A century years after his murder, Rasputin continues to excite the popular imagination as the personification of evil. Numerous biographies, novels, and films recount his mysterious rise to power as Nicholas and Alexandra’s confidant and the guardian of the sickly heir to the Russian throne. But as the prizewinning historian Douglas Smith shows, the true story of

On April 12, David C. Engerman, Professor of History at Brandeis University, spoke at the University of Washington about the Soviet Union’s position in the Third World. His lecture, “How to Lose by Winning: Soviet Aid to India During the Cold War,” examined economic and military aid to India in the 1950s and 1960s. Engerman discussed how

During this talk at the University of Washington, Emily Greble discusses how Sharia law came to be enshrined in the constitution of interwar Yugoslavia, a modern, European democracy, and why this is significant for understanding the transformation from empire to nation-state, legal pluralism in the modern era, and the nature of minority protections in interwar

As The Pacific Northwest continues to grow economically, trade partners such as the United Kingdom are taking interest in new opportunities presented by the IT and biomedical industries. The UK opened a Government Office in Seattle in 2013 to facilitate deeper political and economic cooperation and to promote bilateral ties between the United States and Britain.

Maria Lipman, a Russian analyst and editor of the online journal Counterpoint, was the featured speaker at the 2017 Herbert J. Ellison Memorial Lecture at the University of Washington. In this lecture, Lipman discusses Russia’s past and future as the country marks the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. According to Lipman, Russia does not

It is no secret that journalists and artists are under increasing pressure to steer clear of touchy subjects and unflattering portrayals of the Kremlin in today’s Russia. Victoria Lomasko, whose work stands at an intersection of art and journalism, understands that better than most. From the lives of sex workers to juvenile prisons, her graphic reportage

While the Midwest is well known for its large Polish diaspora, the Pacific Northwest has also been home to a vibrant Polish community for more than 100 years. Recently, that community has become more visible as Seattle-area tech companies recruit new talent and invest in Poland’s growing startup industry. In 2014, the Republic of Poland

UW Jackson School of International Studies undergraduate Mary-Elizabeth Mayer is the recipient of a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) for the academic year to study the Russian Language. She spent fall quarter studying abroad with the School of Russian and Asian Studies, which allowed her to learn about the cultures and traditions of

100 Years after Red October: Historical Legacies and New Beginnings in Culture and Politics ____ REECAS NW warmly welcomes papers on history, culture, politics, economics, sociology, religion and other topics from the centuries leading to 1917 until the present day. ____ Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia have undergone tremendous changes in the hundred years

My friends here in Seattle are often surprised to learn that December 25th is not recognized as Christmas for most Ukrainians. That holiday is observed on January 7, since Orthodox Christianity follows the Julian calendar. But that doesn’t mean there was no celebration on December 25th this year. The date marked the second day of