Helge Blakkisrud

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Helge 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.
EDUCATION:
1996- PhD-programme (Political Science), University of Oslo
1995 Cand.Polit. (Political Science) from University of Oslo. Dissertation: De russiske minoritetene i Estland og Latvia. Minoriteters responsstrategier ved endrede rammebetingelser
WORK EXPERIENCE:
1995 Senior Research Fellow/Head of Research Group on Russia, Asia and International Trade, NUPI
2018 - Part time position, Norwegian University Centre, St Petersburg
1995 - OSCE Election Observer (various elections in Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina)
1994 - Editor in Chief, Nordisk Østforum (Nordic Journal of East European and Post-Soviet Studies
1994 Member of the CSSE Mission in Latvia. Leader of the Mission's mobile team
Publications All publications
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Russkii as the New Rossiiskii? Nation-Building in Russia After 1991
Publication | 2022Russia’s post-1991 nation-building project has been torn between competing interpretations of national identity. Whereas the other former Soviet repu1
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Trade, Trust, and De Facto State Conflicts: Abkhazia’s International Economic Engagement
Publication : Popular scientific article | 2021Does trade really foster trust? In the case of conflict-torn regions, developing trade links is often believed to contribute to transforming conflict1
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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...
Publication : Book review | 2021Perestroika, the fateful years when Mikhail Gorbachev's plans for reforming the Soviet structure ended with the Union’s full collapse, is for ma1
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Geir Flikke: Russlands rebeller: Protest og reaksjon i Putins Russland (2011–2020)
Publication : Book review | 2021Based on a review of extensive source material, Geir Flikke describes how Alexei Navalny has gradually evolved into becoming one of the Russian oppos1
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Russia's Neighborhood Policy and Its Eurasian Client States: No Autocracy Export
Publication : Academic article | 2021Do authoritarian regimes engage in active export of their political systems? Or are they primarily concerned about their geopolitical interests? This1
Projects All projects
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Dynamics of de facto state patron-client relations (DeFacto)
Research project | 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 simp...
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Competency through Cooperation: Advancing knowledge on Georgia's strategic path (GEOPATH)
Research project | 2018 - 2022 (Completed)GEOPATH is a collaborative research project which aims to build competency in the Georgian research sector as well as producing new insights into the crucial question of Georgia's future strategi...
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Great Powers and Arctic Politics (GPARC)
Research project | 2017 - 2020 (Completed)GPARC aims to provide up-to-date academic and policy analyses of how major powers (USA, Russia, China) set parameters for and intervene in the maritime politics of the Arctic....
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Can cooperative Russian and Western Arctic policies survive the current crisis in Russian-Western relations? (CANARCT)
Research project | 2016 - 2019 (Completed)This project addresses Russia's Arctic policy provisions compared with other states. Can cooperative Russian and Western Arctic policies survive the current crisis in Russian-Western relations?...
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Developments in the Russian Far East (RFE)
Research project | 2014 - 2016 (Completed)The project "Developments in the Russian Far East" looks at Russian decision-making and international engagement around development of Russia’s Pacific coast....
Events All events
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COVspiracy? COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Putin’s Russia
EventTue 6 Dec 2022Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPI/Live stream to Facebook and YouTubeFor years the Kremlin has been promoting conspiracy theories to legitimize its actions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the regime itself became the target of such theories.
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How do contested states seek international recognition? The case of Abkhazia
EventMon 31 Oct 2022Time: 12:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPI / Livestream to Facebook and YoutubeAbkhazia’s contested status is a source of geopolitical conflict between states and alliances. But how has the campaign to expand this unrecognised state’s network of diplomatic contacts been conducted?
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Georgia at a Crossroads: Is Tbilisi losing its strategic compass?
EventFri 14 Oct 2022Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPIThe Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has changed the security of the Black Sea region forever.
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How Important Are Traditional Values for Putin’s Support?
EventTue 30 Aug 2022Time: 09:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPIMay Putin in fact be losing more support than he is winning when he “talks conservative”?
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Protest Potentials and Protest Realities: The Gap Between Intent and Action in Russia in 2022
EventMon 9 May 2022Time: 11:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: C.J. Hambrosplass 2 D / Livestream to Facebook and YoutubeRussian societal response to Putin’s war with Ukraine is hard to gauge. Anecdotal evidence and livestreams of pro-regime rallies suggests a consolidation around the state and President Putin, while evidence from protest and everyday resistance suggests growing opposition. How do we interpret these conflicting signals in a closed system?
Articles All articles
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PODCAST: Abkhazia between Russia and the outside world
1 Nov 2022The World Stage takes a closer look at Abkhazia, a de facto state in Southern Caucasus, and focus on its efforts to secure diplomatic ties in the pos1
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Russia, Asia and International Trade
3 Jan 2022What is the role of Russia, the Arctic and Asia in global politics? How are these societies developing? How do international trade, innovation and po1