A former member of the Communist Party of Belarus, he was replaced by Stanislav Shushkevich as chairman because he sided with the leaders of the August 1991 coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
On September 18, the parliament dismissed its chairman, Mikalay Dzyemyantsyey, for siding with the coup and replaced him with his deputy, Stanislau Shushkevich.