Dr. Matthew Blackburn is a political scientist specializing in Russian nationalism, authoritarianism, and geopolitics. He is a Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and an Affiliated Researcher at Uppsala University’s Institute of Russian and Eurasian Studies (IRES). His work explores Russia’s domestic political landscape, its international relations—particularly with China and Iran—and the ideological narratives shaping contemporary Eurasian geopolitics.

Dr. Blackburn holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Glasgow, where his research focused on national identity, nationalist discourse, and political legitimacy in post-Soviet Russia. He has conducted extensive fieldwork across Russia and Central Asia, including over 120 interviews in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod. His academic journey also includes an International Master’s in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Glasgow and KIMEP University (Kazakhstan) and an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh.

Currently, Dr. Blackburn leads several international research projects, including:

• The Ideas for Russia Lab (Boris Nemtsov Foundation) – Examining wartime nationalism and ideological shifts in Russia.
• The Civilizationalism Project (Stanford University) – Investigating how “state-civilizations” shape political narratives.
• FLANKS2 Project – Analyzing Russia’s perceptions of NATO expansion in the Nordic region.
• Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics – Studying the evolving strategic dynamics between Russia, China, and Iran.

His research is widely published in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Political Ideologies, Communist and Post-Communist Studies, Nationalities Papers, and Russian Politics. His recent work explores the morphology of Putinism, Russia’s nationalist movements, and the ideological transformations of the Kremlin in wartime.

Beyond academia, Dr. Blackburn actively contributes to public discourse on Russian and Eurasian politics. His analyses have appeared in The National Interest, Aftenposten, Klassekampen, Responsible Statecraft, and Russia Post, among others. He has also participated in high-profile policy discussions, advising on Russian geopolitics, authoritarian resilience, and ideological warfare.

Fluent in English and Russian, with working proficiency in Spanish and Norwegian, Dr. Blackburn frequently presents at international conferences, engaging with scholars and policymakers on Russia’s evolving role in global politics.

Research Interests:

• Russian Politics & Nationalism
• Authoritarian Regimes & Ideological Legitimacy
• Geopolitical Relations: Russia, China & Iran
• Memory Politics & Civilizational Discourse
• NATO-Russia Dynamics & Security Studies

Selected Publications:

• The Morphology of Putinism: The Arrangement of Political Concepts into a Coherent Ideology – Journal of Political Ideologies (2024)
• Under Communism’s Shadow: The Memory of the Violent Past in Present-Day Russia – Communist and Post-Communist Studies (2024)
• Regime Stability and Waging War in Ukraine: Continuity and Change in Russian Politics – History Reconstructions (2023)
• Parade, Plebiscite, Pandemic: Legitimation Efforts in Putin’s Fourth Term – Post-Soviet Affairs (2021)

Dr. Blackburn continues to shape the academic and policy landscape through rigorous research, public engagement, and strategic analysis of contemporary Russian and Eurasian affairs.