VIExpert-opiskelijoilla on vapaa pääsy kaikille verkoston tarjoamille kursseille. Kursseille on ilmoittauduttava ennakkoon. Muistathan aina rekisteröidä kurssisi
Ilmoittaudu muiden kuin oman yliopistosi ja HY:n kursseille
Huom! Tampereen yliopisto toivoo, että muut kuin TAU:n opiskelijat ilmoittautuisivat viikkoa ennen kurssia heidän omalla lomakkeella
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.10.2026 – 04.12.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Julia Lajus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course explores how the Arctic has been imagined, shaped, colonized, exploited, militarized, and remembered throughout Russian and Soviet history. Beginning with the Arctic as a geographical and climatic region, the course examines how it became a politically and culturally constructed space—at once a resource frontier, a frozen barrier, and a symbolic landscape within state-building projects. Students trace the expansion of the Tsardom and Empire into the northern territories, the role of science in imperial appropriation, and the dramatic intensification of resource extraction under the Soviet regime. Special attention is given to the experiences of Indigenous peoples, women, and other often‑silenced actors, as well as the histories of forced labour in the Gulag. The course also addresses Cold War militarization, late-Soviet concerns for human welfare and environmental change, and the emergence of new international Arctic cooperation. It concludes with an examination of how the Arctic persists in cultural memory, politics, museums, literature, and film.
Focusing on the Russian and Soviet Arctic the course introduces students to the historical and environmental contexts of the Arctic as a transnational region and whenever possible evokes comparative perspective with Scandinavian and North American Arctic territories.
Students are not expected to read extensively, but to choose one of the themes of the course for more detailed examination and discussion in the classroom.
After the course students will 1) understand the Arctic as a constructed region with its distinctive environment and history; 2) explain the geographical, climatic, and cultural characteristics of the Arctic and how these features shape human activities and political imaginations of the region; 3) describe key stages of Russian and Soviet expansion into the Arctic from the 15th to the 20th century, including processes of colonization, resource extraction, and scientific exploration; 4) identify the role of science, technology, and state institutions in the appropriation, mapping, and governance of Arctic territories; 5) analyze how the Soviet Union constructed the Arctic as both a heroic frontier and a site of oppression, including the use of forced labor (GULAG) and the marginalization of Indigenous and other nondominant groups; 6) discuss the impact of the Cold War on Arctic militarization and secrecy, as well as evolving forms of international cooperation; 7) recognize the late Soviet turn toward human and environmental concerns, including Indigenous rights, climate issues, and regional development; 8) evaluate how the Arctic is remembered and represented in culture.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10.-8.12.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Emmi Kujanpää and other lecturers
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 16.9.-12.10.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Heta Hurskainen, Regina Elsner, Petra Kuivala
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course deals with church–state relations and the state’s religious policy in the Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, and other Eastern European countries from 1917 to 2023, with particular emphasis on the post-Soviet period. Each year possible lecture examines a variety of changing topics regarding religion and politics in an about Ukraine.
Learning outcomes: Upon completing the study unit, a successful student will:
Generic skills that will be learnt in this course include Internationality, Ethics, Interaction and communication, knowledge processing, reflection, and argumentation.
Lectures
Wed 16.9 12.15-13.45 2h Introduction to Ukrainian-Russian Church Politics (Heta Hurskainen + Regina Elsner)
Wed 21.9. 12.15-14.45 3h The “Baptism of Rus’” – Politics or Religion? (Elsner)
Wed 23.9. 12.15-14.45 3h Between East and West: Ukrainian religious identity in the Confessional Age. (Elsner)
Fri 25.9. 12.15-14.45 3h Ukrainian Nationalization and the churches in the 19th and early 20th century (Elsner)
Mon 28.9. 12.15-14.45 3h “Churches of the Kyiv Tradition” and the Sovietization of Ukraine (Elsner)
Mon 5.10 15.15-16.45 2h National and transnational identities and church politics 1991–2018 (Hurskainen)
Wed 7.10 15.15-16.15 2h Eternally Neutral? The Holy See's Contemporary Diplomacy and International Engagement (Petra Kuivala)
Mon 12.10 12.15-13.45 2h Two orthodoxies? Reasons for and consequences of war 2019–2023 (Hurskainen)
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 27.10.-10.12.2026
The course runs in the second period of the 2026/2027 academic year, from 27 October 2026 until 10 December 2026, on Tuesdays and Thursdays (14:15 – 15:45).
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Kinga Polynczuk-Alenius
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course is part of the Expertise in Russian and Eastern European Studies programme, funded by the Russian and Eastern European Studies (REES) network.
In this interdisciplinary course, we combine media studies, Central Eastern European area studies, conspiracy theory research, and political philosophy to examine the nexus of conspiracy theories, media, and democracy, with an empirical focus on the Visegrád Four (V4) countries of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The rise of conspiracy theories is often considered a grave danger to contemporary democracies, and media play a complex role in this process: while AI and social media platforms are believed to contribute to the production and propagation of conspiracy theories, the mainstream legacy media are tasked with debunking mis- and disinformation, including conspiracy theories. This is the dominant popular and academic perspective on the current conjuncture, but is it the only possible reading of the situation?
In this course, we will problematise this interpretation, conceptually and empirically. Firstly, we will explore interdisciplinary insights into conspiracy theories that shed new light on their relationship to media and democracy and illustrate these theoretical points with empirical examples, mainly from the V4 countries. Secondly, we will deep-dive into country-specific case studies to show how the nexus of conspiracy theories, media, and democracy operates in practice, and – in doing so – demonstrate that the dominant perspective is distinctly ‘Western’.
The course comprises thirteen sessions:
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Design, carry out, and present – visually and orally – a small-scale research project that demonstrates critical media literacy/media criticism skills.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 5.-12.11.2026
Thu 5.11.2026, 8.00-14.00
Tue 10.11.2026, 8.00-12.00
Wed 11.11.2026, 9.00-12.00
Thu 12.11.2026, 9.00-12.00.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Olga Pushina
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The multi-disciplinary lecture course will discuss the issues of democratic transition of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE states) that have been reflected in the case law of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) since the accession of these countries to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The course will give a comparative overview of the case law of the ECtHR regarding compliance of the CEE states with the ECHR standards of human rights protection.
It will also include three case studies of policy areas that are crucial for understanding of compliance of transitional policies with the ECHR (the judicial system, welfare policies, and restitution and privatization policies and their economic and social consequences). The lectures will cover the following topics: 1) The history and impacts of the accession of the CEE states to the ECHR. 2) Overview of the CEE states’ compliance with the ECHR standards. 3) Structural problems in the judicial systems of the CEE states. 4) Reforms in the welfare sector. 5) Effects of restitution and privatization on the security of property rights.
Learning outcomes: The students will learn about the ECHR standards of human rights protection. They will also learn to
analyse the developments of national public policies in historical context and in comparative perspective.
