Alena Minchenia

Alena Minchenia is a Lecturer and Doctoral Student at Lund University, affiliated with the Centre for Languages and Literature (SOL) within the Faculty of Humanities and Theology. She is based in the Department of Central and Eastern European Studies, where she conducts research and contributes to teaching. Her academic work centers on the emotional dynamics of political resistance in authoritarian contexts, particularly in Belarus.

Her educational background includes a Master of Philosophy in Gender Studies from Central European University (Budapest) and an MA in Cultural Studies from the European Humanities University (Minsk). These foundations inform her interdisciplinary approach, combining gender theory, political science, and ethnography.

Alena's research focuses on the emotionality of political protests in Belarus, analyzing how emotions such as shame, pride, and hope shape activist identities and narratives of dissent. She explores how gender, class, and geopolitical positioning influence protest discourse and subjectivity formation. Her work critically examines both local and Western narratives about resistance in post-socialist Europe.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on protest, emotion, media, and power. The articles span topics from professional protesters in democracy promotion to the role of humor in hegemonic control. Collectively, they highlight the significance of affective dimensions in political mobilization and the cultural politics of dissent in Eastern Europe.

She is actively involved in research networks, including the EUROPAST project on public history in Europe, and has organized and participated in public academic events such as the Solidarity Talks Malmö. Her methodological orientation is qualitative, often employing ethnographic and discourse analysis techniques.

Alena has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards. However, her research output and engagement in academic and public discourse indicate a growing scholarly presence. She has advised no students listed in the provided texts and does not appear to lead a formal lab or research team, though she collaborates within interdisciplinary networks.