Article by Poletayev Institute research intern Elizaveta Lysenko was published in the International Journal of Heritage Studies

The article "Soviet music heritage as a discursive middle ground in Belarusian political conflict" is dedicated to the Soviet-Belarusian VIA "Pesnyary". The article deals with the perception of VIA as a cultural heritage and the redefinition of the Soviet cultural heritage in the context of the political conflict in modern Belarus.

The versatility of the Pesnyarys' work and the specificity of the vocal-instrumental ensemble as a cultural form allow various agents to simultaneously articulate the significance of musical works as Soviet and national heritage. Using the critical heritage studies approach to cultural heritage as an antagonistic process of making sense of the past, the article demonstrates how musical heritage functions in the field of political conflict as a means of assimilation and appropriation of the contested past.
The article is based on the results of the work of the research group "(Un)official Heritage in Russia". Read more about the text here.