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Dialogues with Nicolai Khalezin: Siarhei Mikhalok

If a Belarusian is asked about the country’s most popular musician, he or she will definitely say it's Siarhei Mikhalok. On stage for 25 years, he fascinated, surprised and puzzled the audience.

Nicolai Khalezin

Co-artistic Director of Belarus Free Theatre, playwright, director, journalist

His image has been transforming constantly, he tried a variety of artistic images – a lyrical musician, a funny comedian, a rioting revolutionary. Until he came to his current image – a man with iron fists and a brilliant sense of humour who doesn’t stay indifferent to what he sees. This image is probably the closest one to Siarhei Mikhalok’s true nature.

Siarhei and Nicolai Khalezin got acquainted in the late 1980s, when Belarus faced crucial historical changes and when political, social and cultural initiatives were appearing one by one, turning the former Soviet republic into a sovereign state. Siarhei founded Lyapis Trubetskoy Band, Bambuki theatre, Sasha I Sirozha comic duo, and recently – Brutto band. Nicolai was involved in the creation of Alternative Theatre, Vita Nova Contemporary Art Centre and Belarus Free Theatre in 2005.

The dialogue below took place in the dressing room of London’s legendary KOKO venue ahead of the concert I’m with the Banned, featuring David Gilmour, the bands Brutto, Pussy Riot, Boombox and prominent actors and musicians – Juliet Stevenson, Jeremy Irons, Kim Cattrall, Neill Tennant, Viktoria Modesta. The concert was ranked by the BBC among 15 best music events of 2015.

The conversation with Siarhei Mikhalok opens the new section Dialogues with Nicolai Khalezin on Moc.Media

I'm with the Banned: Full concert: