Natalia Zhdanova

My research focuses on the political role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in contemporary Russia, with particular attention to its influence on ideology and power relations within the state. I hold an MSc in Russian and East European Studies from St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and I am a 2025 Dahrendorf Scholar, working on the project The Influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on Kremlin Policy in Europe.

Before beginning my doctoral research, I worked as a journalist for several Russian independent media outlets, covering politics and society. I am also an alumna of the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Leadership and Scholarship Programme and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford.

My supervisor is Professor Michael Rochlitz.