In an era of revolutionary transition in male-female relations during which female power has been steadily increasing (especially in "advanced" countries), it's not a surprise any more to see a woman (Herasimeniaa, the celebrity) portrayed as in command of an important political movement and a man (Opeykin, the political hack) deemed her second fiddle.

Female power is at the heart of the revolution in Iran, female power has been widely in evidence in fights over abortion rights in the West, and female power helps explain why a "[t]hree-time Olympic swimming medalist" can be the most important member of the Belarusian opposition, someone it is possible to imagine as the leader of an Eastern European nation.

And since her increased status is in harmony with the broader changes in the wider world, I fully expect her movement to triumph sooner or later, and on that day to see her on TV, standing on a podium in front of countless cameras, with other associates like Opeykin, lending dignity and legitimacy to the new government.