‘Silencing’ the border as a strategy to conceal the ‘other’ side: the case of the Curonian Spit

Borders do not need to be overtly visible to remain effective, yet their subtle manifestations and the lack of cross-border coordination can paradoxically reveal more about them. This study highlights a hybrid border management strategy—'silencing' the border—to conceal the 'other side,' using the Curonian Spit (Russia–Lithuania) as a case study. Through a mixed-method approach, particularly leveraging visual data and local narratives, it demonstrates how the absence of coordinated landscape and heritage management on both sides of the border renders it latent in the environment while also concealing the adjacent territory. This challenges conventional understandings of border hybridity, shedding light on its spatial impact and influence on borderland inhabitants.

Kudžmaitė, G. (2021). ‘Silencing’ the border as a strategy to conceal the ‘other’ side: the case of the Curonian Spit. Cultural Geographies, 29(4), 565–583. https://doi.org/10.1177/14744740211059441