Pål Kolstø

• Kolstø, Pål (2026). Orthodoxy and Nation‐building in Russia. I Cesari, Jocelyne & Greenfeld, Liah (Red.), The Wiley Companion to Religion, Politics, and Nations. John Wiley & Sons. ISSN 9781394240517. s. 135–152. doi: 10.1002/9781394240548.ch09. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2025). Introduction: Values-based Legitimation in Putin’s Russia. I Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (Red.), Political Legitimacy and Traditional Values in Putin's Russia. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781399539005. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Tyldum, Guri & Kolstø, Pål (2025). 1 Russian Popular Values under President Putin: A ‘Conservative Turn’ – or Anomie? I Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (Red.), Political Legitimacy and Traditional Values in Putin's Russia. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781399539005. s. 25–49. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  1 Russian Popular Values under President Putin: A ‘Conservative Turn’ – or Anomie? was published in Political Legitimacy and Traditional Values in Putin's Russia on page 25.

• Kolstø, Pål (2025). “Thou shalt not kill”: Opposition to the war in Ukraine among Russian Orthodox believers. I Rimestad, Sebastian & Saggau, Emil Hilton (Red.), Fault Lines in the Orthodox World Geopolitics, Theology, and Diplomacy in Light of the War in Ukraine. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783031815041. s. 203–234. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2025). STEERING TOWARDS A PERMANENT SCHISM? THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX EXARCHATE IN AFRICA. Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe. ISSN 2693-2229. doi: 10.55221/2693-2229.2623. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål; Laitin, David & Mylonas, Harris (2025). Exchange on David Laitin’s Identity in Formation. Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 53(4), s. 737–754. doi: 10.1017/nps.2025.20. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2025). Holding Back the End of the World: Russian Apocalyptic Interpretations of the War in Ukraine. Russian Review. ISSN 0036-0341. doi: 10.1111/russ.70068. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Kolov, Bojidar Angelov (2024). The Religious Component in Contemporary Russian Imperialism. Religions. 15(9). doi: 10.3390/rel15091138. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, various voices in the Russian public sphere have been trying to make sense of Russia’s new place in the world, its geopolitical horizons, and the identity of its people. One of the dominant trends that have emerged is Orthodox imperialism, which combines religious symbols and narratives with a geopolitical vision of Russian expansion and “reunification”. This article provides an overview of the Russian Orthodox imperialist voices, analysing the political norms and identities they have enabled. Our investigation shows that by advancing a programme that combines geopolitical restoration and eschatological religious mis-sion, Orthodox imperialism offers an ideological solution to the problem of Russia’s lost great-power status. This solution, however, does not envisage a bright future for Russia or the world. On the contrary, it remains firmly fixated on the past, foretelling of an apocalyptic disaster if Moscow does not regain its former imperial glory and exercise its divine role as a “restrainer” to any global domination.

• Blakkisrud, Helge; Gelashvili, Tamta; Kemoklidze, Nino & Kolstø, Pål (2024). Does recognition matter? Exploring patron penetration of de-facto state structures. Territory, Politics, Governance. ISSN 2162-2671. doi: 10.1080/21622671.2024.2323104. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  De facto states seek international recognition. But do patron states that extend such recognition to their de-facto state clients treat them differently than they would have done otherwise? Will patrons, having extended official recognition, be more inclined to treat their clients as ‘regular’ states? Or does recognition only make the client more beholden to the patron? To investigate this, we explore whether granting recognition affects the degree of patron-state penetration of two sectors critical to the de facto state for retaining (internal) sovereignty and agency: the executive branch, and the military.

• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Eurasia’s de Facto States after Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: Client Reactions to Patron Decline. Problems of Post-Communism. ISSN 1075-8216. 72(4), s. 285–296. doi: 10.1080/10758216.2024.2427604. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Patron–client relationship depends on the evolving international situation. Russia’s war in Ukraine has weakened Russia’s ability to support client economically, in addition, Russia’s reputation as has patron suffered. In this situation, the Eurasian de facto states that have Russia as their patron, have reacted differently: Abkhazia and South Ossetia have made moves to huddle more closely together with their patron. Transnistria has signaled willingness to distance themselves from Russia, by allowing grain to be exported from Ukraine over their territory to Romania. The article examines the causes behind the changed vectors of de facto state orientation vis-à-vis the patron.

• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Ukrainians and Russians as ‘One People’: An Ideologeme and its Genesis. Ethnopolitics. ISSN 1744-9057. doi: 10.1080/17449057.2023.2247664. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Vladimir Putin has numerous times claimed that ‘Ukrainians and Russians are one people’; this was part of the legitimation for the attack on Ukraine in February 2022. This article examines the prehistory of this claim in Russian nationalist thinking both in recent times and in the tsarist era. It is argued that the claim differs from and is more sinister than the pre-revolutionary idea of a ‘triune Russian nation’ consisting of Great Russians, Little Russians ( = Ukrainians) and Belarussians, for the simple reason that the term ‘Russians’ (russkie) does not refer to the same group of people in the two contexts.

• Kolstø, Pål (2023). The Russian Orthodox Church and its fight against abortion: taking on the state and losing. Religion, State and Society. ISSN 0963-7494. 51(2), s. 153–173. doi: 10.1080/09637494.2023.2190290. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  During Vladimir Putin’s presidency, and in particular since the enthronement of Patriarch Kirill (2009), the Russian Orthodox Church has invested considerable energy and prestige in its fight against abortion. Nevertheless, the strategy adopted by the ROC seems ill-conceived and in many ways has proved counterproductive in terms of the goals which the ROC has set itself. While certain restrictions on the right to abortion have been introduced under Putin, this has been a far cry from the complete abortion ban advocated by the ecclesiastical leadership under Patriarch Kirill and supported by virtually all Orthodox believers who have expressed themselves publicly. At the same time, survey results as well as circumstantial evidence suggest that most Russians, including many who declare themselves to be Orthodox, have been reluctant to support a campaign for a ban on abortion. When the church leaders have failed to impress the public or the politicians,they have not readjusted their message towards more accommodating positions. The top hierarchs have been deeply involved in the anti-abortion drive and there are few signs of disagreements within the ROC leadership on this issue. However, the abortion issue threatens to sour relations between the ROC and the Putin regime

