The visual arts of Belarus at the forefront of resistance to the ideology of militarism

Abstract

From 1945 to the present day, the ideology of the Belarusian authorities has been based on the postulate: “let there be no war”. Therefore, Belarusian art has been glorifying militant heroes, sacrificial deaths and bloody events. This article presents the flagship myths and the dynamics of the war theme based on the works of Belarusian artists of the second half of the twentieth century. In 2020 and 2021, Belarusian art has been in the vanguard of counteracting the ideology of war: not for fascism, not for Stalinism, not for the romanticisation of war; there is only life, man, Good and truth. This article discusses contemporary works of art referring to the themes of World War II, fascism and the Holocaust. Conclusions have been drawn that there has been a powerful outburst of artistic activity in Belarusian society, which has put a thick line under the Soviet ideology. Belarusian art follows the path of moral and ethical norms, proclaiming freedom, peace, honesty and pride in being human as the basis of life.