Joe Colleyshaw
- Position: Lecturer in Russian and Slavonic Studies
- Areas of expertise: Contemporary Russia; Russian Identity; The Russian Empire; Identity Formation; Russian History; Russian Politics; Russian Memory Politics
- Email: J.Colleyshaw@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: 2.07 Michael Sadler Building
Profile
My previous appointments include Lecturing on Russian Politics at Manchester Metropolian University (2024-2025), and a Visiting Assistant Professorship at Brown University (2023-2024).
At Manchester Met, I provided an overview of the structures of contemporary Russian politics, including populism, electoral systems and assymetrical federalism in Putin’s Russia. At Brown I lectured on 19th Century Russian Literare, as well as desgining courses on the narration around the ongoing war in Ukraine and official political discourse in Russia.
Prior to Leeds, I have worked in the NGO and education sectors in the US, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the Netherlands
Responsibilities
- Programme Coordinator for Comparative Literature
Research interests
My area of research focuses on the interpretation and role of history in Putin’s Russia. Specifically, I examine the rehabilitation of the late Russian Empire, c.1905-1917, within official cultural programming by the Russian Federation. I am particularly interested in the reception of historical narratives among Russian-speaking peoples as they relate to cultural supremacy and historical exceptionalism and their impact on contemporary political paradigms.
Within my work, I explore discourse through official history texts, imagery, films and monuments that speak to official roles of race and power that are presented through govenrment backed institutions and how they are recieved within the wider Russian public. More specifically, I focus on the role of new cultural institutions such as the ‘Russia My History’ history parks and government linked organisations including the RVIO (Russian Military History Society).
Qualifications
- PhD, Slavic Studies, Brown University, 2023
- MA, Political Science, Brown University, 2021
- MA, Slavic Studies, Brown University, 2018
- MA, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Leiden University, 2016
- MA, Modern History and Russia, the University of St Andrews, 2015
Professional memberships
- ASEEES
- BASEEES
Student education
At Leeds I am the Module Lead for SLAV1020 and SLAV2101 where I help design and implement syllabi relating to the provision of the Russian Language at the beginner and intermediate level.