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Severyan Dyakonov

Carleton University, History, Post-Doc

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I am a history researcher with a focus on Soviet and Russian foreign policy in Asia and Africa. Currently, I am SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) and Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. After completing my PhD at the Geneva Graduate Institute in 2022, I served as a Postdoctoral Visiting Scholar at Harvard University (2022-23) and New York University (2023-24), where I advanced my research on the history of the Soviet Red Cross from the 1950s to the 1980s.

My research has taken me to archives across Russia, India, the UK, the US, Canada, Switzerland, and more recently, Bulgaria. I have taught research methodologies and academic writing at both undergraduate and graduate levels. My work has been published in several peer-reviewed academic journals, and my first book is currently under review. I have delivered over forty presentations and talks at academic conferences and workshops. Additionally, I have been awarded several highly competitive, fully funded doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships for my research endeavors.

In the next two years, I aim to write my second book, which will explore the history of the Soviet Red Cross and its international medical assistance in Asia and Africa. I will also continue to investigate the competition between Soviet and Western models of modernization in the decolonizing world.

I regularly share my latest academic updates on LinkedIn and on X: @Severyan.
Address: Geneva, Switzerland

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Tatiana Shchyttsova

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Papers by Severyan Dyakonov

New list of all conference presentations from 2018 to 2024

“Propaganda Was Almost Nil”?

Routledge eBooks, Jul 7, 2023

Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963

fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts (History) complies with the reg... more

Soviet teachers of Russian in Indian universities in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Cahiers Du Monde Russe, Dec 2, 2022

During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involvi... more During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involving cultural exchange, development aid and trade. To support its political and economic cooperation with India, Moscow launched a large-scale public diplomacy campaign. Teaching Russian became one of the core elements of this effort. The article examines the experiences of the first Soviet teachers of Russian at Indian universities and explores the Soviet Union’s efforts to promote its socialist version of modernity through language classes. As the paper argues, even though these teachers had no special training in propaganda, they sought to promote the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas in many ways. This provoked reactions from Indian university and government officials who saw the classes of Soviet teachers as an instrument to carry out communist propaganda.

Review H-Diplo: Dyakonov on Klimentov, “In Search of Islamic Legitimacy"

Dyakonov on Klimentov, “In Search of Islamic Legitimacy", 2023

1980 to 1988, to win support in the Muslim world by portraying the new Afghan regime as compatibl... more 1980 to 1988, to win support in the Muslim world by portraying the new Afghan regime as compatible with established religious practices and supporting freedom of religion. This article fits well into the scholarship of superpower involvement in the Third World, which did not receive enough scholarly attention in the 1990s, immediately after the Cold War ended. 1 Interest in this topic revived as scholars started analysing the Third World as the main battleground of the Cold War confrontation. 2

Participation at conferences.

The list of all my talks and conference/workshop presentations for two years of my postdoc progra... more

“Propaganda Was Almost Nil”? Soviet Books and Publishing in India in the 1960s

Routledge, 2023

The Soviet Union saw decolonization as an opportunity to win the Cold War by influencing the newl... more The Soviet Union saw decolonization as an opportunity to win the Cold War by influencing the newly decolonized countries of Asia and Africa. Moscow reformed its public diplomacy agencies in the 1950s to keep up with its superpower ambitions. The non-aligned India stood out as one of the main targets for the Soviets. It seems that the Soviets decided to influence the larger Indian public opinion without concentrating on supporting the Communist Party of India. On the other hand, the Indian elites similarly wanted to showcase cooperation with Moscow to make the Soviet Union a keystone for Indian security against the Communist China and pro-American Pakistan. The Indian civil society Indo-Soviet Cultural Society became the main Indian organization to distribute information about the USSR in India. Arguably, Soviet book exportation to India and Soviet publications in that country turned out to be the most successful campaign for Moscow. From the 1950s onwards, the Soviets exported millions of copies of Soviet-printed materials and organized publishing in India. Soviet school and university manuals as well as books for children then became as widely available in India as American and British books.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003196334

Soviet teachers of Russian in Indian universities in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Cahiers du Monde Russe, 2022

During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involvi... more During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involving cultural exchange, development aid and trade. To support its political and economic cooperation with India, Moscow launched a large-scale public diplomacy campaign. Teaching Russian became one of the core elements of this effort. The article examines the experiences of the first Soviet teachers of Russian at Indian universities and explores the Soviet Union’s efforts to promote its socialist version of modernity through language classes. As the paper argues, even though these teachers had no special training in propaganda, they sought to promote the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas in many ways. This provoked reactions from Indian university and government officials who saw the classes of Soviet teachers as an instrument to carry out communist propaganda.

Attention Seeking Soviet Union: Soviet Film Export to India in the 1950s and 1960s.

Cinema e Storia 2021. Ripensare la Guerra Fredda cinematografica, 2021

Full text in Italian - https://www.store.rubbettinoeditore.it/catalogo/cinema-e-storia-2021-ripen... more

Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963

This paper is an extract from my Master’s thesis Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963 wh... more This paper is an extract from my Master’s thesis Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963 which explores Soviet influence in India during the late 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s. The 1962 India-China border conflict challenged the Indian foreign policy of neutrality during the Cold War. The Soviet Union found itself in a difficult position because it did not want to lose ties with communist China nor friendly relations with India. This gave the US an opportunity to bring India over to their side of the Cold War. India was important for both superpowers because it was one of the leaders of the nonaligned movement of Asian and African countries. The privileged status of the English language in India allowed the US to spread its ideological influence in India more efficiently. The Soviet Union nevertheless planned and set up an array of programs in India: student exchanges, books and newspapers in Indian languages, as well as film exchanges. The USSR tried its best to convince Indians that a socialist country could be a superpower and that Indians too could achieve the same level of development if they took the Communist path.

New list of all conference presentations from 2018 to 2024

“Propaganda Was Almost Nil”?

Routledge eBooks, Jul 7, 2023

Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963

fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts (History) complies with the reg... more

Soviet teachers of Russian in Indian universities in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Cahiers Du Monde Russe, Dec 2, 2022

During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involvi... more During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involving cultural exchange, development aid and trade. To support its political and economic cooperation with India, Moscow launched a large-scale public diplomacy campaign. Teaching Russian became one of the core elements of this effort. The article examines the experiences of the first Soviet teachers of Russian at Indian universities and explores the Soviet Union’s efforts to promote its socialist version of modernity through language classes. As the paper argues, even though these teachers had no special training in propaganda, they sought to promote the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas in many ways. This provoked reactions from Indian university and government officials who saw the classes of Soviet teachers as an instrument to carry out communist propaganda.

Review H-Diplo: Dyakonov on Klimentov, “In Search of Islamic Legitimacy"

Dyakonov on Klimentov, “In Search of Islamic Legitimacy", 2023

1980 to 1988, to win support in the Muslim world by portraying the new Afghan regime as compatibl... more 1980 to 1988, to win support in the Muslim world by portraying the new Afghan regime as compatible with established religious practices and supporting freedom of religion. This article fits well into the scholarship of superpower involvement in the Third World, which did not receive enough scholarly attention in the 1990s, immediately after the Cold War ended. 1 Interest in this topic revived as scholars started analysing the Third World as the main battleground of the Cold War confrontation. 2

Participation at conferences.

The list of all my talks and conference/workshop presentations for two years of my postdoc progra... more

“Propaganda Was Almost Nil”? Soviet Books and Publishing in India in the 1960s

Routledge, 2023

The Soviet Union saw decolonization as an opportunity to win the Cold War by influencing the newl... more The Soviet Union saw decolonization as an opportunity to win the Cold War by influencing the newly decolonized countries of Asia and Africa. Moscow reformed its public diplomacy agencies in the 1950s to keep up with its superpower ambitions. The non-aligned India stood out as one of the main targets for the Soviets. It seems that the Soviets decided to influence the larger Indian public opinion without concentrating on supporting the Communist Party of India. On the other hand, the Indian elites similarly wanted to showcase cooperation with Moscow to make the Soviet Union a keystone for Indian security against the Communist China and pro-American Pakistan. The Indian civil society Indo-Soviet Cultural Society became the main Indian organization to distribute information about the USSR in India. Arguably, Soviet book exportation to India and Soviet publications in that country turned out to be the most successful campaign for Moscow. From the 1950s onwards, the Soviets exported millions of copies of Soviet-printed materials and organized publishing in India. Soviet school and university manuals as well as books for children then became as widely available in India as American and British books.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003196334

Soviet teachers of Russian in Indian universities in the late 1950s and early 1960s

Cahiers du Monde Russe, 2022

During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involvi... more During the 1950s, the Soviet Union and India established relations termed as “friendship” involving cultural exchange, development aid and trade. To support its political and economic cooperation with India, Moscow launched a large-scale public diplomacy campaign. Teaching Russian became one of the core elements of this effort. The article examines the experiences of the first Soviet teachers of Russian at Indian universities and explores the Soviet Union’s efforts to promote its socialist version of modernity through language classes. As the paper argues, even though these teachers had no special training in propaganda, they sought to promote the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas in many ways. This provoked reactions from Indian university and government officials who saw the classes of Soviet teachers as an instrument to carry out communist propaganda.

Attention Seeking Soviet Union: Soviet Film Export to India in the 1950s and 1960s.

Cinema e Storia 2021. Ripensare la Guerra Fredda cinematografica, 2021

Full text in Italian - https://www.store.rubbettinoeditore.it/catalogo/cinema-e-storia-2021-ripen... more

Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963

This paper is an extract from my Master’s thesis Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963 wh... more This paper is an extract from my Master’s thesis Soviet cultural diplomacy in India, 1955-1963 which explores Soviet influence in India during the late 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s. The 1962 India-China border conflict challenged the Indian foreign policy of neutrality during the Cold War. The Soviet Union found itself in a difficult position because it did not want to lose ties with communist China nor friendly relations with India. This gave the US an opportunity to bring India over to their side of the Cold War. India was important for both superpowers because it was one of the leaders of the nonaligned movement of Asian and African countries. The privileged status of the English language in India allowed the US to spread its ideological influence in India more efficiently. The Soviet Union nevertheless planned and set up an array of programs in India: student exchanges, books and newspapers in Indian languages, as well as film exchanges. The USSR tried its best to convince Indians that a socialist country could be a superpower and that Indians too could achieve the same level of development if they took the Communist path.