Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization,
2025
Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization, Dmytro Garaschuk, Oleh Sokolovskyi
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article examines the intersection of Orthodox digital media and political populism in Eastern Europe, focusing on how religious institutions utilize digital platforms to facilitate political mobilization, reinforce nationalistic narratives, and undermine democratic institutions. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six countries–Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro–the study identifies a shared ideological matrix that fuses populist rhetoric with theological motifs. The research highlights the strategic use of digital media by Orthodox actors to construct moral binaries, sacralize political resistance, and disseminate disinformation framed in religious language. Particular attention is given to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and …
Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022,
2025
University at Albany, State University of New York
Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey
Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)
This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …
Fear-Based Politics Of Vladimir Putin,
2024
College of the Holy Cross
Fear-Based Politics Of Vladimir Putin, Ben Capocci
Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News
This Op-Ed discusses the reasons for aggressive Russian actions, including the threat of nuclear warfare and the invasion of Ukraine, and how these actions are rooted in deep-seated fear of Western forces.
The Pressing Necessity For Maternal Healthcare Reform In The Us,
2024
College of the Holy Cross
The Pressing Necessity For Maternal Healthcare Reform In The Us, Chelsea Cousin
Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News
This Op-Ed discusses the impact of the historical legacy of slavery and anti-Black discrimination on inequities in modern Black female maternal health and pre and post natal care.
The Holodomor: Death By Hunger,
2024
University of Missouri, St. Louis
The Holodomor: Death By Hunger, Marco Spann
Undergraduate Research Symposium
The Holodomor was a man-made famine used by Stalin’s regime against the nation of Ukraine. This deliberate famine was both politically and ethnically motivated for the purpose of progressing the Communist Revolution. Stalin believed there was a growing issue of separatism in Ukraine which threatened the unity of the Soviet Union. Stalin’s regime used collectivization, a system of violent seizure of land, people, and resources, to boost industrialization within the Soviet Union as well as to terrorize Ukrainians into submission. The Soviet Union enacted strict censorship of the Holodomor, setting back conversations on it by decades. The attack on the …
The Structure Of The Anti-Religious Unit Of The Soviet Secret Service (1953 – 1956),
2024
History Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine
The Structure Of The Anti-Religious Unit Of The Soviet Secret Service (1953 – 1956), Oleksandr Korotaiev
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article is devoted to the issue of reforming the Soviet Security Services and their network of agents during the period of de-Stalinization (1953-1956). The directions of this reform were studied, and how these reforms affected changes in their activities in the religious sphere was traced. Based on a study of the KGB reporting documentation, as well as the personal files of KGB employees, the structure of the anti-religious division of the KGB and its peripheral offices was revealed for the first time, the main directions of its activities were indicated, the pseudonyms of secret agents working in these areas …
A Marxist Analysis Of Women's Labor In The Soviet Union,
2024
Portland State University
A Marxist Analysis Of Women's Labor In The Soviet Union, Shania Sweet
University Honors Theses
This thesis examines the evolution of Soviet women's labor and labor laws through a Marxist lens, emphasizing the contributions of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin. It explores the ideological foundations of communism concerning gender equality and the legislative measures taken by the Soviet Union to emancipate women from traditional capitalist oppression. The analysis reveals significant advancements in women's rights, such as legal equality and protection in the workforce, yet highlights the inconsistencies and challenges, particularly under Stalin's regime, where ideological shifts and practical enforcement diverged from Marxist principles. The research utilizes historical documents, legislative texts, and scholarly analyses …
Comparing The Us Response To The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan And The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: Learning From The Past And Planning For The Future,
2024
University of Denver
Comparing The Us Response To The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan And The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: Learning From The Past And Planning For The Future, Zachary Hogan
Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals
As the Russo-Ukrainian war continues to rage, the decisions of the present are of paramount importance. In order to make the most positive and well-supported decisions in this ongoing conflict, it would be wise to look to past instances of similar situations. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is such an instance. The parallels between the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the past Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are extensive and, more importantly, informative for U.S. foreign policy. It is with this lens that this paper will pursue a historical foreign policy analysis of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, its circumstances and …
