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Pietro Shakarian

Graduate Student

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. He also runs the Reconsidering Russia podcast series, featuring interviews with various experts on Russia and the post-Soviet space.
 
His main interest is 19th and 20th century Russian and Eurasian history, with a focus on the history of the Caucasus region, particularly Armenia and Georgia.  His dissertation research focuses on the major role of Soviet Armenian statesman Anastas Mikoyan in the process of de-Stalinization with Nikita Khrushchev. He is also interested in Russian Orientalism, the Russian avant-garde, and the Soviet nationality policy in the Caucasus.
 

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:

Articles for OSU Publications:

Articles for General Publications:

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)