I am a PhD student in my third year at the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies at the University of Sheffield. My research concerns the relationship between the new Soviet state and the Kazakh nomads of Central Asia, 1920 - 1930.
I have written on Soviet Central Asia, the Soviet Gulag and the life of the prison camps' guards, and also edit, maintain and market a blog for post-graduates in area studies.
My research interests include the politics, history and culture of Russia and Central Asia, the politics of nomadism, and any aspect of Soviet history. I am especially interested in Kazakhstan; I have lived and worked in Almaty, the country's former capital, and follow contemporary events in the country whilst also researching its past.