• Kolstø, Pål (2022). What’s in a name? “De facto states”, terminological choices and normative consequences. Пути к миру и безопасности. ISSN 2307-1494. 62(1), s. 30–46. doi: 10.20542/2307-1494-2022-1-30-46. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  There are a handful of territories around the globe that have state-like qualities such as governments, police, and tax collection, but are not recognized as states by other states, or are, perhaps, recognized by only one or several states. The study of these entities has been characterized by “terminological anarchy”, with each author developing his or her own designations, sometimes covering exactly the same ground, or seeking to introduce definitions to expand or delimit the number of cases. While these “name games” are partly driven by the ambitions of academics who want to present their research as being original and innovative, they also reveal underlying attitudes towards the phenomenon of de facto statehood. In the article, the range of appellations used in describing these political entities at the margins of international society is analyzed, to see what the choices of names can tell us about underlying attitudes. It is argued that current terminological pluralism is unhelpful and should be eliminated, in order to ensure that we are referring to the same entities in discussing what these entities “are”, what moves them and how they interact with other entities.

• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Orthodoxy Inside-Out: How Certain Orthodox Ideas Are Reflected in Lev Tolstoi’s Religious Thinking. Филологический класс. ISSN 2071-2405. 27(1), s. 8–21. doi: 10.51762/1FK-2022-27-01-01. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Lev TolstoI developed his religious ideas in conscious opposition to the Orthodox faith in which he was raised. He was deeply imbued with Orthodox thinking and incorporated important elements of Orthodox spirituality into his religious system. However, in its basic structure, his teaching differed significantly from the Orthodox worldview. The elements he took from Orthodox spirituality underwent a radical change of meaning when it was applied to his teaching. Thus, in defining Tolstoi’s relationship to the Orthodox Church, we must simultaneously emphasize both continuity and rupture. To say that Tolstoy was influenced by Orthodox spirituality is not to say that he was an Orthodox believer in any way – obviously he was not. Rather, we must acknowledge that in 19th-century Russia, the worldview of the Orthodox Church rubbed off on even some of its most vehement detractors. In A Confession, his first religious text after his spiritual crisis in the late 1870s, Tolstoi argued that in Orthodoxy there is “both truth and falsehood”. This view can be found even in his most viciously anti-Orthodox work, An examination of Dogmatic Theology, an almost forgotten book which is important for our understanding Tolstoi’s attitude towards Orthodoxy. In this article, I focus on two points: his anthropology and his view on how we can understand God. I combine textual and contextual analysis, that is, a careful reading of this book with a reading of the theological treatises on which he based his criticism.

• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2022). Engaging Without Recognizing? Western Approaches to the Eurasian De Facto States. Mezjdunarodnaja analitika. ISSN 2587-8476. 13(4), s. 58–75. doi: 10.46272/2587-8476-2022-13-4-58-75. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  From being a relatively neglected field, the study of de facto states has developed rapidly in recent years. As the break-up of the Soviet Union produced seven de facto states – four that still exist to this day (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia and Transnistria) and three that are now defunct (Chechnya, the Done – scholars from this region have contributed greatly to the development of this field. Russian scholars have been particularly active, with Russia serving as the patron state of three of the extant entities (having reintegrated/absorbed the three defunct ones), as well as of the patron of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia. But Western scholars have also made a sizeable contribution, although often working in relative isolation from “local” research. Whereas local researchers excel in in-depth knowledge of the history and culture of the region, their Western colleagues add to the comparative and theoretical approaches. And just as Russian researchers naturally focus on the relations of the Eurasian de facto states with their Russian patron, their Western counterparts often analyse the policies of their own countries towards these entities. Thus, we argue, two separate “ecosystems” of research into Eurasian de facto states have gradually developed: a “local” one and a “Western” one, each with its own peculiarities. In this article, we survey the “Western” literature on de facto states, noting the various assessments of the possibilities for US and EU engagement with the Eurasian de facto states. The scholarly literature discussing Western engagement emerges as partly analytical, explaining what Western states are doing and not doing and why, and partly normative, offering policy recommendations on how best to engage. Implicit in the concept of “engagement,” however, is the understanding that engagement is preferable to “ignoring” or “sanctioning.” According to this view, Western cooperation with de facto state authorities is inevitable.

• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2021). Russian Neighborhood Policy and Its Eurasian Client States: No Autocracy Export. Russia in Global Affairs. ISSN 1810-6374. 19(2), s. 38–62. doi: 10.31278/1810-6374-2021-19-2-38-62. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Do authoritarian regimes engage in active export of their political systems? Or are they primarily concerned about their geopolitical interests? This article explores these questions by examining Russia's policy towards Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. In all three de facto states, Moscow is fully able to dictate election outcomes should it desire to, but, we argue, has increasingly refrained from doing so. These client states are unlikely to attempt to escape from Russia's tutelage; and with its geopolitical interests fully ensured, Russia appears willing to grant them latitude. We then ask whether these findings can be extrapolated to serve as a template for understanding Russia’s policy towards its client states more generally, discussing Moscow’s reactions to attempted regime change in Armenia and Belarus.

• Kolstø, Pål (2020). ‘Authoritarian Diffusion, or the Geopolitics of Self-Interest? Evidence from Russia’s Patron–Client Relations with Eurasia’s De Facto States’. Europe-Asia Studies. ISSN 0966-8136. doi: 10.1080/09668136.2020.1806209. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  It is claimed that authoritarian regimes actively export their political systems. An alternative explanation maintains that authoritarian states are primarily concerned with geopolitical interests. Both explanations can produce coherent narratives. This article adjudicates among them by looking at Russia’s relations with Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In all three unrecognised states Moscow could dictate the outcome of elections but has, increasingly, abstained from interference. These client states are utterly dependent on Russia’s patronage and with its geopolitical interests ensured, Russia appears willing to grant them wide latitude.

