About me
I am a sociologist, writer, and educator interested in cities and politics.
In August 2020, I defended my Ph.D. dissertation “Engaging Neighbors: Housing Strategies and Political Mobilization in Moscow's Renovation” at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
In September 2020, I joined the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria) as a postdoctoral researcher.
I also enjoy interviewing authors about their new books for the New Book Network podcast: check out these conversations in my NBN host profile
You can learn more about me on my Wordpress Blog or look at my CV and other materials below.
how to pronounce my name
Zhelnina?
That’s a tricky one! In Russian, желна́ [ʐel-nah], is one of the names for the black woodpecker, Dryocopus Martius. One of my ancestors, probably, was either very talkative or persistent, that’s why he got the nickname (pure speculation here!). All his offspring were referred to as “zhelnin,” meaning “of Zhelna.”
Zhelnina?
[ʐel-nee-nah]
The emphasis is on the first syllable; the first letter sounds something like the middle in “leisure” or “vision.” The rest of the syllables sound like the name “Nina,” but without emphasis.
📷Author: Steffen Hannert – http://www.vogelruf.de/galerie/, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.