Belarusians Get Naked and Get to Work. (President’s Orders.) · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Belarusian Internet users stripped in their workplaces to respond to the President's call to put more effort into their work. Image from Instagram.
Belarusian citizens are not usually known to enthusiastically heed the commands of their long-time president Alyaksandr Lukashenka. In fact, his authoritarian monopoly on ruling Belarus is frowned upon. But as it turns out, there are exceptions to every rule.
On June 22, Lukashenka spoke at the All-Belarusian people's meeting, and, ending his speech, issued a call to Belarusians seeking a better life.
Наша жизнь в простом. Надо раздеваться и работать. До седьмого пота. Не будет этого – погибнем.
Our life is about simple things. We must get undressed and get to work. Work till we sweat. If we don't, we'll perish.
The video of Lukashenka's speech made the rounds on social media, with disbelieving users trying to confirm that he had indeed used the word “to strip” (раздеваться) and not the similar-sounding “to develop [themselves]” (развиваться).
But the transcript of the speech on the presidential website confirmed it. And so the Belarusians took to the task with gusto.
Soon, social media were flooded with photos and videos of (mostly young) Belarusians in their offices and workplaces, stark naked, strategically covering themselves with binders, office tables, laptops, and going about their workday. Belarusian urban news website CityDog collected the best specimens of the social network flashmob.
#раздеватьсяиработать #ялюблюсвоюработу #чутьчтомыодеты #четкаяконспирация #minsk
A photo posted by Маргарита Воропаева (@margo_voropaeva) on
Батька сказал раздеться и работать, мы разделись и работаем)
 #раздеватьсяиработать
 #корпоративныйстиль
 #irmcreative
A photo posted by @ssnnooppooyy on
Batka (Lukashenko's nickname) said we should get naked and work, so we got naked and are working.
#раздеватьсяиработать и мы последуем совету!)) #Fistashki #коллегидрузья
A photo posted by @budenis on
We'll follow the advice as well))
Все только для того, чтобы поднять экономику страны. #раздеватьсяиработать #lukashenko #belby #belbeznalby #computer #shop #work #ignat #жилистый #флешмоб
A photo posted by Alexandr Ignatovich (@fun_bayern) on
Anything to prop up the country's economy.
Thousands of Belarusians have been posting pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using the hashtag #раздеватьсяиработать (#getnakedandwork).
#раздеватьсяиработать #музейбровки #ниднябезбровки #музей
A photo posted by Музей Петруся Броўкі (@museum_brovka) on
Сегодня я прополола клубникуА как ты исполнил государственное поручение #раздеватьсяиработать? Не коси, #раздевайсяиработай
A photo posted by Viktoriya Akvinskaya (@akvinskaya) on
I weeded the strawberries today. And how have you fulfilled the state's command?
The flashmob became so popular that even users from other countries on the RuNet and beyond joined in.
Поддерживаю флешмоб сябров #раздеватьсяиработать ! Ибо пятница! #живебеларусь #лукашенко #пятница #работа
A photo posted by Hanna Hrabarska (@anya_grabarskaya) on
Supporting the Belarusian flashmob!
Some Internet users took the flashmob a step further and posted videos of songs composed specially for the occasion. In the videos, of course, the singing citizens are mostly naked. Which just goes to show that country leaders really need to be careful what they wish for.