Discussion
Large-scale sculpture has traditionally occupied a prominent position in Belarusian culture - not only as an important component of contemporary visual art, but as a persuasive medium for articulating state propaganda within public space. The ideological impact of such art objects is profound: their physical presence in the central streets and squares of Belarusian cities renders them impossible to overlook. Moreover, the entire process of monument production - ranging from competitions and public discussions to fundraising and unveiling ceremonies - becomes a powerful media campaign for the messages presented by the monuments.
In the turbulent sociopolitical context that followed the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, subsequent waves of repression, and the ongoing war, Belarusian monumental sculpture continues to fulfill its propagandistic mission. It serves to monumentalize the state’s official narrative, promoting notions of “patriotism” and “stability,” while glorifying the heroes, commemorative dates, and symbolic concepts that define dictator Lukashenko’s current ideological agenda.
My research examines recent tendencies in Belarusian monumental sculpture as explicit visual instruments of dictatorial propaganda. It explores the core elements of what may be termed the "monumental language of Belarusian propaganda:" the contemporary reinterpretation of the Soviet military myth; the sacralization of fundamentals of state ideology; the actualization of the symbols of an authoritarian regime; and the patriotic decoration of the Belarussian public environment.
To illustrate these developments, the presentation will focus on a selection of representative examples of monumental sculpture created in Belarus between 2020 and 2025. These case studies - ranging from recently erected war memorials to statues commemorating “national unity”- reveal the evolution of visual strategies employed to sustain the official discourse. They demonstrate how the monumental form adapts to the tightening of propaganda rhetoric, increasingly prioritizing emotional intensity, historical pathos, and the aesthetics of grandeur over artistic innovation or civic dialogue.
By examining these recent works within their political, cultural, and symbolic contexts, the presentation seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of how authoritarian regimes instrumentalize public art as a means of constructing and perpetuating ideological control.
