Yakov Klots

Yakov "Yasha" Klots is an Associate Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at Hunter College, affiliated with the Department of Classical and Oriental Studies. He joined Hunter in 2016 after teaching at Georgia Tech, Williams College, and Yale University.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Russian Literature, Yale University (2011)

His research spans book history, émigré literature, urban representation in literature, and Gulag narratives. He is particularly known for his work on Varlam Shalamov and Joseph Brodsky, as well as linguistic anthropology in diasporic contexts.

Recent publications focus on Cold War-era contraband literature (Tamizdat) and the intersection of cityscapes, bilingualism, and diaspora in Russian poetry. He also co-translated memoirs of Soviet-era figures.

Scientific Awards:

• Humboldt Foundation Fellow

At Hunter, Klots directs the Tamizdat Project, a public scholarship initiative fostering collaboration on Slavic studies. He teaches courses on Gulag literature, immigrant narratives, and Russian theater.