• Blakkisrud, Helge; Gelashvili, Tamta; Kemoklidze, Nino & Kolstø, Pål (2020). Navigating de facto statehood: trade, trust, and agency in Abkhazia’s external economic relations. Eurasian geography and economics. ISSN 1538-7216. doi: 10.1080/15387216.2020.1861957. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  What opportunities and trade-offs do de facto states encounter in developing economic ties with the outside world? This article explores the complex relationship between trade and trust in the context of contested statehood. Most de facto states are heavily dependent on an external patron for economic aid and investment. However, we challenge the widespread assumption that de facto states are merely hapless pawns in the power-play of their patrons. Such an approach fails to capture the conflict dynamics involved. Drawing on a case study of Abkhazia, we explore how this de facto state navigates between its "patron" Russia, its "parent state" Georgia, and the EU. The conflict transformation literature has highlighted the interrelationship between trust and trade – but how does this unfold in the context of continued nonrecognition and contested statehood? Does trade serve to facilitate trust and hence prospects for conflict transformation? With Abkhazia, we find scant correlation between trust and trade: in the absence of formal recognition, trade does not necessarily facilitate trust. However, the interrelationship between trade, trust, and recognition proves more complex than expected: we find less trust in the patron and more trade with the parent than might have been anticipated.

• Kolstø, Pål (2020). Biting the hand that feeds them? Abkhazia–Russia client–patron relations. Post-Soviet Affairs. ISSN 1060-586X. 36(2), s. 140–158. doi: 10.1080/1060586X.2020.1712987. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article discusses the post-Soviet de facto state of Abkhazia, and its relationship to its main patron, Russia. All patron–client nexuses are marked by a high degree of asymmetrical power – especially with de facto states, which depend upon the patron for their very survival. Thus, it is surprising to see how de facto client states repeatedly show that they are both willing and able to defy the wishes of their patrons and pursue their own agendas instead. Moreover, the patron may be willing to tolerate such rebelliousness. What can explain such “disobedient” behavior? I examine three contentious aspects of Russian–Abkhazian relations: the process leading up to the signing of an extended bilateral agreement in 2014; the tussles over how to fight crime in Abkhazia; and acrimony over Abkhazia’s reluctance to allow Russians to buy property in their country, despite massive pressure from Russian authorities.

• Kolstø, Pål (2019). An inconvenient anniversary: how Russia did (not) celebrate the centenary of the Russian Revolution. I Myklebost, Kari Aga & Bones, Stian (Red.), In the North, the East and West Meet: Festschrift for Jens Petter Nielsen. Orkana Forlag. ISSN 9788281043442. s. 61–78. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The Centenary of the October Revolution in November 2017 seems to have been rather inconvenient for the Kremlin. Should 1917 be celebrated as a bright dawn after a long night of reactionary tsarist authoritarianism – or as marking the descent into a nightmare of oppression and suffering? Surveys show that opinions on this matter were sharply divided in Russian society. Both czarists and liberals denounced the communist period as an unmitigated disaster, while members of the Communist Party and other Soviet nostalgics continued to hail Lenin and Stalin as great leaders, and celebrated the revolutionary anniversary every year. In the end, no Kremlin leader participated in any celebrations of the October Revolution, while the Conservative Minister of culture, Vladimir Medinskii, tried to frame the Centenary as an occasion for “reconciliation and national unity,” something which the communists rejected as an affront.

• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Antemurale thinking as historical myth and ethnic boundary mechanism. I Berezhnaya, Liliya & Hein-Kircher, Heidi (Red.), Rampart Nations: Bulwark myths of East European Multiconfessional Societies in the Age of Nationalism. Berghahn Books. ISSN 9781789201475. s. 347–373. doi: 10.2307/j.ctv12pns5t.19. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Dmitrii Medvedev's commission against the falsification of history: Why was it created and what did it achieve? A reassessment. Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 97(4), s. 738–760. doi: 10.5699/slaveasteurorev2.97.4.0738. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2019). The concept of 'rootedness' in the struggle for political power in the Former Soviet Union in the 1990s. I Côté, Isabelle M.; Mitchell, Matthew I. & Toft, Monica Duffy (Red.), People changing places: new perspectives on demography, migration, conflict, and the state. Routledge. ISSN 9780815360766. s. 107–127. doi: 10.4324/9781351117623-6. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Dmitrii Medvedev's Commission Against the Falsification of History: Why Was It Created and What Did It Achieve? A Reassessment. Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 97(4), s. 738–760. doi: 10.5699/slaveasteurorev2.97.4.0738. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In spring 2009, three initiatives were taken in Moscow to control public presentation of Russian history: two bills were prepared for the Duma that would criminalize ‘the rehabilitation of Nazism’ and shortly afterwards President Dmitrii Medvedev established a commission, mandated to ‘counteract attempts to falsify history to the detriment of the interests of Russia.’ The article examines why President Medvedev felt it necessary to establish such a commission, how the commission was composed and worked, and what it achieved. While the Duma bills and the commission have usually been treated as initiatives that pulled in the same direction, I argue that they were fundamentally at odds with each other. In my interpretation, the commission was intended not to promote but to obstruct the passing of the new laws.

• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Iver Neumann og utenriksdebatten i Norge. Internasjonal Politikk. ISSN 0020-577X. 77(2), s. 140–147. doi: 10.23865/intpol.v77.1589. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Iver Neumann begynte sin akademiske karriere som Russland-forsker, og selv om han senere har utvidet sitt repertoar av studieområder kraftig har han hele tiden beholdt også en interesse for Russland, både landets historie og dets aktuelle politikk. Han tok med seg sin brede teoretiske skolering inn i russlandstudiet, og tilførte dermed norsk russlandforskning viktige nye perspektiver. Særlig verdifulle er hans identitetsstudier, basert på blant annet Fredrik Barths nyansatser i antropologien. Samtidig som Neumann er en svært meritert og sitert forsker har han aldri nøyd seg med å bidra til den rene vitenskapen, han har også kastet seg ut i samfunnsdebatten generelt og utenriksdebatten spesielt. Her har han ofte viklet seg inn i mange ikke alltid like fruktbare polemikker der han har forfektet postmodernistiske posisjoner. I hans kommentarer til dagsaktuell politikk i både Russland og Norge adskiller analysen seg likevel ofte ikke i særlig grad fra gjengse «realistiske» perspektiver. Både som forsker og mediekommentator utmerker Neumann seg med et meget bevisst forhold til språket. Han spiller på hele registeret av stilistiske nyanser, både på norsk og engelsk, noe som gjør hans tekster til en fryd å lese. Hans vilje og evne til å spissformulere seg i intervjuer og korte avisartikler kan imidlertid til tider gjøre hans uttalelser i overkant bombastiske.

• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Is imperialist nationalism an oxymoron? Nations and Nationalism. ISSN 1354-5078. 25(1), s. 18–44. doi: 10.1111/nana.12449. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  According to Ernest Gellner’s celebrated definition, nationalism is a political principle that holds that the political and the national unit should be congruent. Based on this definition, Alexander Motyl has declared that “nationalism and imperialism are polar types”. Even so, dozens of books and articles have used the concept of “imperialist nationalism” without any qualms. Is this just a matter of terminological confusion, or does it reflect a deeper disagreement on what the phenomenon of nationalism actually is? In the lecture I discuss the concept of “imperialist nationalism” as used in the standard literature and find that numerous historical actors take pride in being both nationalists and imperialists. I distinguish between overseas colonial empires and contiguous land-based empires, and demonstrate that in both cases “imperialist nationalism” can be found. In the latter case, nationalism can take the shape of either “nation-building imperialism”, in which nationalists strives for cultural homogenization throughout the state, or “ethnocratic imperialism”, in which the distinction between “the imperial nation” and other national groups are retained. In colonial empires I find only ethnocratic imperialism. As a case study, I analyze how Russian nationalists have related to the fact that Russia has historically been an Empire.

• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2018). Introduction: Exploring Russian nationalisms. I Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (Red.), Russia before and after Crimea: Nationalism and Identity, 2010-17. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781474433853. s. 1–20. doi: 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474433853.003.0001. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In the introductory chapter, the two editors, Pål Kolstø and Helge Blakkisrud, argue that in Putin's third period as president, nationalism has become even more important for understanding Russian politics and society than before. Prior to the annexation of Crimea, the influx of low-skilled labour from Central Asia and the Caucasus had been creating strong migrantophobic sentiments in sectors of the Russian population, boosting support for ethno-nationalism. The dramatic events in Ukraine in 2014 onwards, however, radically changed the political scene in Russia. Nationalist movements in opposition to the Kremlin went into steep decline, while the nation rallied around its leader, President Putin, who for the first time explicitly used nationalist themes in his propaganda. At first glance, this development may appear radically new. However, our introductory chapter, drawing on insights from several of the chapters in the volume, shows how this pattern has precedents in Russian history: Russian state authorities have generally tended to use other methods of legitimation than nationalism, leaving the nationalist field to various societal forces. However, in times of crisis – as during the Great Patriotic War– a state-focused, imperialistic nationalism is fully exploited as a mobilising device, and any autonomous, popular expressions of nationalism are suppressed. Seemingly an oxymoron, 'imperialist nationalism' has in fact been a strong current throughout Russian history, competing with cultural and ethnic nationalism. Further, this introductory chapter presents an outline of other chapters, pointing out how the themes discussed – the Kremlin's post-2012 quest for legitimacy, migrantophobia, the rise and fall of right-wing ethno-nationalism, and Russian reactions to the Crimean annexation – all emerge as interrelated when interpreted in this framework.

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2018). 'Restore Moscow to the Muscovites': Othering 'the migrants' in the 2013 Moscow mayoral elections. I Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (Red.), Russia before and after Crimea: Nationalism and Identity, 2010-17. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781474433853. s. 236–257. doi: 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474433853.003.0010. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Today, the Russian Federation has the second largest migrant population in the world in absolute numbers. The chapter looks at what role these migrants – and migrantophobia – play in Russian contemporary identity discourse through the lens of the 2013 Moscow mayoral elections. On the eve of these elections, Muscovites identified the large numbers of labour migrants in the capital as the most important campaign issue. This chapter explores how 'the migrant issue' was addressed at the candidate level as well as how it was perceived by ordinary Muscovites. First, it traces what images of 'the migrant' the candidates presented; how they assessed the potential for integration into Russian society; and what measures they proposed for regulating the flow of new migrants. Next, drawing on survey data, the chapter discusses to what extent campaign promises reflected the positions of the electorate on the same issues. It concludes that the Moscow electoral experiment of allowing semi-competitive elections contributed to pushing the borders of what mainstream politicians in Russia perceived as acceptable positions on migrants and migration policy, for at least two reasons: Firstly, incumbent mayor Sobianin faced stiff competition from the rising star of the non-systemic opposition, liberal-nationalist Aleksei Navalnyi, and had to find a way of outbidding him on the migrant issue. Second, in this more competitive environment, Sobianin could not rely on administrative resources alone, but had to respond to popular demands, to ensure an acceptable win: therefore, he had to appear as 'tough' on migrants. The experiment with semi-competitive elections in Moscow in 2013 thus demonstrated the limits of the Kremlin’s ability to fully control Russian nationalist discourse and also contributed to reinforcing the idea of 'the migrant' as the new 'Other' in Russian identity discourse.

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2017). Regime Development and Patron–Client Relations: The 2016 Transnistrian Presidential Elections and the "Russia Factor". The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization. ISSN 1074-6846. 25(4), s. 503–528. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In December 2016, Transnistria held presidential elections in which, after an exceptionally loud and dirty campaign, the incumbent yielded power to his main opponent. This article explores regime evolution in the breakaway republic through the prism of these elections. First, drawing on the literature on hybrid regimes, we ask what the recent campaign can tell us about regime evolution in Transnistria. Second, arguing that, in the case of Eurasian de facto states, this literature must be complemented by a discussion of the role of the patron state, we then turn to the importance of the "Russia factor." We conclude by arguing that, due to Transnistria's dependency on its Moscow patron, this factor always looms large – but not necessarily in the ways that might be expected.

