Edward Tarletski

Edward Zinowevich Tarletski (; born 5 February 1969), also known by the stage names Norma Pospolita and Madame Zhu-Zhu is a Belarusian drag performer, recording artist, entertainer, journalist, gay activist, and costume designer, living in Stockholm, Sweden. He was born in Minsk, Belarus on 5 February 1969. Edward Tarletski graduated as a photographer and a journalist in European Humanities University (Minsk) in 1996. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Life in Belarus

In 1990, Tarletski was one of two people who hunger striked for returning the Church of Saints Simon and Helena building to the Catholic community in Minsk.

Between 1993 and 1998, Tarletski worked as a journalist for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and as an editor of youth programming at the Belarusian state television station; at the same time he published articles in the Belarusian Catholic magazine "Nasha vera" (Our faith).

Edward Tarletski was the first Belarusian person to publicly come out in 1998. In the same year, he founded BELARUS LAMBDA LEAGUE, the first LGBT organization in Belarus.

On 19 April 1999, Tarletski organized the first ever gay public action in Belarus, when LGBT rights activists demonstrated to protest the authorities' refusal to register their organization.

Two years later, during the action "Gays against Fascism", which took place on 3 July 2001 in the memorial complex to victims of Holocaust "Yama" in Minsk, Traletski stated:At the public action "Gays against fascism" which was held at memorial "Maly Trostenets extermination camp" during the Belarus Gay Pride in Minsk on 5 September 5, 2001, Edward Tarletski said:

In 1998–2005, Tarletski published and edited Belarusian LGBT magazines FORUM LAMBDA and TABOO.

Between 1999 and 2002, Edward Tarletski held the position of Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Belarus Gay Pride (Minsk Pride) festivals.

In 2005, Edward Tarletski started his career as a drag entertainer in the LGBT club named Babylon in Minsk, Belarus.

Life in Ukraine Being politically persecuted in Belarus, Tarletski moved to Ukraine in 2008, when he played the role of DIVA in the cult Russian movie Chapiteau-Show which won the prize of the XXXIII Moscow Film Festival. After that, Edward Tarletski focused on a career as a drag entertainer and later, he founded the famous Ukrainian drag queen contest ″MISS DIVA″ in 2013. In February 2014, Edward Tarletski as Madame Zhu-Zhu took part in TV show "Zvana Vecherya" (Ukrainian version of the My Kitchen Rules), episodes 46–50 Being a popular artist in night clubs of Ukraine, in 2015, Tarletski has participated as a drag performer in the music video ″WINGS″ Surrender album of the British duo Hurts. 2015 he applied for political asylum in Ukraine, but his demand was refused. In 2018 he moved to Sweden.

Life in Sweden Since 2018 Tarletski has lived in Stockholm, Sweden, where he participates in the protest movement against the government of Alexander Lukashenko.

Filmography + Title Year Role Notes Chapiteau-Show 2011 Diva Director: Sergey Loban Writer: Marina Potapova

Television credits + Title Year Role Notes Zvana Vecherya episodes 46–50 2014 Madame Zhu-Zhu Produced for STB.