Post-Soviet literature on the North Caucasus mirrors 19th century Russian literature, featuring ethnic Russian narrators and focusing on war-fiction themes.

Adam Johnson will discuss his book 'The Orphan Master's Son' at the Tempe Public Library, hosted by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing in collaboration with ASU.

Ambassador Ilir Dugolli from Kosovo discusses nation-building and geopolitical implications at an event in Arizona, highlighting Kosovo's journey and the importance of international collaboration for peace and prosperity.

The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics, edited by Danko Sipka and Wayles Browne, compiles pioneering research in Slavic linguistics, offering both historical insights and contemporary theoretical perspectives for future scholarly directions.

The book 'The City is Ours' explores how urban spaces in Diyarbakır, Turkey, shape political mobilization and Kurdish nationhood. Muna Guvenc analyzes architecture's role in both empowering and controlling minority groups, transforming urban struggles into opportunities for dissent.

The 2007 film 'The Edge of Heaven,' directed by Fatih Akin, explores themes of cultural identity, migration, and familial relationships set against a backdrop of Germany and Turkey.

This event explores the evolution of Russian rock music from the 1980s, critical of the Soviet regime, to today's alignment with contemporary Russian politics, reflecting a shift from progressive to conservative values.

Yuri Slezkine's 'The House of Government' narrates the lives of Moscow's elite Communist officials in a large apartment complex, tracing their rise and fall during the Soviet era, encapsulated by personal stories, literary criticism, and architectural history.

Dr. Emily Channell-Justice discusses the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including societal and human costs, at a Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations virtual event.

The book 'The Incarcerated Modern' by Golnar Nikpour examines Iran's transformation into a modern state with a significant prison population, highlighting the impact of the carceral system on Iranian citizenship and political identity.

Director Milcho Manchevski, from Skopje, North Macedonia, delivered the 2023 Choncoff Lecture. He discussed his acclaimed film career, including 'Before the Rain', which won multiple awards and is celebrated globally for its innovative narrative and emotional depth.

In 2015, over a million refugees and migrants entered the EU from the Middle East and Africa, primarily traveling through Turkey to Greece and then via the Western Balkans before the route closed in March 2016.