Harry Potter and Putin’s Russia: Fantasy, Fandom, and Politics with Eliot Borenstein

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The Slavic Connexion

Connexions

215 episodes

2 days ago

An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and Clements Center for National Security. Whether you're a Slavophile, a foreign affairs junkie, or simply a curious mind, The Slavic Connexion offers insightful, accessible, and even fun discussions on the sprawling region in the context of our hyperconnected world. "It's not typical Texas..."

Society & Culture

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Society & Culture

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Harry Potter and Putin’s Russia: Fantasy, Fandom, and Politics with Eliot Borenstein

The Slavic Connexion

58 minutes 23 seconds

2 months ago

Harry Potter and Putin’s Russia: Fantasy, Fandom, and Politics with Eliot Borenstein

What happens when Harry Potter arrives in Russia just as Vladimir Putin rises to power? Cullan and Lera speak with returning guest Dr. Eliot Borenstein (NYU), author of the new book The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children’s Literature, and Fandom in Putin’s Russia, to unpack how Western fantasy franchises, particularly Harry Potter, were translated, adapted, and politicized in Russia. From Orthodox denunciations of wizardry and bizarre propaganda flops like Kids vs. Wizards, to the homegrown parody heroine Tanya Grotter, Dr. Borenstein explores the strange cultural afterlife of global fantasy in post-Soviet Russia. We also dive into the politics of art and artists, the ethics of fandom in the age of J.K. Rowling, and how pop culture shapes—and distorts—Russian views of themselves and the West. We hope you enjoy!

Producer's Note: This episode was recorded via Zoom on August 8, 2025.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Eliot Borenstein is Professor of Russian & Slavic Studies and Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost for Global Programs at New York University, where he oversees NYU’s global sites and study away programs. He is the author of Men without Women: Masculinity and Revolution in Russian Fiction, 1917-1929 (2001 AATSEEL book prize), Overkill: Sex and Violence in Contemporary Russian Popular Culture (2008 AWSS book prize), Plots against Russia: Conspiracy and Fantasy after Socialism (2020 Wayne S. Vucinich book prize and 2020 AATSEEL book prize), Pussy Riot: Speaking Punk to Power (Bloomsbury, 2020), Meanwhile, in Russia…: Russian Internet Memes and Viral Video (Bloomsbury, 2022), Marvel Comics in the 1970s: The World Inside Your Head (Cornell, 2023), Soviet-Self-Hatred: The Secret Identities of Postsocialism (Cornell, 2023), and HBO’s The Leftovers: Mourning and Melancholy on Premium Cable (Lexington Books, 2023). More information can be found on his website: https://www.eliotborenstein.net