Helge Blakkisrud
Senior Research FellowHelge Blakkisrud’s main research interests include Russian federalism and centre–region relations, in particular, the development of the institution of governors. Research interests also include Russia's High North/Arctic policy, nationality policy and Russian nationalism, as well as processes of state-building and nation-building in Eurasia, especially in Eurasian de facto states.
Blakkisrud is editor of Nordisk Østforum, a Nordic peer-reviewed journal for Russian and East European studies.
He has been a guest lecturer at the OSCE Academy, Bishkek, since 2008. In 2009–2010, he was a Fulbright Visiting Fellow at UC Berkeley.
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Tue 5 Oct 2021Event
De Facto States and Land-for-Peace Agreements: Territory and Recognition at Odds?
Time: 12:00 Location: C.J. Hambrosplass 2 D/Livestream to Facebook and YoutubeSovereignty conflicts are inevitably linked to geography. Can there be geographical solutions to secessionist conflicts, which are caught between two principles at cross purposes: the principle of self-determination (defended by de facto states) and the principle of territorial integrity (defended by...
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Publication
: Academic article
Russia's Neighborhood Policy and Its Eurasian Client States: No Autocracy Export
2021Do authoritarian regimes engage in active export of their political systems? Or are they primarily concerned about their geopolitical interests? This article explores these questions by examining Russia's policy towards Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. In all three de facto states, Moscow... -
Publication
: Book review
Bennich-Björkman, Li & Sergiy Kurbatov, eds. When the Future Came: The Collapse of the USSR and the Emergence of National Memory in Post-Soviet His...
2021Perestroika, the fateful years when Mikhail Gorbachev's plans for reforming the Soviet structure ended with the Union’s full collapse, is for many of us still a lived memory. But how is perestroika remembered today in the states that arose from the ashes of the USSR? And what can this tell us about... -
Publication
: Book review
Geir Flikke: Russlands rebeller: Protest og reaksjon i Putins Russland (2011–2020)
2021Based on a review of extensive source material, Geir Flikke describes how Alexei Navalny has gradually evolved into becoming one of the Russian opposition’s top profiles, a process that culminated in Navalny's (failed) campaign to be registered as a candidate in the 2018 presidential election. Flikke... -
Research project
Russian Repertoires of Power in the MENA region (RUSMENA)
2021 - 2024 (Ongoing)The main objective of the RUSMENA project is to examine Russian power practices in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region between 2011 and 2021.
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Fri 28 May 2021Event
Mixed Signals: What Putin Says about Gender Equality
Time: 14:30 Location: Microsoft TeamsResearchers on Russia have noticed that Putin gradually has adopted a more conservative agenda, especially as regards gender issues. But is this reflected in the Russian president's own rhetoric?
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Mon 10 May 2021Event
Belarus: At the Height of Mobilisation and Repression
Time: 13:00 Location: Microsoft TeamsNine months after the massive political protests started as a reaction to the 2020 presidential elections, this webinar examines the state of the political crisis in Belarus.
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Publication
: Policy brief
Trade and trust: the role of trade in de facto state conflict transformation
De facto states – unrecognized secessionist entities that eke out a living on the margins of the international system – are often heavily dependent on external patron states for economic aid and investment. When the parent state – the state that the de facto state seeks to break away from – responds... -
Publication
: Academic article
Navigating de facto statehood: trade, trust, and agency in Abkhazia's external economic relations
What opportunities and trade-offs do de facto states encounter in developing economic ties with the outside world? This article explores the complex relationship between trade and trust in the context of contested statehood. Most de facto states are heavily dependent on an external patron for economic... -
News
NUPI replaces NRK P2's 'Ekko' this week
07.12.2020NUPI has produced ten hours of high quality radio about foreign policy and international relations. The programs will air on NRK P2 during week 50, Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 11.00. Tune in! -
News
NUPI replaces NRK P2's 'Ekko' this week
07.12.2020NUPI has produced ten hours of high quality radio about foreign policy and international relations. The programs will air on NRK P2 during week 50, Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 11.00. Tune in! -
News
Doubling Down on Arctic Diplomacy
12.11.2020What impact will the new Biden administration have on Arctic politics? While the Arctic as a region is not likely to figure as feature in the 100-day plan of a new Biden presidency, there are reasons to expect some key changes for the region.- Alf Håkon Hoel
- Yun Sun
- Alexander Sergunin
- Robert Orttung
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Publication
: Editorial
Doubling Down on Arctic Diplomacy
The Arctic looms large in the popular consciousness as a potential new theatre of conflict. But the real risk is that the consuming politics of great power rivalry will deflect attention from the real progress of diplomacy and the everyday work of Arctic governance. This op-ed outlines three key areas... -
News
Kickoff Workshop for the DeFacto Project
02.10.2020The kickoff workshop for the ‘Dynamics of de facto state patron-client relations’ (DeFacto) project was held on September 16, 2020. -
News
The Russia Conference 2020: Great Powers and Arctic Politics
07.09.2020Did you miss the conference on 10 September? Here are all the panels for you to watch! -
News
The Russia Conference 2020: Great Powers and Arctic Politics
07.09.2020Did you miss the conference on 10 September? Here are all the panels for you to watch! -
Publication
: Report
Slow Stagnation, Sudden Revolution? Post-Covid-19 Prospects for Political Change in Russia and Belarus
2020The Covid-19 pandemic and the impending economic crisis may exacerbate instability in Belarus and Russia. To reduce the risks of regional instability and help to prepare for a possible transition of power, the international community should continue its support for democratic initiatives in the region. To... -
Publication
: Report
The spiralling effects of the Sino-American trade war
2020Almost two years ago, China and the United States instigated a trade conflict which has had serious international effects, a situation since exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. What has truly made a solution to this conflict elusive, however, is that its origins lie well beyond questions of trade deficits... -
Research project
Dynamics of de facto state patron-client relations (DeFacto)
2020 - 2023 (Ongoing)Almost all de facto states that survive for some time have a powerful 'patron' that provides security guarantees and economic support. Too often this has resulted in the de facto states simply being brushed off as hapless pawns in their patron's power play. In 'DeFacto' we challenge...
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Publication
: Academic article
Governing the Arctic: The Russian State Commission for Arctic Development and the Forging of a New Domestic Arctic Policy Agenda
2019After a period of relative neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Arctic is back on the agenda of the Russian authorities. To ensure efficient coordination and implementation of its Arctic strategy, the government in 2015 established a State Commission for Arctic Development. It was to serve as a...