• Kolstø, Pål (2017). St. Georgsløyfen i russisk nasjonsbygging. Arr - Idéhistorisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0802-7005. 29(3/4), s. 113–123. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2017). Stavropol as "Russia's Kosovo"? Nationalist mobilization and public response in a Russian region. Post-Soviet Affairs. ISSN 1060-586X. 33(5), s. 370–388. doi: 10.1080/1060586X.2017.1355716. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). The significance of the Russian imperial tradition today. I Gottlieb, Christian (Red.), Russia and the Nordic countries. Fondet for norsk dansk samarbeid. s. 24–33. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). Introduction: Russian nationalism is back - but precisely what does that mean? I Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (Red.), The New Russian Nationalism. Imperialism, Ethnicity and Authoritarianism 2000-15. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781474410427. s. 1–18. doi: 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474410427.003.0001. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). The ethnification of Russian nationalism. I Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (Red.), The New Russian Nationalism. Imperialism, Ethnicity and Authoritarianism 2000-15. Edinburgh University Press. ISSN 9781474410427. s. 18–46. doi: 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474410427.003.0002. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). “Crimea vs. Donbass: how Putin won Russian nationalist support—and lost it again”. Slavic Review: Interdisciplinary Quarterly of Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies. ISSN 0037-6779. 75(3), s. 702–725. doi: 10.5612/slavicreview.75.3.0702. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article analyzes how the nationalist segment of the Russian public has engaged in attempts to interpret and evaluate the Crimean annexation and the war in Donbass. The Crimean annexation was justified in the Kremlin by a novel use of nationalist rhetoric. Initially, this rhetoric paid off particularly well – boosting Putin’s popularity ratings and endearing him to virtually all Russian nationalists. He could present himself as the foremost defender both of ethnic Russians abroad and of Russia’s state interests, stealing the thunder from Russian ethnonationalists and the state-centered nationalists alike. However, in spite of the initial euphoria, the war in Eastern Ukraine has antagonized the nationalist segment of the Russian public which had been won over by the Kremlin only months earlier. Russian TV footage of burned houses in East Ukrainian towns and hamlets prompted questions about why Putin was not doing more to defend them.

• Kolstø, Pål (2016). “Marriage of convenience? Collaboration between nationalists and liberals in the Russian opposition, 2011–2012”. Russian Review. ISSN 0036-0341. 75(4), s. 645–663. doi: 10.1111/russ.12107. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). “Western Balkans” as the new Balkans: regional names as tools for stigmatization and exclusion. Europe-Asia Studies. ISSN 0966-8136. 68(7), s. 1245–1263. doi: 10.1080/09668136.2016.1219979. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The word ‘Balkans’ often functions as a stigma. Several authors have discussed the bloodbath during the wars in the former Yugoslavia with references to an alleged Balkan culture. Towards the end of the 1990s the term ‘Balkans’ entered the official vocabulary of the European Union, now with the prefix ‘Western’. ‘The Western Balkans’ became a common denominator for non-member states in South Eastern Europe. A survey in 2011 in the ‘Western Balkans’ showed that those who live there, to a large extent share this view: membership in Western organizations like the EU determine whether a country is ‘European’ or ‘Balkan’.

• Kolstø, Pål (2016). ‘Symbol of the war—but which one? The St George ribbon in Russian nation-building’. Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 94(4), s. 661–702. doi: 10.5699/slaveasteurorev2.94.4.0660. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article examines the short but eventful history of the St. George ribbon which since 2005 has been used in Russia as a symbol of the Soviet victory in the Great Fatherland War. The ribbon ‘action’ has become a major societal and political event, involving millions of participants in various activities in the weeks leading up to Victory Day, 9 May. Since the main purpose of state-sponsored national symbols is to provide nodal points around which the people can develop a common political identity, and the St. George ribbon campaign must therefore be regarded as a great success. However, the Putin regime has increasingly politicized this symbol which today is also to a high degree a badge of allegiance to the Kremlin and its policies. Particularly after the outbreak of war in Eastern Ukraine the St. George ribbon has become highly controversial in most of the former Soviet republics.

• Kolstø, Pål & Jelovica, Vatroslav (2016). Strategije simbolične izgradnje nacije u državama Jugoistocne Europe: ciljevi i rezultati. I Pavlakovic, Vjeran & Korov, Goran (Red.), Strategije simbolične izgradnje nacije u državama. Srednja Europa. ISSN 9789537963552. s. 1–26. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Pegg, Scott & Kolstø, Pål (2015). Somaliland: Dynamics of internal legitimacy and (lack of) external sovereignty. Geoforum. ISSN 0016-7185. 66, s. 193–202. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.09.001. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Despite its strong legal and historical claims to sovereignty, the Republic of Somaliland remains entirely unrecognized by the international community more than 20 years after it proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991. Paradoxically, Somaliland’s lack of external legitimacy has, in some ways, facilitated the growth and development of its internal legitimacy. In contrast, Somalia enjoys widespread external recognition from the international community but has very little domestic legitimacy and largely fails to govern effectively the territory it claims. Somaliland’s high degree of domestic legitimacy and its strong desire for external recognition increasingly come into conflict with one another both in the eastern parts of Somaliland and in the continued democratic development of its hybrid domestic political institutions. The safest prediction for Somaliland is continued de facto statehood where its strong internal legitimacy enables it to survive in a hostile external environment but fails to translate into widespread sovereign recognition of its significant domestic accomplishments. Ultimately, though, Somaliland’s ability to deliver the ‘‘goods’’ on economic development and poverty reduction for its citizens will be significantly hampered without external recognition of its domestic achievements.

• Kolstø, Pål (2015). John Armstrong: typologies and grand narratives. Nations and Nationalism. ISSN 1354-5078. 21(1), s. 177–181. doi: 10.1111/nana.12108. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). ' "Balkan", "Europa", og EU: Sørøst-Europas symbolske geografi i endring.'. Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift (NNT). ISSN 0800-336X. 31(1), s. 5–16. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Orthodoxie. I George, Martin; Herlth, Jens; Münch, Christian & Schmid, Ulrich (Red.), Tolstoj als theologischer Denker und Kirchenkritiker. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISSN 9783525560075. s. 528–540. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Stalins etniske terror. I Hagtvet, Bernt; Brandal, Nikolai & Thorsen, Dag Einar (Red.), Folkemordenes svarte bok, 2. utgave. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215020884. s. 261–278. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Competing with entrepreneurial diasporians: origins of anti-Semitism in nineteenth-century Russia. Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 42(4), s. 691–707. doi: 10.1080/00905992.2013.879290. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Paukovic, Davor (2014). The Short and Brutish Life of Republika Srpska Krajina: Failure of a De Facto State. Ethnopolitics. ISSN 1744-9057. 13(4), s. 309–327. doi: 10.1080/17449057.2013.864805. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Identifying with the old or the new state: Nation-building vs. Yugonostalgia in the Yugoslav successor states. Nations and Nationalism. ISSN 1354-5078. 20(4), s. 760–781. doi: 10.1111/nana.12071. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article examines to what degree political nostalgia complicates national consolidation in new states. A survey in six Yugoslav successor states in 2011 showed that while yugonostalgics in some countries were less loyal than others towards the new state this was not the case in Serbia, probably because its citizens tend to see their country as a continuation of former Yugoslavia. In Croatia, the number of respondents who felt as a Yugoslav has gone down since independent far more than in any other state; probably a result of a massive public campaign to discredit continued identification with the former state.