Lisätietoa / More information
Tämä kurssi on saanut valtakunnallisen yliopistoverkoston VIExpert-opetusrahoitusta.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 9.10.– 20.11.2026
perjantaisin 9.10.2026 – 20.11.2026, klo 12–15
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Jussi Metsälä ja Heino Nyyssönen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Luentokurssi keskittyy illiberaalin demokratian nousuun painottaen etenkin poliittisen kulttuurin merkitystä. Luentojen aiheina ovat erilaiset käsitykset demokratiasta ja autokratiasta, illiberalismin ideologinen luonne, poliittisen kulttuurin murrokset sekä esimerkkitapauksina itäisen Keski-Euroopan, Venäjän ja Keski-Aasian valtioiden demokratiakehitys. Erityistä huomiota kiinnitetään ”illiberaalin” Unkarin kevään 2026 parlamenttivaaleihin, joita vertaillaan myös Yhdysvaltojen syksyn 2026 välivaalien ympärillä käytävään keskusteluun. Turun yliopiston kurssi kuuluu valtakunnallisten, Aleksanteri-instituutin koordinoimien VIExpert-asiantuntijaopintojen opetusohjelmaan ja on saanut rahoitusta VIE-yliopistoverkostolta.
Luentokerrat (3h):
Osaamistavoitteet: Kurssin suoritettuaan opiskelija pystyy hahmottamaan ajankohtaista keskustelua demokratian moninaisuudesta, illiberalismista ja autokratisaatiosta sekä eurooppalaisessa kontekstissa että kansainvälisen poliittisen järjestelmän osana.
Toteutustavat: Aktiivinen osallistuminen luennoille, oppimispäiväkirja
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 2.-30.11.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Mariya Riekkinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The purpose of this course is to develop skills of comparative data analysis in public law that are vital for practicing lawyers, academics, and public officials in their daily work lives. After the completion of the course, the students are expected to deepen their understanding of the place and the role of international law in Russia's legal system. This course takes a human rights-based approach to carrying out international law obligations while combining a legalistic and interdisciplinary understanding of how Russia officially sees its performance in the arena of protecting human rights.
Contents: The course has three thematic clusters, first focusing on the basics of international human rights protection and the place of international law in Russia’s legal system including the key set of arguments that the officials employ for circumscribing the rules of international law. Second, we will reconstruct how Russia used its key arguments for non-compliance in the case studies of Russia’s relationships with the European Court of Human Rights for protecting individual human rights. Third, we will reconstruct the process of employing the said argumentation in relation to the collective human right to self-determination in the cases of what Russia terms “independence referendums” in Crimea and East Ukraine.
Learning outcomes: The students are thus expected to engage with the following:
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10.-7.12.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Barbara Gaweda and Marco Siddi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This seminar-style course examines Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by tracing the roots of the conflict from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the escalation into full-scale war in February 2022, and its ongoing conduct and consequences. Students will engage with key approaches in conflict and area studies, political science, and international relations. Readings, which emphasize Ukrainian perspectives, combine academic research and policy analysis to equip students with the tools to analyze the war and its broader implications for the international order.
This seminar is reading- and discussion- intensive, and participation is weighed significantly in the course evaluation. Additionally, students will be asked to prepare two reading responses throughout the course, and give one short presentation on course readings.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10.-7.12.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Barbara Gaweda and Marco Siddi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This graduate-level course explores the complexities of identity formation, national narratives, and feminist critiques against the backdrop of regional and European political trends. The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of both historical legacies and contemporary developments in CEE, including rising nationalism and anti-equality mobilization strategies.
Learning goals:
Course outline: The course will focus on the interplay of nationalism, memory, and gender politics in CEE, with a focus on the gender-state-nation-identity nexus. The course will combine theory and concepts with a focus on empirical case studies.
Lisätietoa / More information
Tämä kurssi on saanut valtakunnallisen yliopistoverkoston VIExpert-opetusrahoitusta.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 28.10.2026 - 16.12.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Reeta Kangas
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Kurssilla perehdytään propagandaan käsitteenä, sen erityispiirteisiin ja käyttötapoihin. Erityisesti käsitellään taiteen ja taiteilijoiden asemaa osana propagandaa. Yleisen tarkastelun lisäksi kurssilla tutustutaan Neuvostoliiton visuaaliseen propagandaan. Tarkastelu keskittyy Neuvostoliiton visuaalisen propagandan historiaan ja toimintamekanismeihin erilaisten temaattisten kokonaisuuksien kautta, kuten kuvien käyttö henkilökulttien rakentamisessa ja visuaalinen sotapropaganda. Visuaalista propagandaa tarkastellaan Neuvostoliiton näkökulmasta, mutta katse ulotetaan myös nyky-Venäjälle.
Osaamistavoitteet
Kurssi tutustuttaa opiskelijat propagandaan käsitteenä ja visuaalisen propagandan erityispiirteisiin keskittyen Neuvostoliiton propagandahistoriaan ja sen kehitykseen. Kurssin suoritettuaan opiskelijat osaavat analysoida Neuvostoliiton visuaalista propagandaa suhteessa sen historialliseen taustaan sekä tarkastella laajemmin kuvien käyttöä osana propagandaa. Lisäksi opiskelijat perehtyvät Neuvostoliiton visuaaliseen perinteeseen. Kurssi avaa näkökulmia myös nyky-Venäjän propagandaan. Oheismateriaalin lukeminen sekä harjoitus- ja analyysitehtävien tekeminen harjaannuttavat opiskelijoiden analyyttista ajattelua, visuaalisen propagandan lukutaitoa sekä kriittistä kirjoitus- ja keskustelutaitoa.
Sisältö: Kurssilla perehdytään propagandaan käsitteenä, sen erityispiirteisiin ja käyttötapoihin. Erityisesti käsitellään taiteen ja taiteilijoiden asemaa osana propagandaa. Yleisen tarkastelun lisäksi kurssilla tutustutaan Neuvostoliiton visuaaliseen propagandaan. Tarkastelu keskittyy Neuvostoliiton visuaalisen propagandan historiaan ja toimintamekanismeihin erilaisten temaattisten kokonaisuuksien kautta, kuten kuvien käyttö henkilökulttien rakentamisessa ja visuaalinen sotapropaganda. Visuaalista propagandaa tarkastellaan Neuvostoliiton näkökulmasta, mutta katse ulotetaan myös nyky-Venäjälle.
Suoritustavat: Kurssi koostuu luennoista, suomen- ja englanninkielisestä oheislukemistosta sekä harjoitus- ja analyysitehtävistä. Kurssisuoritukseen sisältyy lisäksi tentti. Kurssi toteutetaan hybridiopetuksena. Lähiopetus toteutetaan Turun yliopiston kampuksella. Muiden yliopistojen opiskelijat voivat suorittaa kurssin myös etäyhteydellä (Zoom).
