Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program Welcomes Visiting Scholar Yury Terekhov
By Ariel Fanger, alumna of The Fletcher School
The Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program is delighted to announce the arrival of Yury Terekhov, an accomplished political consultant and researcher, as an incoming visiting scholar for the Spring 2024 semester. Terekhov brings with him an extensive background in international relations and nearly 13 years of experience in political and media management across Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and the U.S.
During his time at Fletcher, Terekhov will delve into the intricate dynamics of Russia’s external aggression, particularly in the context of its conflict with Ukraine. He became interested in this specific topic many years ago; However, when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, he began reflecting on it more deeply within activist circles focused on decolonizing Russian studies.
His work will also explore discussions surrounding Russian identity, aiming to assess the existence and boundaries of a cohesive Russian nation, especially amidst the ongoing war. The research will critically analyze the question of national construction and identity in Russia, examining its connection to the war with Ukraine and the internal challenges it fuels. When speaking about his research, Terekhov noted, “One of the questions I want to focus on is whether the Russian nation really exists and why Russia has failed to fully translate from an empire to a modern nation.”
Terekhov holds a master’s degree in international relations from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland (2015). Most recently, he served at the Free Russia Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he played a pivotal role in creating and managing the Talent Pool for Free Russia. He also spearheaded the launch of the Free Russia Institute and contributed to the production of NITKA, one of the largest Russian anti-war TikTok projects. Terekhov’s leadership in sanctions advocacy against human rights violators and warmongers is exemplified by his work on the project “Putin’s List.” He also played a leading role in popularizing the white-blue-white protest flag of the Russian opposition in 2022.
Notably, Terekhov published “A Survey of Russian Grassroots Anti-War Resistance” in October 2023 with the Kennan Institute, which details the ecosystem of emerging horizontal resistance groups among Russians that could serve as the institutional and moral foundation of a new civil society. In August 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote “The varied approaches of authoritarian post-Soviet countries to the coronavirus pandemic” for the East Center.
A key objective of Terekhov’s research is to identify non-imperial and non-authoritarian grounds for cultural, communal, ethnic, and national identities in the Russian space. When speaking about this, Terekhov noted that he’s interested in understanding how to “Reshape Russian identity on a non-authoritarian basis.” He said that it might take generations to redefine what Russia really means, its borders, and how to embrace all minority groups and identities within the country. His extensive work with young activists and Russian diaspora communities has given him hope in this realm. The Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program looks forward to the valuable insights and contributions Terekhov will bring to the academic community during his research tenure.