How can we understand the true forces behind Russia’s expansionist aspirations today? Hubertus Jahn traces the long ideological roots of Putin’s propaganda in Soviet traditions, the collapse of the USSR, and the elevation of imperialist historical narratives.
Historians’ Watch
Ukraine: Histories and Boundaries of a Refugee Crisis
As its people flee Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, Jo Laycock offers a historical framework through which to understand displacements from and in Ukraine. Can exploring longer trajectories of displacement help refugees make sense of their experiences?
It Doesn’t Have to Be the End for US Abortion Rights
In the US, abortion rights are under threat. But, as Kelly O’Donnell and Lauren MacIvor Thompson explore, if Roe is lost, we must go back to the beginning, turning to history and what it can reveal about potential paths forward.
History and Contemporary Art
How can we creatively utilize historical research to bring the past to life? Josh Allen discusses the importance of using archival sources, oral histories and material culture in a creative fashion to bring myth, metaphor and anecdote back into how we think about the past.
The Colonial Money Trail
To what extent has colonial money helped build Britain’s heritage sector? Isabel Gilbert on the importance of publicly and transparently acknowledging the problematic roots of British country houses and their collections.
Working Class Heroes?
Why, since Brexit, have working class people in Britain come to be thought of as not just white but also male? Laura Schwartz suggests to understand this, we must look at history.
Emotions, Vulnerabilities and Care in Sensitive Research
Research is emotional. Five history researchers reflect on how new guidelines on wellbeing have shaped their practice in productive and radical ways