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 4.9.-16.10.2026
Fridays, 12:00–14:00, Extended sessions: 12:00–16:00
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Alina Mozolevska and other lecturers
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course is supported by the REES network/ ExpREES program. The course critically engages with the mediatization of the Russo-Ukrainian War, focusing on how new media has transformed the landscape of modern warfare. Focusing on digital platforms, visual practices, popular culture, artificial intelligence, immersive media, and information warfare, the course explores how war is documented, witnessed, aestheticized, contested, and narrated in contemporary media environments. By examining the evolution of the relationship between media and technology during this conflict, the course highlights how digital platforms have become arenas for popular mobilization, artistic resistance, activism, and propaganda. Students will explore the role of social media in shaping public opinion and framing wartime narratives and study the use of technology in documenting and narrating the war. The course will also explore how popular culture has been influenced by and has responded to the war, reflecting the broader geopolitical and societal impacts of the conflict. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of how media and technology intersect to shape the modern wartime experience, as well as the complex roles they play in both perpetuating and challenging narratives during conflicts.
The course aims to:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 17.11.2026 – 2.12.2026
17.11 (2h), 18.11 (2h), 19.11 (2h), 24.11 (2h), 25.11 (2h), 26.11 (2h), 1.12 (2–4 h, depending on the number of participants), 2.12 (2–4 h, depending on the number of participants)
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Julia Bethwaite
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Pierre Bourdieu’s thinking has contributed to many disciplines, including international relations. This intensive course enables students to grasp and apply Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical and methodological concepts—including social fields, various forms of capital, symbolic power, habitus, doxa, hysteresis, and others—to the analysis of international relations and world politics, with a particular focus on Russian politics and international relations.
Students will learn about transversal social dynamics and heteronomous mechanisms of capital and power that extend beyond the states’ territorial borders. During the course, students will delve into, for example, Russia’s status-seeking, Russia–NATO diplomacy, Russian and transnational elites, and transnational fields such as the field of art.
The students are expected to attend classes and engage actively in group discussions based on the course literature. During the last two meetings, students will give presentations on a case study of their choice, applying Bourdieusian concepts. At the end of the course, students will submit their learning diaries.
The course is taught in a hybrid mode: The first six lectures will be taught on campus with a remote connection option, and the final two meetings of the course will be organized entirely on Zoom. The remote connection for the six lectures will be organized via Zoom in an auditorium at Tampere University that is equipped with technical equipment suitable for remote lectures (e.g. camera, microphones).
After the course, students will
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 3.11.-3.12.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Mikko Palonkorpi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course aims at delivering an in-depth examination of the South Caucasus—Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—focusing on diverging historical paths of the three countries, development of their political systems, foreign and security policies, and roles of regional and global actors in shaping the regional dynamics.
Located at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, the South Caucasus is analysed as a geographically
compact, but strategically significant and often contested region shaped by historical legacies of the empires, post-Soviet transition,
and great-power competition as well as becoming an increasingly important energy and transit gateway between Europe and Asia. Role of religion, nationalism and other ideologies are also to be discussed.
The course explores the internal political dynamics of each state, including regime types, state-building processes, and economic development. Particular attention is paid to security challenges and unresolved conflicts, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, as well as their implications for regional stability and cooperation patterns in the region where principles of the peoples right for self-determination and state sovereignty often collide. International law and thousands of years of history can be used by all parties to express their competing claims.
The lecture course aims to introduce the foreign policies of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in relation to major external actors—
including Russia, the European Union, the United States, Turkey, Iran, and China—and assess how these relationships are shaped by regional balance of power and security architecture as well as rapidly changing international system and sifting alliances.
Energy politics and infrastructure, including oil and gas production, transit corridors, and energy security, are regarded as one of the key drivers for international engagement and interest.
Learning goals:
- Critically analyse political and security developments in the South Caucasus
- Compare domestic and foreign policy orientations adopted by the three countries
- Assess the causes and consequences of regional conflicts
- Evaluate the role of external actors and energy politics in shaping regional dynamics
- Apply theoretical approaches from international relations and security studies to the South Caucasus context
Lecture format:
The course is taught through as twice a week hybrid lectures from November 3 to December 3, with a strong emphasis on critical reading of academic literature and policy-oriented sources. Lectures will be live streamed via Zoom and course materials will be available on the Moodle-area.
Lecture structure:
Introducing the South Caucasus
Topics: Geography, strategic location, conceptualising the region
3.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Metsätalo, B308 (sali 12)
Imperial Legacies, Historical Foundations and the Soviet Rule
Topics: Empires, nationalism, statehood, borders, identity
5.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Päärakennus, U4062
Post-Soviet State Formation and Regime Trajectories - Nationalism, Identity, and Society
Topics: State-building, political systems, legitimacy, ethnicity, religion, memory & history politics
10.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Metsätalo, B308 (sali 12)
Conflict I: Nagorno-Karabakh
Topics: War, peace processes, and regional security
12.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Päärakennus, U4062
Conflict II: Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Topics: De facto states and international law
17.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Metsätalo, B308 (sali 12)
Foreign & Security Policies of the South Caucasus States
Topics: Strategic orientations and constraints
19.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Päärakennus, U4062
External Powers and Regional Rivalry
Topics: Great-power and regional competition
24.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Metsätalo, B308 (sali 12)
Energy Politics, Infrastructure and the South Caucasus as a Logistics Hub
Topics: Resources, transit, geopolitics, and logistics
26.11.2026 (10.15-11.45) Päärakennus, U4062
Regional Cooperation Frameworks and International Organizations
Topics: Institutions and multilateralism
1.12.2026 (10.15-11.45) Metsätalo, B308 (sali 12)
Future Trajectories and Policy Debates – Risks and Opportunities
Topics: Stability, transformation, risk management, and uncertainty
3.12.2026 (10.15-11.45) Päärakennus, U4062
At the end of the course the students are requested to deliver a learning diary that takes into consideration not only the issues and topics covered by the lectures, but also the additional teaching materials provided before each lecture. Length of the learning diary should be around 10-15 pages.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 24.9.–16.10.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Lina Klymenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has triggered a scholarly discussion on decolonization of Western-centered International Relations (IR) and Eastern European Area Studies. This debate has focused on positioning of Eastern Europe — broadly defined — within IR global knowledge production. The main question raised in this debate is as follows: How can Eastern Europe contribute to IR’s theoretical development? In other words, what can we learn from Eastern Europe? The debate on Eastern Europe as an agent of IR knowledge construction to some extent resembles the IR’s North-South debate that has offered an alternative to Western IR theory by considering multiple and diverse social, political, and economic experiences of peripheral postcolonial countries. In this course, we will therefore discuss the positioning of Eastern Europe within IR knowledge production in a comparative perspective with Southern peripheries.
Learning outcomes: The students and I will create a learning environment in which we will develop the following knowledge and skills:
Completion: weekly readings and lecture diaries
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 3.9.2026 – 26.11.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Olga Mashtaler
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course objective is to deepen students’ knowledge about contemporary Ukraine, its historical legacy, political system and politics, as well as processes within Ukrainian society. The course draws primarily from political science and aims at in-depth understanding of trends and logics of Ukraine’s development after 1991 - when the country became independent, evolution of its political institutions and political culture. Russia’s invasion to Ukraine and the ongoing war have brought Ukraine-related issues to the top of the international agenda. Discussing these issues both in the context of global security and international relations, and
in the context of how the full-fledged war has changed Ukraine’s governance, internal political dynamics and Ukrainian society is therefore an essential part of the course programme.
