Experts on Ukraine and Russia

Researchers at the University of Helsinki are following the Russian aggression and developments in Ukraine and are available to answer questions. You can also find experts to comment on the Russian presidential elections and social developments.

Juhana Aunesluoma, Professor

  • Russian-Finnish relations, the Cold War, the Soviet Union in the Cold War, post-Cold War security solutions in Europe.
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Phone: +358 29 412 8808
  • Email: juhana.aunesluoma@helsinki.fi

Olga Dovbysh, Post-doctoral Reseracher

  • Russian media, media freedom and media legislation, algorithms
  • Languages: Russian, English
  • Phone: +358 29 412 3698.
  • Email: olga.dovbysh@helsinki.fi

Jari Eloranta, Professor

  • Causes and economic consequences of wars and crises, military alliances, economic warfare and sanctions
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Phone +358 50 556 0336
  • Email jari.eloranta@helsinki.fi

Vladimir Gel'man, Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies

Markku Kangaspuro, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Director of the Aleksanteri Institute

Mikko Ketola, Senior University Lecturer

  • Churches in Ukraine, relations between churches
  • Languages: English, Finnish
  • Phone: +358 50 3185452
  • Email: mikko.ketola@helsinki.fi

Markku Kivinen, Emeritus Professor

  • Russian society, domestic and foreign policy
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 29 412 3654
  • Email: markku.kivinen@helsinki.fi

Daria Krivonos, Research Fellow

  • Russian-speaking migrants in Finland, post-Soviet migration, migrant labour, racism, gender in migration
  • Languages: English, Russian
  • Email: daria.krivonos@helsinki.fi

Katharina Kunter, Professor

  • The role of religion in the war in Ukraine, religion and politics in post-Soviet Europe, the church in the crossfire between nationalism and democracy in Eastern Europe
  • Languages: English, German, Dutch
  • Phone: +358 50 4394406
  • Email: katharina.kunter@helsinki.fi

Päivi Leino-Sandberg, Professor

  • Common Foreign and EU's Security Policy, International law.
  • Phone: +358 50 576 1575
  • Email: paivi.leino@helsinki.fi

Miro Leporanta, Doctoral Researcher

  • State-church relations and their impact on national identity, nationalism, party politics and the European Union; Eastern Europe in the 2010s
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Email: miro.leporanta@helsinki.fi

Eemil Mitikka, Doctoral Researcher

  • Russian politics, political participation, authoritarianism, governance, values and attitudes
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 50 430 0864
  • Email: eemil.mitikka@helsinki.fi

Sami Moisio, Professor

Marianna Muravyeva, Professor

Teemu Oivo, Visiting Researcher

  • Russian media, media legislation, social media
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 40 867 4168
  • Email: teemu.oivo@uef.fi

Stavros Pantazopoulos, Grant-funded researcher, Toxic Crimes Project

  • International law, law of armed conflict, international environmental law, environmental protection in armed conflict
  • Languages: English, Greek
  • Email: stavros.pantazopoulos@helsinki.fi

Mervi Pantti, Professor

  • Hybrid influence, conflicts, media
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Phone: +358 50 448 4310
  • Email: mervi.pantti@helsinki.

Heikki Patomäki, Professor

  • Russia as part of the world system, Russia-NATO conflict, civil society in Russia and the world, the role of the EU in the Ukraine conflict, especially from the perspective of political economy
  • Languages: English, Finnish
  • Email: heikki.patomaki@helsinki.fi

Abel Polese, Docent, the Aleksanteri Institute

  • Identity, everyday politics, shadow economy, informality, civil society, Central Asia, Russia, Ukraine
  • Languages: English, Italian, French, Russian, Polish
  • Email: ap@tlu.ee

Katri Pynnöniemi, Associate Professor

  • Russian Foreign and Security Policy, Russian Information Influence
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Phone: +358 29 953 0577
  • Email: katri.pynnoniemi@helsinki.fi

Johanna Rainio-Niemi, Associate Professor

  • Small European neutralities of the Cold War, national identity narratives and the politics of memory after the Cold War
  • Phone: +358 50 467 8222
  • E-mail: johanna.rainio@helsinki.fi

Milka Sormunen, Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Refugee law, EU asylum policy, human rights
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Phone: +358 50 448 9423
  • Email: milka.sormunen@helsinki.fi

Immi Tallgren, Docent, International Law

  • International law, international criminal law 
  • Languages: Finnish, English, French. 
  • Phone: +358 50 448 2689
  • Email: immi.tallgren@helsinki.fi

Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, Professor, Russian and Eurasian Studies

  • Russian energy, economic and environmental policy
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish, Russian, Estonian
  • Phone: +49 (0)40 517 0521 
  • Email: veli-pekka.tynkkynen@helsinki.fi

Freek van der Vet, University Researcher, Toxic Crimes Project

  • Human rights and human rights activism in Russia, Georgia and Ukraine; the environmental impact of war, authoritarianism and repression
  • Languages: English, Dutch
  • Email: freek.vandervet@helsinki.fi

Vesa Vihriälä, Visiting Researcher

  • The resilience of the Finnish and EU/euro area economies to the crisis
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Email: vesa.vihriala@helsinki.fi

Margarita Zavadskaya, Grant -funded Researcher

Kaarina Aitamurto, University Lecturer

Johan Bastubacka, University Lecturer

  • Political dimensions of Orthodoxy, history of Orthodoxy (Karelia and Kyiv Rusj), Orthodox ecclesiastical life and worship
  • Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
  • Phone: +358 50 3185485
  • Email: johan.bastubacka@helsinki.fi

Una Bergmane, Academy Research Fellow

  • Collapse of the Soviet Union, Baltic countries
  • Languages: English, French, Latvian
  • Phone: +358 50 408 8298
  • Email: una.bergmane@helsinki.fi

Vladimir Gel'man, Professor Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies

Tomi Huttunen, Professor

  • Russian literature and culture
  • Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 50 448 2324
  • Email: tomi.huttunen@helsinki.fi

Elina Kahla, Contact Manager

  • Russian cultural history; Orthodox Church and culture; spiritual defence; Russian idea
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 50 563 6308
  • Email: elina.kahla@helsinki.fi

Markku Kangaspuro, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Director of the Aleksanteri Institute

Markku Kivinen, Emeritus Professor

  • Russian society, domestic and foreign policy
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 29 412 3654
  • Email: markku.kivinen@helsinki.fi

Daria Krivonos, Research Fellow

  • Russian-speaking migrants in Finland, post-Soviet migration, migrant labour, racism, gender in migration
  • Languages: English, Russian
  • Email: daria.krivonos@helsinki.fi

Katharina Kunter, Professor

  • The role of religion in the war in Ukraine, religion and politics in post-Soviet Europe, the church in the crossfire between nationalism and democracy in Eastern Europe
  • Languages: English, German, Dutch
  • Phone: +358 50 439 4406
  • Email: katharina.kunter@helsinki.fi

Miro Leporanta, Doctoral Researcher

  • State-church relations and the impact of these relations on national identity, nationalism, party politics and the European Union; Eastern Europe in the 2010s
  • Languages: Finnish, English
  • Email: miro.leporanta@helsinki.fi

Anatoly Pinsky, Visiting Researcher

  • History of Russia, History of the Soviet Union, History of Ukraine
  • Languages: English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 40 378 3499
  • E-mail: anatoly.pinsky@helsinki.fi

Marianna Muravyeva, Professor

Arto Mustajoki, Professor Emeritus

Sirke Mäkinen, University Lecturer

  • Global knowledge production, international education and university cooperation; geopolitical thinking;  Russia, international collaboration in education and research, education diplomacy, foreign policy; Central Asia, in particular higher education and relations with Russia.
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Email: sirke.makinen@helsinki.fi

Maija Penttilä, University Lecturer

  • Russia and the Russian-speakers in Finland: religious communities and religiosity
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 50 448 7785
  • Email: maija.t.penttila@helsinki.fi

Johanna Rainio-Niemi, Associate Professor

  • Small European neutralities of the Cold War, national identity narratives and memory politics after the Cold War
  • Phone: +358 50 467 8222
  • Email: johanna.rainio@helsinki.fi

Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, Professor, Russian and Eurasian Studies

  • Russian energy, economic and environmental policy
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish, Russian, Estonian
  • Phone: +358 40 517 0521 
  • Email: veli-pekka.tynkkynen@helsinki.fi

Johanna Viimaranta, Professor, Russian language

Elina Viljanen, Grant-funded Researcher

  • History of ideas and culture in Russia and the Soviet Union, music and humanities in Russia, the relationship between culture and politics
  • Languages: Finnish, English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 40 725 0893
  • Email: elina.viljanen@helsinki.fi

Margarita Zavadskaya, Grand-funded Researcher

  • Russian administration and politics, electoral systems and democracy
  • Languages: English, Russian
  • Phone: +358 50 329 7066
  • Email: margarita.zavadskaya@helsinki.fi