Professional Affiliation

Professor of History, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Expert Bio

Audrey L. Altstadt is author of dozens of articles on Azerbaijan's history, politics and culture, and forthcoming book, Culture Wars in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920-1940. She has worked in Azerbaijani archives since 1980 and consulted with the US Foreign Service, Radio Liberty, US Institute of Peace, the CSCE, Freedom House. She earned her PhD from the University of Chicago and received an honorary doctorate from Khazar University (Baku) as well as awards and fellowships from IREX, Harvard Russian Research Center, the Kennan Institute, Mellon Foundation and others.

Wilson Center Project

“Why Unblooms the Hope: “Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan.”

Project Summary

In the last decade, Azerbaijan's "democracy ratings" from watch dogs organizations such as Freedom House have steadily worsened. Do such ratings tell the whole story? What factors have shaped Azerbaijan's political life since independence? Drawing on 35 years of research and in-country study, Dr. Altstadt provides analysis of Azerbaijani politics, civil society, treatment of dissent, prospects for the growth of political Islam. The resulting book will discuss likely scenarios for Azerbaijan's future and its significance to U.S. interests.

Major Publications

Culture Wars in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920-1940. forthcoming

“Azerbaijan and Aliyev: A Long History and an Uncertain Future,” Problems of Post-Communism. September-October 2003.

The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity Under Russian Rule. Hoover Institution Press, 1992

Previous Terms

Short-Term Grant, Kennan Institute. Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. "History of Azerbaijan under Russian/Soviet Rule". January 1989.