Learning outcomes:
The course combines theoretical approaches with empirical and policy focuses. A brief overview of Ukraine’s history before 1991 will help students to understand better how (and which) historical processes have shaped the diverse image of contemporary Ukraine. Differences in interpretations towards certain historical issues - how they are discussed in Ukraine and Russia - will be also analyzed. Examining tendencies of Ukraine’s post-communist transformation will allow students to assess achievements and failures of the country, also from a comparative perspective. Students will learn key aspects regarding the political system of Ukraine, how its institutional design, party and electoral system have evolved, and how the country and its policy-making processes have been modified with each new presidency. In addition to examining institutional changes, informal politics and how it has shaped operation of young Ukrainian state will be also discussed. Besides, the course will focus on political culture among Ukrainian society and political elites during 1991-2026. A significant part of the course is devoted to processes marking Ukraine’s development after the Revolution of Dignity 2014, and Russia’s invasion to Ukraine. Particular attention is devoted to policy fields like European integration of Ukraine, language, culture and memory policies, defence, wartime economy, and Ukraine’s role in global economy. After the course, students will be able to critically examine Ukraine both regarding processes occurring within a country, as well as in a regional and global political context.
Course schedule:
The course includes 10 lectures (pre-recorded) and 3 online sessions (with fixed time schedule).
• Sept 3, 14.00-15.30. Introductory online meeting.
• Sept 10, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 1. History of Ukraine before 1991. How does the past shape the present?
• Sept 17, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 2. Ukraine’s development since 1991: key stages and trends. Ukrainian presidents as a mirror of political and social changes.
• Sept 24, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 3. Political system and trends. Constitutional reforms, electoral and party system, executive coordination and policy making. Hybrid regimes and informal politics.
• Oct 1, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 4. Democratization, values shift and identity. Political culture and post-communist context. Social changes, citizens’ geopolitical orientations, attitudes towards authoritarianism/democracy, trust in institutions.
• Oct 8, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 5. Lessons of post-communist transformation: achievements and failures.
Week 42: no lectures, autumn vacation period.
• Oct 22, 14.00-15.30. Online seminar 1 (2 hours).
• Oct 29, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 6. Two ‘brothers’, two enemies: tough neighbourhood of Ukraine & Russia. Russia as an empire and post-Soviet region. Disputed issues of common Ukrainian-Russian history and Kremlin’s narratives: factchecking.
• Nov 5, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 7. European integration of Ukraine. Participation in regional integration projects.
• Nov 12, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 8. Russo-Ukrainian war, international relations and threats for global security.
• Nov 19, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 9. Ukrainian society in the wartime; resilience, dynamics and challenges for the future.
• Nov 26, 14.00-15.30, pre-recorded. Lecture 10. Ukraine in global processes: economic, social and legal aspects. Cooperation between Finland and Ukraine.
• Dec 3, 14.00-15.30. Online seminar 2 (2 hours).
• Dec 10, 14.00-15.30. Test.
By Dec 15: final assignment.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 02.10.2026 - 18.12.2026
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Olga Simonova
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course introduces the mostly unknown literature with reference to better known historical figures of the First World War and the Russian Civil War. The literary part deals with mass military fiction and the works of various authors of the period. The early stories of famous Soviet male authors Boris Lavrenev, Boris Pilnyak, Pavel Bliakhin, Veniamin Kaverin, Eduard Bagritsky, etc., will be analyzed from the intertextual point of view. The study of the novels of Sofia Fedorchenko, Liusia Argutinskaya, Tatiana Dubinskaya, the "forgotten" women writers who took part in these wars, as well as the memoirs of unknown nurses, will shed light on the Sisters of Mercy and female soldiers as underexplored heroines. The course shows how historical and semi-mythological images and stories, such as the legend of Stepan Razin, were linked to wartime images of women. The historical part will reveal the origin of fictional characters of the Russian Civil War female commanders from the images of people described in historical documents. All texts will be placed in a broad historical, biographical, cultural and social context.
Plan of lectures:
Learning outcomes: The student will get acquainted with a specific part of the Russian literature of the first third of the 20th century related to the First World War and the Russian Civil War, its main features and genres. They will get a sense of the women’s representation in this literature and understand how literature reflects the historical participation of women in these events.
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 1.9.–7.10.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 10.9.–10.12.2026
ks. kurssisivuilta tarkka aika ja paikka
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Svetlana Edygarova, Maria Fedina
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Would you like to learn about Russia’s multiethnic and multilingual character and better understand the diverse hierarchies ingrained in it?
Russia is home to over 190 ethnic groups, with diverse cultural traditions, languages, and varying degrees of autonomy. Russia’s internal diversity usually remains underrepresented within relevant academic disciplines, and specialists often lack contextual knowledge and understanding.
The course’s main goal is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the multiethnic and multilingual character of the Russian Federation and hierarchies engrained in it. The course brings together experts from different fields, such as Finno-Ugric studies, General Linguistics, Indigenous studies, Russian studies, and Social studies.
At the end of this course, you will be able:
The target audience for this course are Master’s degree students, primarily from Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines, such as Area and Cultural studies, Russian studies, Finno-Ugric studies, Sociolinguistics, etc. Master’s degree students (both from the University of Helsinki and exchange students) with other academic backgrounds are also welcome to register. Previous studies of Russia’s history, Russian language, or Russia’s regional languages are an advantage but not a requirement.
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10.-2.12.2026
ks. kurssisivuilta tarkka aika ja paikka
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Arto Luukkanen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10.–25.11.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Elina Kahla, Markku Kangaspuro
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 26.10-9.12.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Kaarina Aitamurto, Anna-Liisa Heusala, Anna Tarasenko, Ira Jänis-Isokangas, Elena Bogdanova
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 7.9.–14.10.2026
Check the time and place from the course page
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Arto Luukkanen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 7.9.–5.10.2026
See time and the lecture hall from the course page.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anna-Liisa Heusala, Vladimir Gelman, Katalin Miklossy, Yuliya Brin, Anuar Satmurzin
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 27.10.-10.12.2026
ks. kurssisivuilta tarkka aika ja paikka
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Ira Jänis-Isokangas, Sari Autio-Sarasmo
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 09.11.2026 - 23.11.2026
Mon 09.11.2026 10:00-12:00 M110, Seminaarisali M110 (Joe)
Wed 11.11.2026 10:00-12:00 M110, Seminaarisali M110 (Joe)
Mon 16.11.2026 09:00-12:00 M110, Seminaarisali M110 (Joe)
Wed 18.11.2026 10:00-12:00 M110, Seminaarisali M110 (Joe)
Mon 23.11.2026 10:00-12:00 M110, Seminaarisali M110 (Joe)
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Pasi Tuunainen
The course discusses the reasons, courses of action and outcomes of the territorial border conflicts and disputes in the Finnish-Russian border areas, especially in Karelia, during the past centuries. The course sheds light on the geopolitical (strategic) interest of Russia and its predecessors in the territory of Finland and its linkages with military conquests. The course also introduces how different geographic factors influence the conduct of military operations in the forest regions of the European North. Furthermore, methods and techniques of warfare are examined. The emphasis will be on the tactical and operational levels of war. Case studies for the Part I of the lectures are chosen from medieval, early modern and modern periods to illustrate various forms of low intensity conflicts in the Finnish-Russian border zones (raids, plunder, border disputes etc.). Part II of the course concentrates on the 20 th century, especially in the features of World War II in Karelia.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 3.2.-3.3.2027
Preliminary schedule:
03.02.2027 10:15-13:45
10.02.2027 10:15-13:45
17.02.2027 10:15-13:45
24.02.2027 10:15-13:45
03.03.2027 10:15-13:45
Lecture: 10:15-12.00, Break 12.00-12.30, Post-lecture discussion: 12.30-13:45.
