«Music, Which is Above Words» – on the 135th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai Ilyich Aladov, composer, teacher, and People’s Artist of the BSSR

December 21, 2025, marks the 135th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai Ilyich Aladov, composer, teacher, and People’s Artist of the BSSR.

N.I. Aladov was one of the founders of the Belarusian State Conservatory.

A promotional video for the exhibition «Music, Which is Above Words» has been posted on the BGAKFFD YouTube channel to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai Ilyich Aladov, composer, teacher, and People’s Artist of the BSSR.

Currently, the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents holds over 40 photographic documents from 1928 to 1971, 6 film documents from 1960 to 1966, and 14 sound documents from 1960 to 1980, all related to the life and work of N.I.Aladov.

The photographs and film documents (from the newsreels «Savetskaya Belarus» and «Mastatstva Belarusi» and the 1961 film «Repartage of One Day») capture N.I.Aladov composing new musical works, working with conservatory students, music school students, and amateur composers, meeting with fellow artists, and celebrating his anniversary. The archive’s sound library features N.I. Aladov’s memoirs about the opening of the Belarusian State Music College in October 1924, its first teachers and students, and a speech by the composer about his musical work. The sound recording «Serving Music» (1980) was prepared for the 90th anniversary of the birth of the Belarusian composer N.I.Aladov and is dedicated to his memory.

N.I.Aladov was one of the founders of the symphonic, chamber instrumental, chamber vocal, cantata, and choral genres of Belarusian music.

N.I.Aladov died on December 4, 1972, and is buried in the Eastern Cemetery in Minsk.

The State Educational Institution «Children’s Music and Arts School No.2 named after N.I.Aladov of Minsk» bears his name, and a street in Minsk is also named after the Aladov couple.

1. 0-037768 Students of the composition class of teacher Ya.V.Prokhorov of the Minsk Music College (in the first row, third from the right), among them N.I.Aladov (in the first row, second from the right) 1928, Minsk, Photo Library of the Minsk College of Music named after M.I.Glinka

2. 0-100177 Teacher of the Belarusian State Conservatory named after A.V.Lunacharsky composer N.I.Aladov (in the 1st row in the center) with his students, including: I.I.Zhinovich (in the 1st row, 1st from the left), V.A.Efimov, A.V.Bogatyrev and others /before 1940/, Minsk, Collector L. Mukharinskaya

3. 0-100199 Group of teachers and students of the Belarusian State Conservatory named after A.V.Lunacharsky: M.S.Minenkova, Yu.B.Lettetsky, N.I.Aladov, D.V.Komissarova 1948, Minsk, Collector L.Mukharinskaya

4. 0-083987 Belarusian composer N.I.Aladov with amateur composers 1955, Minsk, Collector I.Soloveichik

5. 0-028467 Belarusian composers G.K.Pukst, E.K.Tikotsky, G.R.Shirma, N.I.Aladov, V.V.Olovnikov, P.P.Podkovyrov on Red Square during the Days of Literature and Art of the BSSR in Moscow 1957, Moscow, TsGAMLI BSSR

6. 0-038261 Belarusian composer, People’s Artist of the BSSR, professor N.I.Aladov among students of the Minsk College of Music named after M.I. Glinka April 11, 1957, Minsk, BelTA Photo Chronicle, A.Gorelchik

7. 0-035294 People’s Artist of the BSSR, composer N.I.Aladov and Belarusian poet, translator, and folklorist N.S.Gilevich at work March 1959, Minsk, BelOKS Photo Library, A.Ditlov

8. 0-035293 People’s Artist of the BSSR, composer N.I.Aladov at work 1960, Minsk, BelOKS Photo Library, K.Yakubovich

9. 0-129392 Belarusian composer and teacher, People’s Artist of the BSSR N.I.Aladov composes music on the shore of Lake Naroch August 1961, Minsk Region

10. 0-118372 Belarusian composer, People’s Artist of the BSSR N.I.Aladov congratulates People’s Artist of the USSR, artistic director of the State Academic Choir of the BSSR G.R.Shirma on his 70th birthday and on being awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. 1962, Minsk, TsDAKFFD BSSR

11. 1-004693 People’s Artist of the BSSR, composer N.I.Aladov gives an autograph to a schoolgirl during a book fair on Central Square in Minsk. July 31, 1962, Minsk, Photo Library of the Editorial Office of the Litaratura i Mastatstva Newspaper

12. 0-062824 Composer, People’s Artist of the BSSR, professor of the A.V.Lunacharsky Belarusian State Conservatory N.I.Aladov conducts classes with third-year students December 20, 1963, Minsk, BelOKS Photo Library, D.Press

13. 0-132725 Belarusian composer, People’s Artist of the BSSR N.I. Aladov at the opening of the House of Arts in Minsk 1966, Minsk, BGAKFFD

14. 0-056908 Participant of the Decade of Russian Art in the BSSR, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, People’s Artist of the USSR T.N.Khrennikov (2nd from right) talks with Belarusian composers, People’s Artist of the BSSR N.I.Aladov, M.E.Shneiderman, D.B.Smolsky and D.R.Kaminsky January 12, 1965, Minsk, BelTA Photo Chronicle, V.Lupeiko

15. 0-166836 Belarusian composer and teacher, People’s Artist of the BSSR N.I.Aladov 1970, Minsk, Collector V.Marcionko