Руслан Алехно

Early Life

Ruslan Fyodorovich Alekhno was born on October 14, 1981, in Babruysk, Belarus. Growing up in a military family, he was the only son with one younger brother and a large extended family of 23 cousins. His early interest in music led him to take classes in playing the bayan and trumpet. At the age of 16, he composed his first piece, with his mother as his sole audience and critic. After graduating from Babruysk State Auto-Transport College, he served in the Belarusian army, where he joined the Belarusian Armed Forces Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, marking the beginning of his musical journey.

Career

Alekhno's career took off in 2001 when he won the Belarusian TV project Hit-Moment. He continued to gain recognition by winning various contests, including the prestigious Narodniy Artist – 2 in 2004, which is the Russian version of Pop Idol. His victory led to the release of his debut album, "Rano ili pozdno" in 2005. In 2008, he represented Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Hasta la Vista" after winning the National Television Musical project EuroFest. Since then, he has continued to evolve as an artist, releasing new music and videos, including the popular single "Ne zabyt'" in 2012.

Personal Life

Alekhno's personal life has seen him married twice; first to actress Irina Medvedeva from 2009 to 2011, and later to Yulia Alekhno, with whom he has a daughter named Varvara, born in 2017. A devout Eastern Orthodox believer, he practices his faith diligently. Although initially hesitant to comment on the political climate in Belarus, he later participated in an anti-protest song during the 2020-2021 protests, while maintaining a degree of political ambiguity regarding his voting choices. Alekhno has also faced criticism for his connections with the Belarusian government and for opposing boycotts of cultural events.