James Ryan

Dr. James Ryan is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European (Russian) History at the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University. His work focuses on the intellectual history of Soviet state violence and the ideological foundations of Bolshevik dictatorship. With publications and ongoing research projects spanning political violence, Stalinism, and historical memory in contemporary Russia, Dr. Ryan provides critical insights into the paradoxes of revolutionary regimes.

• Education: Ph.D. in Modern History (2010, National University of Ireland, Cork); BA First Class (2005, NUI Cork)
• Professional Affiliations: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, member of ASEEES and BASEES

His research interrogates the relationship between violence and ideology in Soviet history, seeking to understand how a regime founded on emancipatory principles became the most violent in modern European peacetime history. Current projects include the monograph The Limits of Utopia: An Intellectual History of Soviet State Violence, 1917-1939, supported by a Gerda Henkel Foundation Scholarship. Dr. Ryan also explores historical memory in post-Soviet Russia, analyzing how the Soviet past shapes contemporary political narratives.

Key scientific awards include:

• 2022-23: Gerda Henkel Foundation Research Scholarship
• 2017: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• 2015-17: Erasmus Plus International Credit Mobility award

Dr. Ryan has served as reviews editor for Revolutionary Russia journal since 2015 and maintains active supervision of PhD students in areas spanning inter-war Soviet political history, political violence analysis, and post-Soviet memory studies.