Terry Martin

Terry Martin is the George F. Baker III Professor of Russian Studies at Harvard University, affiliated with the Department of History within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He holds dual affiliations with the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. His research focuses on Soviet history, ethnicity, identity, surveillance, and political violence. He is renowned for works like The Affirmative Action Empire and co-edited A State of Nations. Currently, he is completing a book on Soviet state information-gathering from the revolution to Stalin’s death.

Research interests include the intersection of nationalism, empire, and state policies in the USSR, with attention to religion, political police, and comparisons between Nazi and Soviet systems. His work bridges historical analysis with sociopolitical theory.

His affiliations and academic contributions underscore his role as a leading scholar of Russian and Eurasian studies, with a focus on 20th-century imperial and international history.