Peter Vermeersch on the creative fight for freedom in Belarus and beyond

The final episode of this academic year revolves around the story of a group of Belarusian musicians caught in the violent crackdown on dissent. Slavic studies scholar Hanna Stähle speaks with political scientist Peter Vermeersch about his new book Pulse (Polsslag), a compelling chronicle (and musical history) of the 2020 Belarusian pro-democracy protests.

Set to the soundtrack of Peremen! — a Soviet-era rock anthem that became the heartbeat of a modern uprising — Pulse traces the stories of artists, musicians, and ordinary citizens who transformed creativity into resistance against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

Moving from the Belarusian capital Minsk to exiled communities in Warsaw, Riga, Brussels, and Berlin, Pulse captures a moment of history when art refuses to be apolitical. This episode is a conversation about courage, music, and the enduring pulse of dissent.