Final written assignment: to be delivered by 17.03.2027 including.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Oleksandra Nenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course explores arts and culture as key resources and modes for remaking places and identities in contemporary Ukrainian cities facing Russian military aggression. It conceptualises the city at war as a specific urban condition marked by profound ruptures in material infrastructures, everyday life, and cultural practices, while simultaneously generating new forms of civic engagement, urban resistance, and cultural resilience. The city at war is examined through the lens of emotional and symbolic landscapes that are being disrupted, reworked, and restored through situated and site-specific cultural and artistic practices. These practices range from grassroots community initiatives in micro-localities to institutionally supported projects in central public spaces, revealing how culture operates across different scales of urban life under conditions of violence and uncertainty.
The course engages with key scholarly debates on cities at war and the role of arts and culture in processes of urban restoration in conflicted and contested territories. Through the analysis of empirical case studies from Ukrainian cities, it investigates how place-based artistic interventions, cultural memorialisation, and culture-led urban regeneration contribute to sustaining urban identity, social resilience, and the cultural life of cities at war. The course also features “direct voices” from Ukraine through invited Ukrainian scholars and practitioners.
Structure of the course
The course consists of five thematic meetings, each comprising a lecture followed by a themed post-lecture discussion with students, moderated by the main lecturer.
Lecture titles and discussion themes
(1) Emotional and Symbolic Landscapes of the Wartime City
The “city at war” and the “wartime city” and the specificities of their materiality, culture, and everyday life; emotional and symbolic landscapes of the city at war as urban dimensions that can be reworked and transformed through arts and culture; emotional landscape of the Kyiv city.
(2) Ukrainian Wartime Art and the Making of Place
Rethinking of place identities and the identities of places in the works of Ukrainian artists since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and since 2014; displacement of place(s) and identity(ies) viewed through an artistic lens; emplacement tactics and the
transformative potential of the arts.
(3) In-situ Artworks and Urban Symbolic Healing in Wartime Kyiv and Kharkiv
Site-specific artworks and artistic initiatives in the streets of cities at war, with Kyiv and Kharkiv as key cases; the transformative potential of in situ artworks for places ranging from public spaces to ruins; processes of symbolic healing enabled by place-based art in cities challenged and violated by war.
(4) Cultural Memorialisation of the Russian–Ukrainian War: Public Art and
Monuments Pathways of cultural memory politics in Ukraine; mapping memories of the war; projects in public art and public monuments commemorating the war and its events in Ukrainian cities; the role of artists in memorialisation practices.
(5) Cultural Restoration of Wartime Ukrainian Cities: From Community Initiatives to Public Programmes
Concepts of cultural restoration and regeneration in the city at war; bottom-up, top-down, and hybrid approaches of cultural restoration in Ukrainian cities; futures of post-war urban restoration and the role of culture within it.
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.1.-9.3.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Rasa Zakeviciute and Tatiana Romashko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course lectures will explore methodological approaches to media studies using Russian-language media in Finland as a case study. The course will cover three methodologies: rhetorical discourse analysis, visual analysis and network analysis. Examples from previous research projects will be provided. Students will have the opportunity to learn the methods both theoretically and practically, in group settings during seminars and individually as course assignments.
19.1.2027. 10:15-12:00 Introduction to the Course
26.1.2027. 10:15-14:00 Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Framing and Myths
9.2.2027. 10:15-14:00 Introduction to visual research: visual rhetorics and discourse
23.2.2027. 10:15-14:00 Introduction to network analysis: study of connections
9.3.2027. 10:15-12:00 Course Wrap-up
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place TBA
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Rune Saugmann, Ioannis Efthymiou, Maisa Borg-Jokinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information Link to the course page Note! Use TAU's own registration form "
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.3.–29.4.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marina Khmelnitskaya and Anna Tarasenko
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This research-led study module invites students to explore the issues of political legitimacy, legitimation and their implication for political authority and policymaking in the post-Soviet region of Eurasia with occasional examples from post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe
During this course the students will acquire conceptual tools to think about the linkages between regime types (democratizing, authoritarian and its different sub-types, e.g. closed or electoral authoritarianism), legitimacy, ideology and policymaking in an analytical manner. Examples of policymaking and approaches to policy development examined during this course will include among others economic and social reforms, gender and environment; neo-liberalism, statism, the impact of globalization and of different policy recipes (policy ideas) in individual policy fields.
The course will apply a comparative lens to explore the sources of similarity and differences in legitimation and policy development in the region. The diversity of structural (size, resource endowment, socio-economic factors, culture and values), institutional (the political regime type) and policy-specific characteristics (the process, design and the outcomes of policies) of Eurasian countries make this a successful approach to analyse the issues of legitimacy-building and policymaking in the region. Therefore, illustrative examples/case studies from different Eurasian and East European countries and cross-country comparison will be used throughout the course, during its lectures and practical seminars.
In terms of policy fields from which the course will draw its examples, especially during practical seminars (when choosing the topics for student presentations and end-of-term essays) students will have an opportunity to focus on specific policy issues and individual countries depending on their interests.
The course is suitable for master’s degree students interested in post-Soviet Eurasia and Eastern Europe, their politics, ideology and governance.
Learning goals and outcomes: After the completion of this course, students will understand and will be able to critically assess the factors, actors and processes shaping legitimacy, ideology and their linkages to policymaking in the post-Soviet region. Students will become familiar with basic concepts of the analysis in Eurasian politics, ideology and policymaking. They will be able to evaluate the causes and consequences of the variation in legitimating methods and policymaking between different countries in the post-Soviet space and their results for the public and the elites. Students will develop advanced level of assessment of analytical concepts and learn to utilise theoretical tools to evaluate evidence for research tasks. They will also be familiar with different research methods (qualitative, quantitative, LLM) and approaches (e.g. frameworks of the policy process) used to examine ideology, legitimization and policymaking in area studies and public policy.
