Vladimir Solonari

Vladimir Solonari is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Central Florida's College of Arts and Humanities, specializing in Russian and Eastern European history with a focus on the Holocaust and ethnic cleansing during World War II. His research examines Romanian policies toward national minorities, particularly Jewish populations in Transnistria, Bessarabia, and Bukovina, analyzing government radicalization and societal responses to persecution.

Education:

• Ph.D. from Moscow State University (1986)

Solonari's scholarly work centers on the mechanisms of ethnic cleansing in Axis-aligned Romania, challenging narratives of spontaneous violence by demonstrating state-driven systematic policies. His research reveals how the Antonescu regime pursued 'national purification' through deportation and murder while navigating internal resistance and external pressures. Current projects investigate why complete ethnic homogenization failed despite radical government aims, incorporating survivor testimonies and perpetrator motivations.

His 15 most recent publications (2020-2003) demonstrate consistent thematic focus on Holocaust dynamics in Southeastern Europe, with increasing attention to memory politics and comparative ethnic violence. These works establish methodological bridges between political history, genocide studies, and post-Soviet memory analysis, particularly regarding Moldova's contested historical narratives.

Scientific Awards:

• Honorable mention of the American Association of Ukrainian Studies (2021) for A Satellite Empire: Romanian Rule in Southwestern Ukraine, 1941-1944
• Research Incentive Awards from UCF's College of Arts and Humanities (2019, 2012)
• Teaching Incentive Program Award (2010)
• Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Fellowship
• National Endowment for Democracy Fellowship
• Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies Fellowship (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Solonari mentors graduate students in modern European history while securing competitive external funding for archival research. His current book project synthesizes decades of scholarship on Romanian ethnic policies, examining how local actors shaped implementation of genocide through resistance, collaboration, and moral negotiation. He directs comparative research on post-Soviet historical memory, particularly regarding Holocaust commemoration in Moldova and Ukraine.

Active in international scholarly networks, Solonari collaborates with Eastern European archives and participates in Holocaust education initiatives. His future work will expand comparative analysis of Axis satellite states' genocide policies while developing digital humanities projects documenting Transnistrian Jewish communities.