Anywhere else in the world, winning a beauty pageant might earn you a crown, a bouquet of roses and a brief moment of fame.

But in Belarus it can bring something seen as far more valuable – a place in the social and political orbit of Europe's longest-serving dictator.

Over the years, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly been photographed alongside a succession of young beauty queens and models, while his estranged wife lives in secret behind the walls of a guarded compound in the countryside.

The women, many young enough to be mistaken for a granddaughter, have been spotted accompanying him to state receptions, hockey matches, cultural festivals and international trips.

And many – if not most – have gone on to secure prestigious government posts or lucrative roles within companies linked to the Belarusian leader's wealthy allies.

The phenomenon has become so familiar that Belarusians have coined a nickname for the women frequently seen by his side.

They have been dubbed the 'watermelon battalion', a mocking reference to the annual watermelon harvest events where many of them have appeared alongside the president.

Recent reports linking the 71-year-old president to 22-year-old model Aliya Korotkaya have sparked new speculation regarding the career success of young women connected to his inner circle. 

According to investigations by independent Belarusian outlet Buro, several women who became regular fixtures at official events alongside Lukashenko subsequently secured influential positions within the Belarusian state apparatus.

Among them is Vladlena Zaitsava, a finalist in the Miss Belarus 2021 competition.

Although she did not win the crown, she quickly found herself in the dictator's company.

She was first seen accompanying Lukashenko at the 2021 National Youth Ball in the capital of Minsk, where all the women are dressed in white gowns. She later sat beside him at the Alexandria Festival and danced with him at the annual Vienna Ball in Minsk.

Zaitsava also joined official foreign trips, including Belarus's delegation to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in December 2023, where she was listed simply as an 'officer'.

However, by that stage, she had already secured a position as chief adviser in Lukashenko's Presidential Office.

When contacted by reporters, she declined to discuss her role, stating bluntly: 'I'm in the middle of a workday. And if I decide that I want to talk to you and discuss this issue, I will call you,' before blocking the journalist's number.

A former Belarusian official told Buro that such positions may sound senior but are actually of low rank, often used to place young favourites close to the president.

'They have been appointed to a formal position [of chief adviser] because there are no other posts,' the official said.

'Had it not been in the Office of the President, [the position] would have been called a secretary. So [they are responsible for] some of the routine: keeping track of the schedule, answering the phone, connecting – not connecting, getting coffee, tea.'

Another beauty contest participant, Katsiaryna Humeniuk, followed a similar path.

After attracting Lukashenko's attention during official Independence Day celebrations and at an alumni ball at her university, she too became a chief adviser within the Presidential Office.

Humeniuk has reportedly worked there since 2021 and earned more than 141,000 Belarusian rubles (£40,000) from the state treasury between 2021 and 2024.

'The perks are more about connections and influence. You could say that career progression is faster there. If someone switches jobs from the Office to a ministry, it's at least at the head of department or deputy minister level,' one former official said.

One example of this professional progression is Daria Shmanay, winner of the 2013 Spring Queen competition.

Shmanay entered Lukashenko's Presidential Office in 2014 and spent almost six years working there before moving into the Foreign Ministry.

By 2022 she had been promoted to minister counsellor at the Belarusian embassy in Russia.

A former civil servant described the role as effectively a deputy ambassador position.

'Daria Shmanay holds a top management position at the embassy, ranking somewhere between second and fifth in command,' the source said.

'It definitely makes a mockery of diplomatic tradition, where you're supposed to work your way up from the bottom.'

Another prominent figure linked to Lukashenko was Maria Vasilevich, who won Miss Belarus in 2018.

Following a string of public appearances with the Belarusian leader, Vasilevich achieved her childhood goal of becoming a television presenter, where she was co-host of the morning show Good Morning, Belarus!.

Within months, she was elected to Belarus's House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member of parliament of that convocation.

Her parliamentary term lasted from 2019 until 2024, where the highlight of her time was championing the Responsible Animal Treatment Act, which passed in 2024.

Vasilevich was often at the centre of speculation about her relationship with Lukashenko.

During a 2018 visit to a museum, the president publicly teased her about sending her to the state run agricultural holding farm Kupalisko.

'Maria, come here, baby. Take a seat – let's see how you'd look at the Kupalisko,' he said.

However, she never made it to the farm. Instead, after stints as a politician and journalist, she founded Amalem, a company involved in the wholesale trade of pharmaceutical, veterinary, medical and orthopaedic products.

