciting moment when it was officially announced that Alena Lanskaya had been chosen to represent Belarus in the esteemed Eurovision 2013 competition in Sweden. The song she would be presenting was titled “Solayoh,”. The song was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.Alyona Lanskaya reached the Grand Final and took the 16th place in the end.

Alyoa Lanskaya, in 2020, was honored with the Order of the President of the Republic of Belarus.

Regarding her political views: During the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus and the subsequent protests, Alyona Lanskaya actively showed her support for Alexander Lukashenko, the incumbent president. She openly accused Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the ex-presidential candidate, of attempting to incite a “maidan” (political uprising). Furthermore, she characterized the peaceful demonstrations by the opposition as a sign of Belarusians simply being tired of their economic conditions and wanting to become beggars. Lanskaya was seen participating in pro-government car rallies, displaying her solidarity with Lukashenko’s regime.

On January 5, 2021, Alena Lanskaya’s Instagram account, where she shared her thoughts on various matters, including the country’s situation, was unexpectedly blocked. The account had amassed 22,000 followers. In response to the blocking, she commented that social media platforms, including VKontakte, Instagram, and Facebook, did not play as significant a role in her life as they did for others. She also expressed her intention to lodge a complaint with the police if her account remained blocked beyond 24 hours, seeking a thorough investigation of the matter.