This exploratory study is dedicated to the actualisation of memories of the 1990s during the 2020 protests in Belarus. The public discontent manifested during the latest presidential election campaign in summer 2020 and, following the election day of August 9, became countrywide. Among a multitude of symbols, slogans, and memes that constituted the demonstrators’ protest imaginaries, a noticeable place was occupied by the references to the perestroika and the first post-Soviet decade. Based on poster images and media reports related to the events of summer 2020, this article explores how references to the 1990s were used by participants to produce meanings and evoke affects, as well as offers an analysis of the relevant mnemonic practices exercised at the protests.
Image credit: A photograph published by Svaboda.org, 17 August 2020