Belarus President’s Speech Leads to International Striptease

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko may have received more than he bargained for when a speech intended to tout the benefits of a strong work ethic instead inspired workers across the globe to get naked.

“Innovations, IT-technologies, privatisation — it is all clear. We’ve conquered all of them. But everything is very simply, one should get undressed and work,” Lukashenko said during a speech on the economy.

— TUT.BY (@tutby) June 24, 2016

The president meant to say “develop themselves,” but the phrase closely translates to “get undressed” in Russian — the language spoken by 72% of the population. Just over 10% of the population speak Belarusian, despite it being the official language.

Ничего особенного, просто #раздеватьсяиработать. Для кого-то прикольный флешмоб, а для нас банальные будни) #раздевайсяиработай #распранаццаіпрацаваць #распранайсяіпрацуй #надораздеватьсяиработать

A photo posted by @keshakedysh on Jun 28, 2016 at 11:07pm PDT

#раздеватьсяиработать #музейбровки #ниднябезбровки #музей

A photo posted by Музей Петруся Броўкі (@museum_brovka) on Jun 24, 2016 at 4:51am PDT

Thousands of Belarusians mocked his statement by getting naked at work and posting photos to social media using the hashtag #раздеватьсяиработать (#getnakedatwork).

 

— Дэйли Минск (@Daily_minsk) June 24, 2016

“The president said this was necessary,” one Instagram user remarked.

Hiding their private areas with various work supplies, including everything from laptops to slabs of concrete, workers from a variety of fields stripped down across the nation, causing the racy, viral flashmob to go viral globally.

— Polat (@dik_durr) June 30, 2016