Ani Kokobobo (Slavic Ph.D., ’11; Chair, Slavic Languages & Literatures, University of Kansas) gave an interview to Global Voices about how the unpacking of colonialism in Russian literature should start in academia.

When we think about decolonizing the field at large, I think it begins incrementally. It begins with integrating Ukrainian and Belarusian voices as Russophone or non-Russophone perspectives into content courses. Likewise, it behooves us to interrogate Russia’s imperial mission in how we present Russian culture to students, both by inserting perspectives that are normally erased, and by explaining Russia’s history of colonialism.