Author Archives: Stephen Norris

David Brandenberger on the Utility of a Dead Hero 

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Stephen Norris

By Becca Borton Oxford, OH, September 22, 2025. Amidst the Purge-induced terror of the 1930s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin paused his quest to assassinate Leon Trotsky and assuaged the fears of his people in the best way he knew: commissioning … Continue reading →

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“Only Death is Worse Than Occupation”: Ukrainian Stories from the War

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Stephen Norris

This gallery contains 4 photos.

By Jade Schram, Havighurst Center Student Intern On Monday, September 15, 2025, Neringa Klumbytė, Professor of Anthropology and Faculty Associate at the Havighurst Center for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at Miami University, presented research findings from her summer … Continue reading →

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Fractured Voices: How the Russian Diaspora is Debating Its Role in Wartime

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Stephen Norris

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Anastasija Mladenovska When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the world watched tanks cross borders and missiles strike Kyiv. But another, quieter movement began almost immediately: the exodus of Russians who refused to live under a … Continue reading →

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Discovering Modern Mongolia

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Stephen Norris

This gallery contains 6 photos.

By Max Fuhrig The cradle of peoples, histories and legends; the native land of bloody conquerors, who have left here their capitals covered by the sand of the Gobi, their mysterious rings and their ancient nomad laws; the states of … Continue reading →

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The Fight for Equality: Women in World War II as Seen in Moscow News

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Stephen Norris

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By Grace Farrell  Eighteen year old Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya walked through the freezing snow toward her death sentence. She was a guerrilla fighter, caught attempting to set the Nazi headquarters in Petrishchevo on fire. As the story goes, she was loyal … Continue reading →

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A New Soviet Identity: Victory Through Unity in Moscow News

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Stephen Norris

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By Grace Farrell In a world riddled with inequality, the Soviet Union attempted to become a beacon of unity and prosperity, emanating fairness and equality for all. Moscow News during World War II created the perception to English-speaking readers that … Continue reading →

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