Thank You, Comrade Stalin, for Our Azerbaijani Ancestors!

Date: 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Location: 

CGIS, Knafel Building, Room 262, 1737 Cambridge St.

The Seminar on Turkey in the Modern World is pleased to present

Dr. Harun Yilmaz
The Jaroslaw and Nadia Mihaychuk Research Fellow, Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute

 About Dr. Yilmaz:
Dr. Yilmaz's research interests include Central Asian, Caucasuan and Ukrainian history from 1900 to the present day, contemporary politics and the construction of national identities in these countries and regions. In particular, he examines the construction of national identities and national narratives through Soviet nationalities policy, autoritarian modernization projects, and developmentalist mobilization. Dr. Yilmaz received his degrees from the University of Oxford (DPhil in History and MSc. in Russian and East European Studies) and Istanbul University (BA in International Relations). His doctoral research focused on the construction of national identities in Soviet historiography in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine (1936-1953). The thesis is currently under revision for publication. He has academic publications on Georgian-Azerbaijani relations in 1918-1920, Turkish foreign policy on Central Asia and Soviet rule in Kazakhstan.

About the seminar:
This seminar will be on the Soviet construction of Azerbaijani national history in 1936-1941 when the foundation stones of Azerbaijani national identity were laid. Historically speaking Azerbaijan was part of the Middle East but followed a different trajectory of modernity as a result of Soviet rule. This examination of nation-building policies in the Soviet Middle East argues that Soviet rule was a modernization attempt instead of another 'Russian colonial empire'.  A thorough examination of Soviet nation-building and modernization policies helps to clarify the difference between the Central Asian and Caucasian republics and the rest of the greater Middle East or Western Asia today.

This event is open to the public; no registration required.

Contact: Ayse Lokmanoglu
Sponsor(s): Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University

As a Title VI National Resource Center, CMES is partially funding this program with U.S. Department of Education grant funds. The content of this program does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education.