5 facts about new Education Minister

Born in Russia
Ihar Karpenka was born in 1964 in the city of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia

Head of the Communist Party
First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus

Mounted the last Lenin monument in the world
He was behind the mounting of yet another Lenin monument - near the entrance to the Minsk Tractor Works.

He was "involved in the birth of children on the Day of the City"
There was a lot of noise after the press released by the Minsk City Executive Committee read that "on September 16, 2013 the Minst City Administration will congratulate the mothers whose children were born on the Day of the City with participation of the deputy head of Minsk City Executive Committee Karpenka." The press office staffer who wrote the press release eas fired.

Minsk's main ideologue
He served as a deputy chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee in charge of ideology. Karpenka oversaw the work of the departments for ideology, sport, education, healthcare and social protection.