Kyrill Kunakhovich

Kyrill Kunakhovich received a Ph.D. in History from Princeton University in 2013. His book manuscript examines the development of a distinctive socialist culture in two major cities of the Soviet Bloc: Kraków in Poland and Leipzig in East Germany. In the aftermath of World War II, local officials used art to build a new socialist society. They transformed both artistic styles and popular habits at the city level, but gradually came to treat culture as a consumer good. His research explores the interconnections of art, politics, and society, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Current projects include a transnational history of the variety show and a study of UNESCO’s cultural policy. He is also the co-editor of a forthcoming volume on The Global 1989.