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Alina Bykova

Email:

alina.bykova@thearcticinstitute.org


X:

@alinaobykova


Working Location:

Los Angeles, California


Languages:

French, Russian


Alina Bykova is a Senior Associate, the Editor-in-Chief of the Editorial Team and a Leadership Group member at The Arctic Institute She also works on Russian writing and translation for the website. Her research interests include Arctic and Soviet environmental history with a focus on energy and industry. She is a PhD candidate in history at Stanford University. Alina is writing her dissertation on the history of extraction on Svalbard, Norway.

Alina earned her masters in European and Russian Affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto in 2019. Her masters thesis was about the rise and fall of Soviet mining settlements on Svalbard. Prior to her work in academia, she completed a Bachelor of Journalism at Ryerson University and worked as a breaking news reporter at the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper.


NATO in the Arctic: The Arctic Institute’s NATO Series 2024-2025 (Part I)

TAI's NATO Series 2024-2025 examines the NATO’s role in a changing Arctic, characterized by climate woes and rising geopolitical tensions

October 29, 2024

NATO has always been an Arctic Alliance (Part II)

The Arctic is reentering the geopolitical arena as tensions due to Russian aggression, and NATO must adjust to these realities.

June 11, 2024

NATO has always been an Arctic Alliance (Part I)

According to historical documents, the Arctic has figured into NATO security from the earliest days of the Alliance’s existence.

May 28, 2024

Svalbard’s Extractive Economy: Past, Present, Future

This report examines extraction on Svalbard, which takes many forms, including mining, hunting, fishing, scientific research and tourism.

June 27, 2023

The Two Arctics: Soviet Environmental Experiences and Socialist Realism in the Far North (Part II)

The second part of this two-part series explores the example of Norilsk in further detail to examine varying Soviet Arctic experiences.

December 21, 2021

The Two Arctics: Soviet Environmental Experiences and Socialist Realism in the Far North (Part I)

Comparing Pyramiden and Norilsk offers insights into two Soviet Arctic experiences: idealism and reality; both important to socialist realism.

December 14, 2021

Permafrost Thaw in the Warming Arctic: Final Remarks

Permafrost thaw is caused by climate change and threatens life in the Arctic and beyond. TAI’s series aims to shed light on permafrost thaw.

April 13, 2021

Permafrost Thaw in a Warming World: The Arctic Institute’s Permafrost Series Fall-Winter 2020

Permafrost melt is threatening the Arctic and the rest of the world. A global effort is needed to stop permafrost melt.

October 1, 2020

The Changing Nature of Russia’s Arctic Presence: A Case Study of Pyramiden

Pyramiden was a socialist utopia in the Arctic, until it was abandoned in 1998. Now you can visit it to see the Soviet Union frozen in time.

December 9, 2019