Method of delivery, course work and assessment: This module will consist of eight sessions, delivered in the hybrid format, with some sessions delivered in class and on Zoom, and others only on Zoom. Each session will consist of a 45-minutes lecture followed by a 45 minutes practical class/seminar. Seminars will include student discussions based on preliminary reading and student presentations and moderated by the teacher. The list of study sessions with a week-by-week reading list is provided below. Students will be expected to have read the tittles from the list (pdfs will be provided by the teacher in Moodle area designed for the course) to prepare for weekly lectures and seminars.
The overall course grade will comprise the evaluation of students’ in-class participation during the seminars (20% of the grade), the presentation/s (30% of the grade) and the end-of-term essay (50% of the grade). Participation consists of regular attendance (onsite or on Zoom) and active contributions during practical sessions. In addition, students will make an individual or group presentation/s about the aspects of ideology, legitimacy and policy in Eurasia or Eastern Europe they are interested in, which can have theoretical, practical and methodological focus. At the end of the module students will write a 1000-1500 word essay on a topic of their choice. Students will be offered assistance by the course teachers in choosing their essay topics, and in planning and drafting their essays.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.01.– 28.02.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Saara Ratilainen and other lecturers
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course introduces the students to various developments in media and communication systems, gender politics, feminism, and grassroots civil society movements in contemporary Russia before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It offers valuable new insights into the complex and changing relationship of state and society under authoritarian rule and war-time politics in relation to global media industries and platform economy. The course has a particular focus on feminism, which is one of the most influential political movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, and in its Russian version lives as deeply integrated in global, transnational, and inter-personal communication networks and media logics. The temporal focus of the course is on the more recent societal and political changes from the turn of the Millennium up until the current moment.
The lectures cover topics from changing Russian media ecology to feminist celebrities, grassroots movements and anti-war resistance action to decolonial activism, which are explored through empirical cases drawing from original media and ethnographic data. The course content draws from the lecturers’ recent hands-on experience of conducting research on Russian feminism and working with activists, and they will also share insights from the field and practical knowledge about conducting research in the current circumstances.
Preliminary schedule: Thu 14 Jan, 2-4PM Introduction: framing media, gender, and feminism in the Russian context (Saara Ratilainen)
Fri 15 Jan 12-2 PM Gender and sexuality politics in Russia in the 21st century (Daniil Zhaivornok)
Thu 21 Jan, 2-4 PM Politics of digital media (Daniil Zhaivoronok)
Fri 22 Jan 12-2 PM Hybrid media, feminism, and celebrity culture (Saara Ratilainen)
Thu 28 Jan, 2-4 PM Intersectional feminism in the Russian context (Eeva Kuikka)
Fri 29 Jan, 12-2 PM Anti-war activism after 2022: the case of feminist anti-war resistance (Daniil Zhaivoronok)
Thu 4 Feb, 2-4 PM Various manifestation of mediated grassroots activism (Daniil Zhaivornok)
Fri 5 Feb, 12-2 PM Decolonization, gender, and sexuality (Eeva Kuikka)
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place period III
Period III. Introductory lecture at the beginning of the period (mid-January). Intensive teaching period in late February. Deadline for course discussions and written assignments: mid-March 2027.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Teemu Oivo
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Territoriality, belonging, and state–individual relations in and around Russia have undergone profound transformations since the early 2010s. Particularly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, these issues have become highly militarised; however, beyond the direct impacts of the war, they are also shaped by more mundane and nuanced long-term practices.
This course introduces students to qualitative approaches for studying Russian geopolitics as embedded in regional cohesion, environmental issues, the commemoration of war casualties, and communication with compatriots and foreign audiences abroad. It offers a broad range of perspectives, ranging from the techniques employed by state-affiliated actors to enhance and disseminate their messages to the strategies of smaller media actors seeking to avoid overt politicisation, as well as the responses of foreign states and institutions aimed at countering such communication.
Throughout the course, students will discuss and gain hands-on experience in analysing thematic media texts and policy documents through the application of selected approaches to discourse analysis and content analysis.
After completing this course, students will:
• have a broad perspective on contemporary issues in Russian geopolitics beyond the immediate sphere of war
• be able to critically discuss theoretical concepts related to socio-spatial identities and authoritarian media environments
• be able to develop a topical case study
• understand the possibilities and limitations of studying Russia from abroad
Course evaluation and assessment:
Note: Detailed evaluation criteria for each assignment will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Lectures and themes:
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 20.1.–26.2.2027
The course will take place over 6 weeks in period III, with two 1.5-hour sessions per week.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Ilana Hartikainen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The major events of the 20th century left the nations of East Central Europe (ECE) with a tangle of contested interpretations of the past. Traumatic events and regime changes rocked the region, moving borders, tearing apart families, and changing the ethnic composition of the whole area. These events have left scars on the collective memory of its respective nations and minority groups, and this is visible in the daily contestations of the past in the public space, political rhetoric, and the media across ECE. The region thus provides the perfect opening to explore and discuss the formation and transmission of collective memory, and the impact that the past has on present societies.
This distance course aims to introduce students to the leading theories in the field of memory studies and then guide them through their application in the field of East Central European politics. It will begin with a series of classes in which students will familiarize themselves with the main approaches to the study of collective memory and politics (Maurice Halbwachs’ collective memory, Jan & Aleida Assmann’s cultural memory, Duncan Bell’s agonistic and hegemonic memory, and Jenny Wüstenberg’s slow memory) and begin applying them to case studies of the past appearing in politics from across East Central Europe. The second half of the course will move from theoretical approaches to some focal points of memory studies research today, such as founding myths, conspiratorial memory, and memory and war, where each class will focus on a different Central or East European country case. This course is funded by the REES network/ExpREES programme and is based out of the Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki.
Intended learning outcomes: At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
The course will be made up of 12 sessions, all held on Zoom:
Teaching and learning methods: This course is based on the principles of constructivist pedagogy and inquiry-based learning. Thus, learning depends on students’ presence at the live Zoom seminars and their active participation in these sessions. Students will prepare for each seminar with reading material introducing them to the theories and concepts at hand. The seminars, then, will be aimed at giving students practice in applying the theories to material based on ECE cases. They will thus largely consist of both whole class and small-group discussions of material provided by the instructors, with only very short lectures to provide necessary scaffolding. The specific teaching methods will vary by class and instructor.
Assessment for the course comes from three elements:
Remote teaching and learning: This course will be taught in an entirely online format, relying on live Zoom seminars (which will be recorded) and a Moodle environment to facilitate discussion outside of class and the sharing of documents. Students’ attendance will be required at the live Zoom sessions, but they will have the option of doing make-up assignments if they are unable to attend the live sessions. In addition to the recorded sessions, instructor PowerPoint presentations will also be available after each session. The instructors will make use of various tools available through University of Helsinki, such as Presemo, to facilitate remote learning.
