The Melikian Blog

Yane Sandanski (1872–1915) is remembered today as a hero in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia—but the image each country preserves of him is remarkably different. His legacy offers a revealing case study of how modern nationalism reshapes the past to suit present identities, often ignoring the ambiguities and contradictions that shaped historical actors in their own time.

While exploring graffiti in Thessaloniki, a Karah Meyer used AI to decode an unfamiliar anarchist squatter symbol linked to refugee solidarity movements revealing the city’s layered political history and showed how AI can be used to understand local activism, protest art, and hidden messages in public space.

Ana Hedberg Olenina, scholar of Russian and Ukrainian film, responds to Olha Zherba's documentary elegy to the national trauma imposed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and to the solidarity and resilience of Ukranians, expressed through countless small acts of compassion and care. 

Over the past decade, Skopje, North Macedonia, has undergone a dramatic transformation aimed at shaping a stronger national identity and raising its international profile... But as 2028 approaches, and with it the opportunity to serve as the European Capital of Culture, it’s worth asking: is Skopje truly ready?

Following the 2020 American presidential election, there has been a rise in election denialism as an intentional campaign strategy, and has placed the integrity of democracy in the United States into an uncertain direction. The narrative of elections being stolen or results being falsified have already lead to direct attacks on democratic institutions

Weeks Where Decades Happen: Lessons from a Historical Committee at ASU’s 2023 Model UN Summit (SunMUN 2023). In my last article, I outline the process I used to select a topic for ASU SunMUN’s Special Historical Committee 2023. The First All-Russian Congress of Soviets is an important but lesser-known event in history, where 

Critical Languages Institute alum and master’s student of history at Loyola University Chicago Nikola Kajmakoski has won a prestigious and highly competitive Critical Languages Scholarship to study Turkish in Ankara, Türkiye this summer. When asked what originally drew him to study Turkish, Nikola,

Among ASU's 45 semi-finalists for student Fulbright awards, alumni from Melikian Center programs look forward to developing further their foreign language and area studies knowledge, and contributing to Senator J. William Fulbright's vision of humanizing international relations

Students lead the way on the road to quiz bowl’s grand event. Later this month, ACF Nationals will be held at Duke University on April 20-21, 2024. Historically, ASU has not been part of this event, but this year marks ASU's inaugural qualification.

As Ukraine's president since 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky has become the face of Ukraine's resistance to continued Russian aggression, and President Putin's attempts to redraw the map and rewrite history.  US citizens who support the cause of democracy against authoritarianism still find inspiration in his moral clarity and his courage in speaking truth to power.

Melikian Center graduate affiliate and master’s student of Liberal Studies reports from Ukraine. Over winter break, Rob “Pyotr” Cuthbert, master’s student of Liberal Studies at ASU 

CLI Alumnus Ashley Coogan Applies her Language Learning Achievements. There are many students who are achieving great success at Arizona State University, but Ashley Coogan is one of the Critical Language Institute’s stand-out students.