Daria Khokhlova is a PhD candidate in History at the University of Zurich, affiliated with the SNSF Ambizione Project “A War Without End? The Legacy of the Cold War in Russia,” under the supervision of Dr. Vassily Klimentov.

Her PhD examines how post-Soviet Russian policy has used historical education as a tool for shaping national identity. The dissertation traces the evolving image of the West in Russian school curricula, from the hopeful rhetoric of partnership in the 1990s to the rise of anti-Western sentiment in the 2010s. Through a close analysis of education policy, the study aims to shed light on the deeper political and ideological shifts that have defined Russia’s trajectory in the post-Soviet era.

She holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Comparative History from the Central European University in Vienna and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Public History from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Her research interests include memory politics, nationalism, and education policy.