Lisätietoa / More information
Tämä kurssi on saanut valtakunnallisen yliopistoverkoston VIExpert-opetusrahoitusta
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.3.-3.5.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Marina Vituhnovskaja-Kauppala
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Kurssin tarkoituksena on Venäjän sisällissodan aikana (1917-1922/1926) tapahtuneen imperiumin romahdusprosessin monipuolinen analyysi. Venäjän sisällissota oli äärimmäisen monimutkainen historiallinen tapahtuma. Siihen ei osallistunut vain kaksi osapuolta, nimittäin valkoiset ja punaiset, eikä edes kolme – mukaan lukien niin sanotut vihreät eli kapinoivat talonpojat – vaan lukuisia erilaisia Venäjän sisäisiä voimia sekä lisäksi huomattava määrä ulkopuolisia toimijoita. Sisällissodan tärkeimpiä prosesseja tapahtuivat keisarikunnan kansallisilla alueilla. Niiden tuloksena oli Venäjän eri kansallisuuksien asteittainen emansipaatio ja lopussa imperiumin romahdus.
Venäjän imperiumin hajotessa sen entiselle alueelle syntyi sisällissodan aikana kymmeniä kvasivaltioita, hallituksia ja itsenäisiä tasavaltoja. Niiden hallintomuodot, ideologiat ja poliittiset suuntaukset vaihtelivat suuresti. Näihin kuuluivat esimerkiksi sosialistinen Ukrainan kansantasavalta, anarkistinen Huljaipole sekä Kaukoidän tasavalta puskurivaltiona. Samalle kansalliselle alueelle syntyi eri aikoina erityyppisiä valtioita, kuten esimerkiksi kansallismielinen ja sosialistinen Karjalan valtio ja kommunistinen Karjalan työkansan kommuuni Itä-Karjalan alueella. Monet näistä muodostelmista muuttivat poliittista suuntautumistaan, saivat tukea ulkomaisilta sotavoimilta ja sulautuivat lopulta Neuvostoliiton valtaan sisällissodan päättyessä.
Venäjän sisällissodan aikaiset kansalliset prosessit ja valtiolliset muodostelmat ovat edelleen riittämättömästi tutkittuja. Muutokset tapahtuivat tuolloin nopeasti ja usein jyrkästi, ja historiallinen kokonaiskuva muistuttaa monin tavoin kaleidoskooppia. Kurssin tavoitteena on tarjota laaja katsaus näihin prosesseihin sekä avata niiden syitä ja historiallista logiikkaa. Esittelen kuulijoille erilaisten kansallisten valtiollisten muodostelmien historiaa sisällissodan aikana ja sen jälkeen, keskittyen erityisesti niihin alueisiin, jotka myöhemmin liittyivät Neuvostoliittoon tai liitettiin siihen. Tarkastelemme myös niiden kansallista kehitystä sisällissodan jälkeen, erityisesti neuvostoliittolaisen juurruttamispolitiikan (korenizatsija) aikana.
Luento 1. Venäjän sisällissodan taustat ja puhkeaminen vuonna 1918. Valkoiset ja punaiset hallitukset sekä niiden sotilaalliset ja paramilitääriset voimat.
Luento 2. ”Suvereniteettien paraati”: kansallisten valtioiden itsenäistyminen. Liittoutuneiden interventio Venäjän pohjois- ja eteläalueilla sekä muiden ulkomaisten sotilaallisten ryhmien rooli sisällissodassa.
Luento 3. Kansallisten alueiden itsenäistyminen ja toiminta Venäjän länsiosissa Itä-Karjalasta Ukrainaan. Anarkistinen Huljaipolen tasavalta. Puolan ja Neuvosto-Venäjän sota ja sen seuraukset.
Luento 4. Volgan alueen sekä Uralin kansalliset liikkeet ja valtiolliset muodostelmat: Volgan saksalaisten työkommuunista baškiirien ja tataarien kansallisiin autonomioihin. Valkoisten hallitusten vähemmistökansapolitiikka. Bolševikkien suhtautuminen kansallisiin liikkeisiin.
Luento 5. Kansallisten alueiden itsenäistyminen Venäjän eurooppalaisen osan eteläosissa. Donin ja Kubanin kasakkatasavallat, Transkaukasian demokraattinen federatiivinen tasavalta sekä Armenian, Azerbaidžanin ja Georgian demokraattiset tasavallat. Pohjois-Kaukasian valtiolliset muodostelmat.
Luento 6. Siperia sisällissodassa. Oblastnikkien ja kansallisten liikkeiden vastakkainasettelu. Amiraali Koltšakin johtaman Omskin hallituksen vähemmistökansapolitiikka. Kansalliset valtiolliset muodostelmat jakuuttien ja burjaattien alueilla, Altailla ja muilla vähemmistökansa-alueilla.
Luento 7. Sisällissota ja kansallispolitiikka Keski-Aasiassa. Sisällissodan päättyminen ja bolševikkihallituksen kansallispolitiikka. Juurruttamispolitiikan (korenizatsija) alkuvaiheet.
Lisätietoa / More information
Tämä kurssi on saanut valtakunnallisen yliopistoverkoston VIExpert-opetusrahoitusta
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.01.2027 - 17.02.2027
ti 19.01.2027 14:00-16:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ke 20.01.2027 12:00-14:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ti 26.01.2027 14:00-16:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ke 27.01.2027 12:00-14:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ti 02.02.2027 14:00-16:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ke 03.02.2027 12:00-14:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ti 09.02.2027 14:00-16:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ke 10.02.2027 12:00-14:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ti 16.02.2027 14:00-16:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
ke 17.02.2027 12:00-14:00 Edu2, Luentosali Edu2
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Suvi Salmenniemi ja muut luennoitsijat
Luennot (20h) ja kirjallisuus, Exam-tentti. Luennot toteutetaan hybridiopetuksena.
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Opintojakso tutustuttaa opiskelijat Neuvostoliiton ja nyky-Venäjän yhteiskunnallisiin, kulttuurisiin ja poliittisiin kehityskulkuihin. Opintojakso alkaa taustoittamalla Neuvostoliittoa sosialistisena yhteiskuntamuodostelmana ja perehtymällä sen historiaan, keskeisiin rakenteisiin ja yhteiskunnallisiin jakoihin. Opintojakson toisessa osiossa avataan näkökulmia nykyvenäläisen yhteiskunnan ilmiöihin. Opintojakso syventää opiskelijan ymmärrystä erilaisista yhteiskuntamuodostelmista ja niiden historiallisista juurista ja muutoksista, sekä kylmän sodan ja sen jälkeisen maailman kehityskuluista ja konflikteista.
Opintojakson käytyään opiskelija
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 12.3.-30.4.2027
Fridays at 12-14
Hybrid format
in Tampere:
in Jyväskylä:
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Vera Zvereva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
This course examines Russian media propaganda in the 2020s with a particular focus on the war against Ukraine and the broader transformation of propaganda in the digital age. Drawing on classic and contemporary theories of propaganda, media, and communication, the course conceptualizes propaganda as a structural, psychological, and societal phenomenon that operates across authoritarian, democratic, and populist political systems.