Echoes Of War In Lithuania,
2024
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Echoes Of War In Lithuania, Jokubas Salyga
Political Science Faculty Publications
The chapter explores the impact of the war on the everyday lives of Lithuanians. It begins by addressing the economic challenges instigated by Vladimir Putin’s military adventurism, and the latter’s burden on workers and the poor. This is followed by documenting the unwavering determination of the Lithuanian government and its people to create a hospitable environment for Ukrainian refugees. Subsequently, the chapter delves into the trials and tribulations faced by Ukrainian arrivals in Lithuania, drawing comparisons with the experiences of Belarusian and Russian nationals who have also sought refuge in the country. The latter are currently viewed as a potential …
Displaced Ukrainian Writers After 2014, A Postcolonial Perspective,
2024
Dartmouth College
Displaced Ukrainian Writers After 2014, A Postcolonial Perspective, Sophie Ivanka Shields
Comparative Literature M.A. Essays
This paper analyzes post-2014 Ukrainian displacement literature from a postcolonial perspective. I argue that Ukrainian writers, displaced with the 2014 invasion of Eastern Ukraine and/or 2022 full-scale invasion by Russia, transform literature into a tool of cultural resistance against Russia, forging a postcolonial Ukrainian identity in their works that unites those displaced since 2014. I particularly focus on two long-form works by displaced writers: the novel Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love (2019) by Volodymyr Rafeyenko, who was displaced in 2014 from Donetsk to Kyiv and again in 2022 to Pittsburgh, USA on the City of Asylum Exiled Writer and …
Media Framing Of The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: An Analysis Of The Tv Program 'Evening With Vladimir Solovyov',
2024
Fordham University
Media Framing Of The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: An Analysis Of The Tv Program 'Evening With Vladimir Solovyov', Hellen Petrovskaya
Senior Theses
This study examines how Russian state-controlled media frames Russia’s assault on Ukraine by analyzing the coverage of the first year of the full-scale invasion on Russia’s most popular political talk show 'Evening with Vladimir Solovyov.' Based on content analysis of eight three-hour episodes of the talk show covering the major events in the conflict between February 2022 and February 2023, the research identifies several main frames in the official discourse on the topic, including (1) Nazism, (2) Genocide, (3) West as an Enemy, (4) Slavic Unity, (5) Liberation of Ukrainian Lands, and (6) Russia as a Victim of Western Sanctions …
Framing Identity: Russian Media In The Baltics As A Mechanism Of Soft Power,
2024
University of Mississippi
Framing Identity: Russian Media In The Baltics As A Mechanism Of Soft Power, Jackson Mcarthur
Honors Theses
Societal tensions surrounding language, national identity, collective memory, citizenship, and integration exist between the titular Baltic population and Russian speakers living in the Baltic states (Simons, 2015). The Russian government has tried to exploit these tensions via non-violent yet subversive political and cultural influence—or “soft power”—with limited success, particularly through Russian-language media (Kudors, 2015). While many scholars have focused on the reception of Russia’s soft power among the Baltic Russian-speaking population, which has been primarily ineffective at advancing Russia’s political goals (Cheskin, 2015; Kallas, 2016; Coolican, 2021), few have analyzed Russian-language media as a mechanism of Russian soft power in …
Too Little, Too Late: The Icc And The Politics Of Prosecutorial Procrastination In Georgia,
2024
Webster Vienna Private University
Too Little, Too Late: The Icc And The Politics Of Prosecutorial Procrastination In Georgia, Marco Bocchese
Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal
In August 2008, just days after belligerent parties had reached a ceasefire agreement, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) announced the opening of a preliminary examination into the situation of Georgia. Yet, it was only in March 2022 that International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants in relation to three individuals from Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. That said, how can such prolonged inaction be accounted for? How much blame does the OTP carry for it? And how did ICC-state relations develop over time? This paper conducts a within-case analysis of the situation of …
The Place Of Nuclear Weapons In Russian Identity: An Ontological Security Analysis,
2024
Old Dominion University
The Place Of Nuclear Weapons In Russian Identity: An Ontological Security Analysis, Peter Ernest Yeager
Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations
On May 9, 2008, Russia’s Victory Day, four 14-wheeled MAZ-7917s drove through Red Square carrying Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles. This was the first time nuclear weapons had been paraded through Moscow since before the end of the Cold War. The previous August, Russia had resumed nuclear-capable bomber patrols, and in January, 2007, President Putin acknowledged Russia had begun to build new nuclear weapons. These remarkable events were met with little acknowledgement in the West, as if they were completely normal. Instead, they represented a major evolution in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia. Sixteen years of fitful …
“Genocide Of The Soviet People”: Putin’S Russia Waging Lawfare By Means Of History, 2018–2023,
2024
The Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies, Oslo
“Genocide Of The Soviet People”: Putin’S Russia Waging Lawfare By Means Of History, 2018–2023, Anton Weiss-Wendt
Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal
This article exposes the political underpinnings of the term “genocide of the Soviet people,” introduced and actively promoted in Russia since 2019. By reclassifying mass crimes committed by the Nazis and their accomplices against the civilian population—specifically Slavic—as genocide, Russian courts effectively engage in adjudication of the history of the Second World War. In the process, genocide trials, ongoing in twenty-five Russian provinces and five occupied Ukrainian territories, present no new evidence or issue new indictments, thus fulfilling none of the objectives of a standard criminal investigation. The wording of the verdicts, and a comprehensive political project put in place …
War, Remembrance, And Katýn:
How Public Memory Sites Affirm National Identity,
2024
Dominican University of California
War, Remembrance, And Katýn: How Public Memory Sites Affirm National Identity, Adele Partington
History and Political Science | Senior Theses
The nation of Poland had a well-established national identity based on its culture, religion, language, and history prior to its occupation by the USSR, but this identity was suppressed in the sixty years of Soviet control from 1939 to 1989. After achieving their independence, Poles reexamined their history and identity, in addition to choosing which aspects of Soviet history and identity to keep or do away with. This thesis examines the relationship between public memory sites in or about Poland and the affirmation of the Polish national identity after Polish independence from the Soviet Union in 1989. Building on the …
Religious Symbolism In Rhetoric Of Right Populist Parties,
2024
Kherson State University
Religious Symbolism In Rhetoric Of Right Populist Parties, Serhii Kostiuchkov, Dmytro Garaschuk, Viacheslav Serhieiev, Kateryna Volkova
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article explores the use of religious symbolism in the populist rhetoric of Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party and Hungary's Fidesz party. Both parties leverage historical and cultural narratives emphasizing Christianity's role in their national identities to legitimize their political agendas and mobilize support. The study examines how these populist leaders incorporate religious imagery and language to create a moral dichotomy between the “righteous people” and the “corrupt elite,” thereby deepening societal divisions and undermining democratic governance. In Poland, the PiS party's close alignment with the Catholic Church reinforces its nationalist and anti-EU stance, while in Hungary, Fidesz employs …
“Under The Influence Of Soviet Reality”: The Life And Work Of The Kgb Agent “Goroshko” (Chief Bishop Of The Pentecostals Of The Ussr Gavril Ponurko),
2024
Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University
“Under The Influence Of Soviet Reality”: The Life And Work Of The Kgb Agent “Goroshko” (Chief Bishop Of The Pentecostals Of The Ussr Gavril Ponurko), Oleksandr Korotaiev
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article attempts to describe, based on top secret OGPU-KGB materials, the life and work of a KGB agent, a major Pentecostal authority, chairman, and later Chief Bishop, of the All-Ukrainian (in fact, of the all-USSR) Council of Christians of the Evangelical faith, aka Pentecostals (AUCCEF), Gavril Gavrilovich Ponurko (1889–1978). The article presents interesting, previously unknown, facts from the life of Gavril Ponurko, describes his life milestones and the reasons that led Ponurko to cooperate with the special services. The article also cites the dogmatic teaching of Pentecostals in relation to the Soviet and Nazi authorities, approved by them in …
Emerging From Behind The Curtain: A Comparative Analysis Of Polish And Czech Reforms Based On Quality Of Life Improvements,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Emerging From Behind The Curtain: A Comparative Analysis Of Polish And Czech Reforms Based On Quality Of Life Improvements, Summer Ellis
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines the economic reforms undertaken by Poland and the Czech Republic during the 1990s transition period. It seeks to ultimately differentiate reform quality between the Czech Republic and Poland in terms of well-being. The basis of reform success is determined using a quality of life scale that spans economic, health, and environmental indicators. Reform quality is then assessed based on improvements in well-being, instead of high-level economic metrics that often evaluate in a manner that fails to capture individual citizen sentiment. From this point, it is possible to determine which transitioning country underwent the most optimal reform process …
(Non)Synagogues In Slovakia,
2024
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
(Non)Synagogues In Slovakia, Peter Salner
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This paper uses archival and ethnological research to analyze the fates of former synagogues during two totalitarian regimes in present-day Slovakia. The processes described here were catalyzed by the Holocaust. Between 1938 and 1945, over 100,000 Jews from Slovakia were murdered. Out of the 228 Jewish religious communities (JRCs) active before the war, only 79 were reconstituted after liberation. Most were later disbanded because of aliyah to Palestine/Israel. Their abandoned synagogues passed into the administration of the newly founded Central Union of Jewish Religious Communities (CUJRC). During the Communist era (1948-1989), the majority of these synagogues were sold because the …
