Michał Murawski

Michał Murawski is an Associate Professor in Critical Area Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. His research focuses on the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and post-socialist societies, particularly in Eastern Europe and Ukraine. He holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University (2014) and has held fellowships at Yale University and Queen Mary University of London.

• Education:
  • PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge, 2014
  • MPhil in Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge, 2008
  • Bachelor of Arts, School of Oriental and African Studies, 2006

His work explores the social and political dimensions of socialist-era architecture, including its legacy in neoliberal cities. Key research themes include reconstruction in wartime Ukraine, Russian post-Soviet urbanism, and the relationship between architecture and resistance. Notable publications include The Palace Complex (2019) and A Form of Friendship (2024).

He has curated exhibits such as Ukraine’s national pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale (Дах: Vernacular Hardcore), emphasizing domesticity and resistance. Awards include the William A. Douglass Prize (2020). He advises PhD students on topics like post-Soviet urbanism and cultural heritage.

Murawski organizes initiatives like PPV (Perverting the Power Vertical), examining political aesthetics in Eastern Europe. His research bridges anthropology, architecture, and critical theory, addressing contemporary conflicts over urban space and cultural memory.