Hellen Petrovskaya is a master’s student in political science, specializing in comparative politics. Her research interests include political communication, the role of propaganda in upholding authoritarian regimes, and the use of disinformation campaigns in global information warfare. She has regional expertise in Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on post-Soviet Russia.
Prior to joining Columbia, Ms. Petrovskaya graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University, where she double-majored in philosophy and international studies with a concentration in global affairs. During her time at Fordham, she conducted research on media framing of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, analyzing the coverage of the first year of the full-scale invasion on one of Russia’s most popular political talk shows, Evening with Vladimir Solovyov. Her research specifically examined the discursive strategies of regime-friendly political talk shows in a hard autocracy and the role of state-controlled media in fueling mass support for the war.
