Voices, Noises, and Silence in the Political Soundscape of Belarus

Pavel Niakhayeu

About this exposition

This article provides an overview and analysis of transformations of the Belarusian political soundscape. Based on the author’s archive of audio recordings made in Minsk and other Belarusian cities in 2016-2023, the article analyzes how protesters and the authorities used voices, noises, and music during the major political protests of recent years. The field recordings became the starting points for a further discussion on the multifaceted role of sound, music, and silence in contesting for urban and political space in Belarus. The “loudest” period in the country’s recent history is then put in a wider context of studying the clashing ideologies of the authoritarian regime and the democratic, pro-independence movement. The study of audio materials is accompanied by participant observations, interviews, and an extensive analysis of Belarusian and international media that reveal various sonic practices used by the country’s and its critics. The primary goal of this article is to address the gaps in studies of the contemporary Belarusian political soundscape and independent music scenes.

type	research exposition
date	06/12/2024
published	09/10/2025
last modified	09/10/2025
status	published
copyright	Niakhayeu
license	CC BY-NC-ND
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/3261897/3261898
doi	https://doi.org/10.22501/JSS.3261897
published in	Journal of Sonic Studies
portal issue	27. Issue 27

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Voices, Noises, and Silence in the Political Soundscape of Belarus (2025)

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