A majority 51 per cent stake in the company is owned by Alena Kazak, Lukashenko's personal intensivist. 

According to its 2024 accounts, Amalem carried out no significant business activity and generated no profit. Despite this, the company received a loan of 1.6million Belarusian rubles.

Other members of the 'watermelon battalion' also found employment, not directly within the state, but in businesses owned by oligarchs regarded as close allies of the president.

Alina Roskach, a contestant in Miss Belarus 2016, received a grant from a company owned by businessman Siarhei Tsiatseryn, and later built her career almost entirely within firms connected to his family.

Daria Krauchuk, another beauty pageant participant frequently seen accompanying Lukashenko at official events, worked for Tabak-Invest, a company linked to businessman Pavel Topouzidis.

However, Krauchuk rejected suggestions she had benefited from political patronage.

'[Tabak – Invest] is not my first job; I previously worked at a bank. And I got here [to Tabak – Invest] in a sincere way. So I am not sure what issues do you take with me?' she told reporters who inquired about her career progression.

Former schoolteacher Maria Bahamolava also caught Lukashenko's eye in 2011, after they met at a school ceremony where his youngest son Kolya was in attendance.

She was quickly transferred to the Minsk district school before undertaking placements in the UK while giving lessons to Kolya.

By 2022, she had joined Santa Retail, the business empire of influential Belarusian entrepreneur Aliaksandr Mashenski, working as a specialist in the foreign economic activity department.

The latest woman to attract attention is Aliya Korotkaya, a model and beauty pageant contestant who has competed in Miss Minsk, Miss Viva Braslav, Miss Belarus and the Russia-based Miss BRICS competition.

Korotkaya has increasingly appeared beside Lukashenko at public events over the past year.

Russian media outlets have openly referred to her as the Belarusian leader's 'young mistress'.

'Lukashenko has got himself a young mistress – a well-known model, participant in the Miss BRICS and Miss Belarus contests, Aliya Korotkaya,' one Russian channel claimed, adding, 'The president's favourite is 50 years younger than him.'

The attention on Korotkaya comes as Lukashenko's estranged wife Galina, whom he married more than five decades ago, continues to live largely out of public view behind the walls of a heavily-guarded property in rural Belarus.

The pair met while attending school in the village of Ryzhkovichi before studying together at university and marrying in 1975.

Despite never formally divorcing, the couple have reportedly lived separate lives for decades.

Galina has rarely appeared alongside her husband during his presidency, accompanying him on only one foreign trip to Israel in 1994.

According to reports, she continues to live in her native village behind a high brick wall, which was erected around the property after photographs emerged showing her milking a cow.

The reports claim Lukashenko was angered by the images and ordered both the removal of the animal and the construction of security measures around the home.

The reasons for the breakdown of their marriage remain unclear, but some reports suggest Galina preferred her quiet life in the countryside rather than relocating to Minsk as her husband rose through politics.

Others point to longstanding rumours about Lukashenko's relationships with the younger women who make up the 'Watermelon battalion'.

When asked once why he wouldn't seek a divorce, Lukashenko simply replied: 'I don't see the point.' 

During their fleeting relationship, Galina gave birth to the dictator's two eldest sons, Viktor, 50, and Dmitry, 46. 

The identity of the mother of his third son, Nikolai 'Kolya', 21, who is widely regarded as Lukashenko's favourite child, has never been officially confirmed. 

However, reports have long claimed that he was fathered with Lukashenko's longest-serving mistress, Irina Abelskaya. 

Abelskaya initially served as the president's personal physician before beginning to accompany Lukashenko to all his meetings and public appearances.

In 2001, Abelskaya was nominated for the position of chief doctor at the hospital of the Presidential Administration, and her mother, Lyudmila Postolko, was appointed Minister of Health. 

Although it has never been officially confirmed that Abelskaya is the mother of Kolya, she appears to have benefited from a privileged position. 

She has enjoyed a successful medical career, invitations to prestigious medical forums as a guest of honour and a range of other advantages. 

For his part, Lukashenko has openly spoken about the young women who regularly accompany him at official events.

Speaking about his so-called 'watermelon battalion', he once said: 'I never sit with a soapy face among officials at any event. On one side is my son, on the other is a girl. My protocol service employs very beautiful girls who often ask to sit next to me.'

And as new young women continue to appear at the dictator's side, speculation inevitably follows over who might be the latest addition to his inner circle.