Areas of Expertise
- Russian and East European History
- Modern European History
- Caucasus History
- Power, Culture and the State
Education
- University of Michigan (MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, 2015)
- Kent State University (MLIS in Special Collections and Preservation, 2013)
- John Carroll University (BA in History, 2012)
Bio:
A native of Cleveland, Pietro Shakarian entered the PhD program in History at OSU in 2016. Prior to OSU, he earned his MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, his MLIS at Kent State University, and his BA in History at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
With the aid of the Cleveland Public Library’s John G. White Special Collection, Pietro republished rare books of historical interest on the Caucasus in the Tsarist and Soviet eras. These included Friedrich Parrot’s Journey to Ararat (1846), Baron August von Haxthausen’s Transcaucasia (1854-55), and Aghavnie Yeghenian’s The Red Flag of Ararat (1932). All three books were published by the Gomidas Institute in London. In addition, Pietro has written analyses on Russia and the former Soviet region for various news publications, including The Nation, The Plain Dealer and the Russian International Affairs Council, and he has appeared as a guest on The John Batchelor Show and other programs. Since 2015, he has run the Reconsidering Russia podcast series, featuring interviews with various experts on Russia and the post-Soviet space. He also contributed several entries to The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History at Case Western Reserve University related to Russia and the Russian-speaking community of Cleveland.
His main interest is 19th and 20th century Russian and Eurasian history and the ways in which Russia’s multiethnic composition influences its politics and historical development. His dissertation research focuses on Soviet Armenian statesman Anastas Mikoyan and the Soviet nationality policy during the Khrushchev era (1953-64). His research interests also include the history of the Caucasus and the Russian/Soviet avant-garde. Outside of Russia and the post-Soviet space, he studies film history and jazz history.
Selected Publications:
Books:
- Transcaucasia and the Tribes of the Caucasus. London: Gomidas Institute, 2016. Originally published 1854-55. Written by Baron August von Haxthausen, translated by John Edward Taylor, with a foreword by Dominic Lieven and a critical introduction by Pietro A. Shakarian.
- Journey to Ararat. London: Gomidas Institute, 2016. Originally published 1846. Written by Friedrich Parrot, translated by William Desborough Cooley, with a critical introduction by Pietro A. Shakarian. Additional archival material courtesy of Erki Tammiksaar of the University of Tartu, Estonia and Vahram Kosakyan of the Khachatur Abovian House-Museum, Yerevan, Armenia.
- The Red Flag at Ararat. London: Sterndale Classics (Gomidas Institute), 2013. Originally published 1932. Written by Aghavnie Yeghenian and introduction by Pietro A. Shakarian.
Academic Papers:
- Haze over Ararat: The Role of Environmentalism in the Rise of National and Civic Movements in Soviet and Post-Soviet Armenia, 1975 – Present, Gomidas Institute Armenian Forum, 19 May 2013.
Articles for OSU Publications:
- Dispatches from the Armenian Revolution, Origins OSU, 15 January 2019.
- The Forgotten Revolution: The May Uprising of 1920 in Armenia, Slavic and East European Journal Blog, 19 December 2017.
- Top Ten Origins: Russia’s Relations with the Kurds, Origins OSU, 13 November 2017.
- A Postcard from Nagorno-Karabakh, Origins OSU, 26 September 2017.
- Banned in the USSR, OSU Center for Slavic and East European Studies, 12 April 2017.
- Top Ten Origins: The Best Moments in U.S.-Russian Relations, Origins OSU, 31 March 2017.
Articles for General Publications:
- Cleveland visit 60 years ago this week of No. 2 Soviet official Anastas Mikoyan reflected a detente that served both nations well, The Plain Dealer, 6 January 2019.
- Russia–Armenia Relations and the April Revolution, Russian International Affairs Council, 23 May 2018.
- The Significance of Armenia’s ‘April Revolution’, The Nation, 30 April 2018.
- A Delicate Balancing Act: Russia, Turkey, and the Kurds, Rethinking Russia, 30 November 2017.
- The curious case of a Russian blogger that shook the post-Soviet space, Russia Direct, 10 February 2017.
- What the assassination of an ambassador means for Russia, Turkey, Russia Direct, 20 December 2016.
- The Armenian Genocide Finally Gets Its Due With the Film ‘The Promise’, The Nation, 13 October 2016.
- What do Georgian elections mean for Moscow-Tbilisi relations?, Russia Direct, 10 October 2016.
- What the 1897 Russian census has to do with post-Soviet politics, Russia Direct, 24 May 2016.
- Why Do Neo–Cold Warriors Want Another Proxy Fight With Russia?, The Nation, 19 April 2016.
- Will Russia cancel its 1921 friendship treaty with Turkey?, Russia Direct, 17 February 2016.
- Russia and the Kurds: Playing the Kurdish card against Turkey, Russia Direct, 9 December 2015.
- Gorbachev’s Landmark Berlin Speech, Russia Direct, 14 November 2014.
- Will Georgia Be the Next Ukraine?, The Nation, 25 September 2014.