The course situates contemporary Russian propaganda within its historical context, tracing continuities from Soviet propaganda practices through post-Soviet media transformations to the highly centralized, digitally networked media ecosystem of the 2010s–2020s. Special attention is paid to the role of state-controlled television, online media, and social media platforms in shaping domestic public opinion, legitimizing political power, and mobilizing society during wartime, in 2022-2026.
This course explores how pro-Kremlin narratives are constructed and disseminated by key media actors—such as journalists, television presenters, military correspondents, and influencers—as well as by less visible “shadow” actors, including anonymous Telegram channels, troll factories, and coordinated bot networks. In addition to domestic propaganda, the course analyzes Russia’s international communication strategies, focusing on RT, Sputnik, and messaging aimed at foreign publics and Russian-speaking diasporas. The concept of Russkiy Mir (“Russian World”) is examined as a transnational ideological framework used to appeal to resentment, and anti-Western sentiment. Finally, the course addresses responses to propaganda, including fact-checking, counter-narratives, media literacy initiatives, and civil society action.
Learning outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Teaching methods:
The course is delivered in a hybrid format: four classes are held at TAU and four classes at JYU. Students participating remotely attend the classes online via Zoom. The duration of the teaching period is 7 weeks. Each week students participate in 1 class followed by assignments and recommended literature in Moodle. At the end of the teaching period, the students submit essays.
Assessment method:
The grade for the course consists of two components: 40% assignments + 60% an essay. During the teaching period, students complete 3 assignments as homework and submit them in Moodle. A typical assignment consists of studying a sample of a media text and analysing it using the theoretical literature provided. The assignments are assessed (0-5) and students receive feedback via Moodle.
The essay is 2,500-3,000 words long. In the beginning of the course, students receive instructions on writing an essay and are invited either to select a topic from the list provided by the lecturer, or to suggest their own topic and discuss it with the lecturer.
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 11.1.–22.2.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anni Kangas, Kristiina Silvan et al.
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The course “Security and Authoritarianism in Eurasia” explores how the intensification of authoritarianism globally and proliferation of authoritarian practices in various local contexts intersects with notions of security in Russia, Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. The course adopts a comprehensive lens to examine security beyond military alliances and hard power. It examines how governing techniques, forms of political control, and circulating threat narratives become entangled in security thinking. It addresses both traditional and new sources of regional insecurity, ranging from religious radicalization to climate change and digital repression enacted by state authorities. Geographically, the lectures draw on cases from Belarus, Russia, and the states of Central Asia and the South Caucasus to illustrate how authoritarian practices as well as individual autocrats sustain, adapt, or contest the ways in which security is defined and mobilised.
Through lectures, independent reading, and essay writing, students will engage with themes such as the securitization of Islam, online surveillance and transnational repression. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyse how the reproduction of authoritarian practices, as well as attempts to challenge them, intersect with security‑related policies and strategies in Eurasia and shape broader dynamics of power, state-society relations, and everyday forms of control.
Schedule
Lecture 1: Dr. Kristiina Silvan (FIIA): Introduction to the course (key concepts, debates, and course assignments)
Lecture 2: Dr. Ryhor Nizhnikau (FIIA): Security and authoritarianism in Belarus
Lecture 3: Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya (FIIA/UH): Transnational repression: Diffusion, learning, and emulating in Central Asia
Lecture 4: Dr. Kristiina Silvan (FIIA): Autocratic regime (in)security in Central Asia
Lecture 5: Dr. Iuliia Gataulina (TAU): Security under authoritarian neoliberalism in Russia
Lecture 6: Anush Petrosyan (TAPRI): Rethinking security: The issue of missing persons in the South Caucasus
Lecture 7: Dr. Kristiina Silvan (FIIA): Conclusions and future debates
Course assignments
Six short written assignments on the basis of the required readings before each lecture, submitted on Moodle (60% of the final grade); final essay (submitted in two stages; 40% of the final grade); peer feedback to the final essay drafts of two fellow students (pass/fail). Teaching assistant, doctoral candidate Phil Badstieber (TAU), will oversee the Moodle based learning activities and ensure their meaningful integration with the teaching taking place in the classroom.
Mode of teaching
The lectures will be held in a hybrid format in person at the University of Tampere and online via Zoom. The lectures will be live streamed, not recorded.
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 13.1.-28.4.2027
No teaching 24.3.2027
Hybrid course.
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Anna Kyppö
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
The aim of this course is to present various Slavic languages and cultures. Slavic languages are generally presented by native speakers of Slavic languages, who also provide first-hand information on their own country and culture.
In addition to multicultural and multilingual communication aimed at sharing information across different Slavic cultures, discussions on various issues related to the concept of cultural identity - sensitivity and appreciation of the history, values, experiences, and lifestyles of Slavic people, increase students’ multicultural awareness and enhancement of critical thinking.
On the completion of the course, the student is expected to
Lisätietoa / More information
This course has received ExpREES course funding.
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.1.–19.2.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Yuliia Kurnyshova
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
Why did the largest land war in Europe since 1945 happen to the country that gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances? Why did three decades of European integration efforts fail to prevent the conflict? And what does Ukraine’s war tell us about the security order that was supposed to protect smaller states?
This course traces Ukraine’s journey from post-Soviet independence to the centre of European security politics. It examines how Ukraine built its foreign policy, navigated between Russia and the West, pursued European integration as an existential choice, and ultimately became the site where the post-Cold War order is being tested to destruction.
Students will explore how Ukraine’s choices have reshaped European threat perceptions, forced institutional adaptation in the EU and NATO, and exposed structural contradictions in the security architecture that Western states built after 1991.
Key topics include: Ukraine’s state-building and foreign policy development, the Budapest Memorandum and the politics of failed security commitments, European integration as both policy and identity project, the long deterioration of relations with Russia from post-Soviet separation to full-scale war, hard security dilemmas of deterrence and coercion, regional security dynamics and political agency in wartime.
The course draws on academic scholarship, historical documents, policy papers, all in English or English translation. Teaching combines lectures with reading-based discussions. Students complete weekly reading assignments and write a final essay. Attendance at 85% of sessions is required, and active participation in discussions forms part of the grade.
The course is designed for students interested in European security, post-Soviet politics, foreign policy analysis, or the politics of smaller states navigating between great powers.
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.1.–24.2.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Una Bergmane
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.3.–5.5.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Arto Luukkanen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 20.1.–5.3.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Ksenia Medvedeva
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
See the course page.
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 07.01. – 23.02.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Rinna Kullaa
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBC
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Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.1.–25.2.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) N.N., Valentina Frolova
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 21.1.–29.4.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 18.1.–3.3.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Arto Luukkanen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 15.3.–5.5.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Katalin Miklossy, Katri Pynnöniemi
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information
Aika ja paikka / Time and Place 19.1.–27.4.2027
Luennoitsija(t) / Lecturer(s) Jouni Järvinen
Tavoite ja sisältö / Aim and content
TBA
Lisätietoa / More information