Dr. Julia Leikin

Biography

Julia Leikin is a historian specializing in Central Eastern Europe, with a focus on the Russian Empire, international law, and maritime culture. Her broader interests encompass legal history, modern European history, and the transnational connections between Russia and its European and Asian neighbors. She is currently completing a monograph that analyzes the Russian Empire’s understanding and practice of law among nations within the maritime realms during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Her research highlights the maritime frontiers of the Russian Empire, illustrating the centrality of the maritime realm in Russian international thought. Leikin's recent publications include contributions to the Journal of Modern History, where she explores the concept of the “Russian Mediterranean,” an important frontier in the development of Russian international maritime law. She has collaborated with Elena Smilianskaia on editing and translating a work titled 'Russian Faith, Honour & Courage Displayed in a Faithful Narrative of the Russian Expedition to Sea in the Years 1769 & 1770' which is set to be published by the Hakluyt Society in 2024. Previously, Leikin served as an Assistant Professor of History at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and as a Teaching Fellow in Modern European History at Royal Holloway, University of London. She has held fellowships from the British Academy, Library of Congress, and the Institute of Historical Research, among others, and her research has been funded by various prestigious grants.

Research Interests

Experience