Sylvia Chassaing

Sylvia Chassaing is a Lecturer in contemporary Russian literature and translation at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) in Paris, France. She is affiliated with the CREE (Centre de Recherches Euro-Asiennes) research team and specializes in Slavic languages and literature, with a particular focus on Russian studies. Her work bridges literary analysis, cultural studies, and political commentary on contemporary Russian society.

Chassaing's research interests span multiple interconnected fields including sociocriticism, gender studies, and ecocriticism as applied to Russian literature. She focuses particularly on Extremely Contemporary Russian Literature (2010s-2020s), examining how writers and literary institutions navigate power structures in Putin's Russia. Her work explores themes of trauma narratives, feminist publishing movements, literary activism (such as the #Tikhiypiket silent protest movement), and ecocritical readings of Russian texts. She also investigates the relationship between art and politics in post-Soviet public space, including Moscow Actionism.

Her scholarly output reveals a consistent engagement with the intersection of literature, politics, and social movements in contemporary Russia. Chassaing frequently analyzes how Russian writers respond to political pressures, with particular attention to gender dynamics and ecological concerns. Her work demonstrates how literary forms become vehicles for political expression and resistance in contexts of censorship and authoritarianism.

• Co-organized international conference 'Being a writer under Putin' (2024)
• Co-directed Russian-French translation seminars (2019-2021)
• Co-founded SAMPIZDAT publishing house for Russian underground literature
• Translator of contemporary Russian writers including Daria Serenko and Boris Khersonskij

Chassaing actively contributes to research evaluation for journals including Revue Slovo and Slavica Occitania, demonstrating her standing within the academic community focused on Slavic studies and contemporary literature.