College:

Jesus College

Contact details:

av347@cam.ac.uk

Research

My current research focuses on the formation of political structures in the post-Roman world, particularly the Slavs and their contacts and exchanges with the Byzantine Empire. Currently, I am interested in examining the influence of Byzantine political models in the shaping and elaboration of the political culture of early Rus', which will provide us with further information about how medieval cultures emerged, how they were shaped, and what their written and iconographic representations—along with traces of their built landscape—can convey about their social and political structures.

Academic Publications:

Articles

• “The Enthronement Rituals of the Princes of Vladimir-Suzdal in the 12th and 13th centuries” FORUM University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts 17 (Autumn 2013).
• “The Three Epistles of Princess Jelena Balsic, Women as Literary Patrons in Late Medieval Zeta” Wiener Jahrbuch für Kinstgeschichte 60/61 (2011/2012): Article 28, 396-406.

Book Chapters

• “Locating the Princely Household in Early Rus’” in Teresa Earenfight (ed.). Themes in European History from 400 to the Present: Elite Households, Brill’s Companions to European History (forthcoming).
• “Motherhood as Authority in the ‘Life of Queen Helen’ by Archbishop Daniel II” in Kangas, Sini, Mia Korpiola, and Tuija Ainonen (eds.). Authorities in the Middle Ages. Influence, Legitimacy and Power in Medieval Society, Fundamentals of Medieval and early Modern Culture 12 (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co., 2013), 249-269.

Conference Papers:

• “Multilingualism in the Late Medieval Balkans: Some further considerations about the translation of Byzantine Culture” Multilingualism and Exchange in the Ancient and Medieval World, CRASSH, University of Cambridge, May 18, 2015.
• “Rous’ de Kiev - La ritualisation du pouvoir politique dans le Rous’ du Nord à la suite du séjour de Vsevolod “le Grand Nid” à Byzance” Byzance et ses voisins, XIIIe-XVe siècle: art, identité, pouvoir, Colloque international INHA (National Art History Institute), Paris-Sorbonne, March 19-20, 2015.
• “Evolution and Change in the Representations of Enthronements in 12th century Rus’” Medieval Research Seminar, Faculty of History, Medieval Research Seminar organized by Prof. Rosamond McKitterick, Cambridge, November 28, 2013.
• “The Identity of Queen Helen, Consort to King Uros I: Woman and Diplomacy in the Late Medieval Balkans” Trade, Travel and Transmission in the Medieval Mediterranean, Society for the Medieval Mediterranean, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, July 8-10, 2013.
• “The Sublime Body of the Princes of Rus’ in the Kievan Chronicle” International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, July 1-4, 2013.

Awards:

• April 2015: Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies: Monetary Award for research and conferences
• September 2010 - September 2014: Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Studentship Recipient (University of Cambridge and Commonwealth Trust): Full PhD Scholarship
• October 2013: Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature (University of Oxford): Travel Prize for study tour in Kiev, Ukraine
• March 2011: Jesus College Scholar and Exhibitioner

Undergraduate Teaching

• Undergraduate Lecture (Sl2) Department of Slavonic Studies: 2014

Topic 3: Political Succession and Notions of Power, Succession and the Political System of Early Rus’, Political Fragmentation and the Mongol Invasion

• Undergraduate Supervisor (Sl1) Department of Slavonic Studies: 2010 - 2015

Topics taught: Medieval Russian literature and history, Muscovy and the Mongols, Early modern Russian culture, 19th century Russian literature and art, Soviet film and political culture

Faculty Seminars

• Faculty Seminar: Byzantine Studies Seminar, History Faculty: 2014 - 2015

Interdisciplinary research seminar in Byzantine Studies covering history, philology, art history, archeology, and linguistics

• Departmental Seminar: Medieval Slavonic Literatures, Department of Slavonic Studies: 2012 - 2015

Reading group (11th-17th century texts) for postgraduate students

• Postgraduate Research Group: Byzantine Literatures, History Faculty: 2012 - 2015

Reading group in Byzantine Literatures aimed at postgraduate students with an advanced knowledge of Byzantine Greek

Languages (in addition to English)

Modern: French, Serbo-Croatian, Russian, Italian, and Greek (studied)

Medieval: Byzantine Greek, Old Church Slavonic/Old Slavonic, Latin

For Further Information Please See:

https://cambridgebyzantine.wordpress.com/

http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/seminars/byzantine-seminar