Heritage, Conflict, Dialogue in Belarus and Sweden

The background to this book is a collaboration between our organizations in Minsk, Belarus, and Gothenburg, Sweden, which started in 2018. The key concept of our project is heritage—or rather heritagization. The creation and destruction of heritage is an instrument of political practice aimed at changing or controlling identity. This book presents contributions of different origins and perspectives. While our projects were underway there was a popular uprising in Belarus. The uprising; the terrible violence the regime is inflicting on Belarusians to stay in power: this is what gives this book and the projects which preceded it a special significance. Our work was never going to be limited to conflicts at a heritage site here or a monument there. Ours was never only an aesthetic or academic enterprise. Yet it is now painfully clear to us all that dialogue, knowledge, and education are the absolutes of democracy. Without them, violence and suppression will prevail. (From Preface by Karin Dalborg & Tatiana Poshevalova)