• Kolstø, Pål & Jelovica, Vatroslav (2014). Conclusions: Success and Failure of Nation-building. Structural vs. Political Factors. I Kolstø, Pål (Red.), Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe. Ashgate. ISSN 9781472419163. s. 227–242. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  After the conflagration of Tito’s Yugoslavia a medley of new and not-so-new states rose from the ashes. Some of the Yugoslav successor states have joined, or are about to enter, the European Union, while others are still struggling to define their national borders, symbols, and relationships with neighbouring states. Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe expands upon the existing body of nationalism studies and explores how successful these nation-building strategies have been in the last two decades. Relying on new quantitative research results, the contributors offer interdisciplinary analyses of symbolic nation-building in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to show that whereas the citizens of some states have reached a consensus about the nation-building project other states remain fragmented and uncertain of when the process will end. A must-read not only for scholars of the region but policy makers and others interested in understanding the complex interplay of history, symbolic politics, and post-conflict transition. Contents: Preface; Introduction, Pål Kolstø; Fulfilling the thousand-year-old dream: strategies of symbolic nation building in Croatia, Vjeran Pavlakovic; Jaws of the nation and weak embraces of the state: the lines of division, indifference and loyalty in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ana Devic; Serbia and the symbolic (re)construction of the nation, Vladan Jovanovic; When two hands rock the cradle: symbolic dimensions of the divide over statehood and identity in Montenegro, Jelena Dzankic; Kosovo: topography of the construction of the nation, Vjollca Krasniqi; Strategies for creating the Macedonian state and nation and rival projects between 1991 and 2012, Ljupcho Risteski and Armanda Kodra Hysa; Status report Albania 100 years: symbolic nation-building completed?, Cecilie Endresen; Conclusions: success and failure of nation-building, structural vs, political factors, Pål Kolstø and Vatroslav Jelovica; Index.

• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Introduction. I Kolstø, Pål (Red.), Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe. Ashgate. ISSN 9781472419163. s. 1–19. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  After the conflagration of Tito’s Yugoslavia a medley of new and not-so-new states rose from the ashes. Some of the Yugoslav successor states have joined, or are about to enter, the European Union, while others are still struggling to define their national borders, symbols, and relationships with neighbouring states. Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe expands upon the existing body of nationalism studies and explores how successful these nation-building strategies have been in the last two decades. Relying on new quantitative research results, the contributors offer interdisciplinary analyses of symbolic nation-building in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to show that whereas the citizens of some states have reached a consensus about the nation-building project other states remain fragmented and uncertain of when the process will end. A must-read not only for scholars of the region but policy makers and others interested in understanding the complex interplay of history, symbolic politics, and post-conflict transition. Contents: Preface; Introduction, Pål Kolstø; Fulfilling the thousand-year-old dream: strategies of symbolic nation building in Croatia, Vjeran Pavlakovic; Jaws of the nation and weak embraces of the state: the lines of division, indifference and loyalty in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ana Devic; Serbia and the symbolic (re)construction of the nation, Vladan Jovanovic; When two hands rock the cradle: symbolic dimensions of the divide over statehood and identity in Montenegro, Jelena Dzankic; Kosovo: topography of the construction of the nation, Vjollca Krasniqi; Strategies for creating the Macedonian state and nation and rival projects between 1991 and 2012, Ljupcho Risteski and Armanda Kodra Hysa; Status report Albania 100 years: symbolic nation-building completed?, Cecilie Endresen; Conclusions: success and failure of nation-building, structural vs, political factors, Pål Kolstø and Vatroslav Jelovica; Index.

• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Il nation-building in Russia: una strategia orientata sui valori. Nazioni e Regioni. Studi e ricerche sulla comunità. 3(3), s. 43–69. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Russia's nationalists Flirt with Democracy. Journal of Democracy. ISSN 1045-5736. 25(3), s. 120–134. doi: 10.1353/jod.2014.0050. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Hyrje (oversatt fra Introduction). I Krasniqi, Vjollca (Red.), Kombformimi simbolik në evropën juglindore. N.G.L. grafika. ISSN 9789951400015. s. 14-44–14-44. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Faulted for the wrong reasons: Soviet institutionalisation of ethnic diversity and Western (mis)interpretations. I Cordell, Karl; Agarin, Timofey & Osipov, Alexander (Red.), Institutional Legacies of Communism: Change and Continuities in minority protection. Routledge. ISSN 9780415638739. s. 31–44. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Schmid, Ulrich (2013). Fame, Sainthood and Iurodstvo: Patterns of Self-Presentation in Tolstoi's Life Practice. Slavic and East European Journal. ISSN 0037-6752. 4(57). Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Rusetskii, Aleksander (2012). Power Differentials and Identity Formation: Images of Self and Other on the Russian-Georgian Boundary. National Identities. ISSN 1460-8944. 14(2), s. 139–155. doi: 10.1080/14608944.2011.646974. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This article looks at how Russia places herself in relation to one of her southern neighbours, Georgia, and vice versa. Russia and Georgia have recently been engaged in a short but full-fledged war, hence their interrelationship has been intensely debated in both countries. Both Russia and Georgia are, as it were, poised ‘between East and West’. As a starting point, therefore, we hypothesized that Russians would present themselves as a European nation while they would orientalise the Georgians. Conversely, the Georgians would define themselves into and the Russians out of Europe. We found, however, that identity construction on the Russian-Georgian border is not symmetrical. While the Georgian discourse basically confirmed our assumption, in Russia the dominant discourse is that Russia and Georgia are closely related, fraternal peoples. This shows the importance of power relations in the study of reciprocal identity formations. While hegemonic discourses often are discourses of exclusion our study shows that a discourse of inclusion—in our case a rhetoric of ‘brotherhood’—often may be a more effective technique of domination. The prevailing discourse in the weaker group, on the other hand, will focus more on cultural distance towards the more powerful Other.

• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2012). De facto states and democracy: The case of Nagorno-Karabakh. Communist and Post-Communist Studies. ISSN 0967-067X. 45(1-2), s. 141–151. doi: 10.1016/j.postcomstud.2012.03.004. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  De facto states are often dismissed as 'failing states'. However, in Freedom House rankings of political rights and civil liberties, they sometimes perform better than their parent states – as has been the case with Nagorno-Karabakh. This article examines the development of democracy in Nagorno-Karabakh against a checklist of factors assumed to be relevant: cultural homogeneity, size, existential threats, role of the diaspora, and the consequences of continued non-recognition. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with central actors, the authors conclude that, contrary to what might be expected non-recognition has played a main role in the democratization process.

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2012). Die Gesellschaft der PMR. I Bochmann, Klaus; Dumbrava, Vasile; Muller, Dietmar & Reinhardt, Victoria (Red.), Die Republik Moldau: Ein Handbuch. Leipziger Universitätsverlag. ISSN 9783865835574. s. 571–582. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Tønnessen, Helene & Kolstø, Pål (2012). Journalistic identities and war reporting : coverage of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war in the Russian press. Scando-Slavica. ISSN 0080-6765. 58(1), s. 101–121. doi: 10.1080/00806765.2012.669917. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article analyzes the coverage of the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008 in three leading Russian newspapers, the official Rossijskaja gazeta, the tabloid Komsomol´skaja pravda, and the oppositional Novaja gazeta. A total of 247 articles on the war written in the three papers between 8 and 14 August 2008 were examined; in addition, seven journalists who had worked as war reporters in the war zone were interviewed. To the war reporters in all three newspapers their professional identity as journalists was clearly important. They were proud of the work they did, and reflected on their role as mediators of information to the public. They defined the task of the journalist in basically the same way: it meant giving a balanced and objective account of what actually happened. Even so, they covered the war in very different ways. To a large extent, the journalistic culture and political sympathies of the various papers determined what the correspondents “saw” on the ground.

• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Innledning, Den russiske idé. Solum. ISSN 9788256017041. s. 9–20. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2012). Dynamics of de facto statehood: the South Caucasian de facto states between secession and sovereignty. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies. ISSN 1468-3857. 12(2), s. 281–298. doi: 10.1080/14683857.2012.686013. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Scattered across the globe there exist a handful of unrecognized statelets. Although some such entities have proven short-lived, others have demonstrated remarkable tenacity. The South Caucasian de facto states – Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh – have existed for almost 20 years now. This article offers a comparative analysis of how these statelets have attempted to consolidate statehood though processes of state- and nation-building. Despite many outward similarities, both ambitions and outcomes have varied greatly. Interestingly, whether the ultimate goal has been independent statehood or status is seen only as a springboard for unification with ethnic kin does not seem to be a decisive point.

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2012). Yielding to the sons of the soil: Abkhazian democracy and the marginalization of the Armenian vote. Ethnic and Racial Studies. ISSN 0141-9870. 36(12), s. 2075–2095. doi: 10.1080/01419870.2012.675079. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). THE CROATIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE LONG ROAD TO JASENOVAC. Nordic Journal of Religion and Society. ISSN 0809-7291. 24(1), s. 37–56. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Beyond Russia becoming local, Trajectories of adaption to the fall of the Soviet Union among ethnic Russians in the former Soviet Republics. Journal of Eurasian Studies. ISSN 1879-3665. 2(2), s. 153–163. doi: 10.1016/j.euras.2011.03.006. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2011). 'Separatism is the mother of terrorism': internationalizing the security discourse on unrecognized states. I Caspersen, Nina & Stansfield, Gareth (Red.), Unrecognized States in the International System. Routledge. ISSN 9780415582100. s. 110–127. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). "The Serbian-Croatian controversy over Jasenovac". I Ramet, Sabrina Petra & Listhaug, Ola (Red.), Serbia and the Serbs in World War two. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9780230278301. s. 225–246. doi: 10.1057/9780230347816_11. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2011). From Secessionist Conflict Toward a Functioning State: Processes of State- and Nation-Building in Transnistria. Post-Soviet Affairs. ISSN 1060-586X. 27(2), s. 178–210. doi: 10.2747/1060-586X.27.2.178. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  How have the Transnistrian authorities sought to consolidate de facto statehood in the absence of international recognition? Starting from the idea that the time factor will eventually transform secessionists into state-builders, this article traces how the processes of state- and nation-building promoted by the Transnistrian de facto authorities have evolved since the early 1990s. Drawing on official sources, interviews, journalism, and the political science literature, the domestic dimensions of state- and nation-building in de facto state conflicts are examined. These include fulfillment of basic requirements of state-building, development of economic viability, and nationbuilding processes that attempt to create a unifying identity.

Se alle arbeider i NVA

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2025). Political Legitimacy and Traditional Values in Putin's Russia. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781399539005. 328 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Family, sex and faith: the biopolitics of the Russian Orthodox Church. Northern Illinois University Press (NIU Press). ISBN 9781501779411. 311 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Strategic Uses of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict: Interest and Identity in Russia and the Post-Soviet Space. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474495004. 294 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Argues that nationalism and ethnic conflict can be used as strategies to achieve power and influence Collects 8 thoroughly revised articles and book chapters, together with a new introductory theoretical chapter, based on Pål Kolstø's 30 years of study of nationalism and ethnic conflict in post-Soviet states Uses inter-related case studies in Russia and the former Soviet Union Theoretically informed, with both an overarching theoretical framework and chapter-specific theoretical discussions Shows how the resurgence of ethnonationalism in the post-Soviet world compells us to re-examine the dynamics of ethnic conflict Based on specific empirical cases, drawing on a wealth of primary sources With a new introductory theoretical chapter, the book collects eight thoroughly revised articles and book chapters on nationalism and ethnic conflict in post Soviet states. Kolstø examines how the drivers behind ethnic conflicts in the non-Russian republics were not only the struggles for collective identities but also more mundane interests, such as competition for jobs and positions. He also analyses the transformations of Russian nationalism, both among the ruling elite and in the opposition, with a particular focus on the use of symbolism. Exploring nationalism as a pervasive feature of politics in the modern world, Kolstø argues that both state leaders and 'ethnic entrepreneurs' employ nationalist rhetoric and stratagems to further their political agendas and achieve particular goals. He examines some of the ways this is used as a political strategy and focuses on nationalism at the societal level and as a state strategy.

• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Heretical Orthodoxy: Lev Tolstoi and the Russian Orthodox Church. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009260404. 306 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2018). Russia before and after Crimea: Nationalism and Identity, 2010-17. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474433853. 334 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2016). The New Russian Nationalism. Imperialism, Ethnicity and Authoritarianism 2000-15. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474410427. 424 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Risteski, Ljupco (2016). Strategii za simbolicka izgradba na natiajata vo Jugoistocna Evropa. Institut za etnologija i antropologija. ISBN 9786084762058. 312 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe. Ashgate. ISBN 9781472419163. 272 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  After the conflagration of Tito’s Yugoslavia a medley of new and not-so-new states rose from the ashes. Some of the Yugoslav successor states have joined, or are about to enter, the European Union, while others are still struggling to define their national borders, symbols, and relationships with neighbouring states. Strategies of Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe expands upon the existing body of nationalism studies and explores how successful these nation-building strategies have been in the last two decades. Relying on new quantitative research results, the contributors offer interdisciplinary analyses of symbolic nation-building in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to show that whereas the citizens of some states have reached a consensus about the nation-building project other states remain fragmented and uncertain of when the process will end. A must-read not only for scholars of the region but policy makers and others interested in understanding the complex interplay of history, symbolic politics, and post-conflict transition. Contents: Preface; Introduction, Pål Kolstø; Fulfilling the thousand-year-old dream: strategies of symbolic nation building in Croatia, Vjeran Pavlakovic; Jaws of the nation and weak embraces of the state: the lines of division, indifference and loyalty in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ana Devic; Serbia and the symbolic (re)construction of the nation, Vladan Jovanovic; When two hands rock the cradle: symbolic dimensions of the divide over statehood and identity in Montenegro, Jelena Dzankic; Kosovo: topography of the construction of the nation, Vjollca Krasniqi; Strategies for creating the Macedonian state and nation and rival projects between 1991 and 2012, Ljupcho Risteski and Armanda Kodra Hysa; Status report Albania 100 years: symbolic nation-building completed?, Cecilie Endresen; Conclusions: success and failure of nation-building, structural vs, political factors, Pål Kolstø and Vatroslav Jelovica; Index.

• Berdjajev, Nikolaj & Kolstø, Pål (2012). Den russiske idé. Solum. ISBN 9788256017041. 373 s. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv

Se alle arbeider i NVA

• Blakkisrud, Helge & Kolstø, Pål (2025). Abkhazia’s 2025 Presidential Elections: De Facto State Patron–Client Relations and Russian Interference. s. 12–16. doi: 10.3929/ethz-b-000741462. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  On 15 February 2025, the Abkhazians went to the polls to elect a new president to succeed Aslan Bzhania, who had been forced to resign following a wave of popular protests. This election was particularly notable due to unprecedented interference by Abkhazia’s patron, the Russian Federation. The relationship between Abkhazia and Russia has evolved over the years. While Abkhazia relies heavily on Russian backing for security and infrastructure, most Abkhazians oppose full integration with Russia. In particular, the question of whether Russian citizens should be allowed access to the Abkhazian real estate market has become a contentious issue that has sparked resistance. When Bzhania attempted to accommodate Russian interests in the real estate market in 2024, he faced a backlash and was ultimately forced to resign. The 2025 election featured two main candidates: Badra Gunba, who was backed by Moscow, and opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba. Gunba’s victory raises several questions about Abkhazian sovereignty and the future of the country’s political landscape. Gunba must balance the expectations of his patron against the concerns of a populace that has grown wary of losing its autonomy amid Russia’s increasing integration efforts. Hence, the dynamics of this election exemplify the complexity of de facto state patron–client relationships.

• Kolstø, Pål (2025). The Baptismal Myth of Russo-Ukrainian Unity, blogpost. Religion in Praxis. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2025). The 2025 presidential elections in Abkhazia: a turning point in Abkhazian-Russian relations? (blogpost). De facto states research unit. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). De Facto States and Land-for-Peace Agreements: Territory and Recognition at Odds? by Eiki Berg and Shpend Kursani, Routledge, 2022, 194 pp., $153 (hardcover), ISBN 9780367485139, $47.65 (ebook), ISBN 9781003041436. Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 52(2), s. 1456–1457. doi: 10.1017/nps.2023.88. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Tarnished Heroes. The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in the Memory Politics of Post-Soviet Ukraine, anmeldelse. Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 38, s. 148–151. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Apocalyptic Justifications for the War in Ukraine in Russian Orthodox Discourse. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Putin, folket og den russisk- ortodokse kirke. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2024). Apocalypse postponed. Russian metaphysical interpretations of the war in Ukraine. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kemoklidze, Nino; Blakkisrud, Helge; Kolstø, Pål & Gelashvili, Tamta (2024). Gain recognition, lose independence? How Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia cemented Kremlin control. LSE blog. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). John Færseth, Spesialoperasjon: Ukraina og Russland 2004–2023. Humanist forlag. Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Den russisk-ortdokse kirke og krigspropaganda. [Radio]. NRK P2 Kompass. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Presentasjon av Sylo Tarakus bok Europa. Krigens kontinent, (Res Publica, 2023). Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Anmeldelse av John Færseths bok Spesialoperasjon (Humanist forlag, 2023). Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 37. doi: 10.23865/noros.v37.5984. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). innslag om russifisering på Krim-halvøya. [TV]. Nyhetsmorgen, NRK. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Opposition to the war in Ukraine among Russian Orthodox believers. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2023). Spillet om Nagorno-Karabakh er i ferd med å avsluttes. En av taperne er Russland. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Intervju om kuppforsøket mot Gorbatsjov i august 1991. [Radio]. Ekko P2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2023). Ukrainians and Russians Are Not One People—But Perhaps Not for the Reasons You Think. PONARS Eurasia: Policy Memo. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Quo vadis, den russisk-ortodokse kirke? Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Samtale om Pussy Riot på "God morgen, Norge", TV2. [TV]. TV2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Russernes broderkjærlighet til ukrainerne og Putins angrep på Ukraina: Hvor er sammenhengen? Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Intervju om Putins ideologi og verdensbilde. [Radio]. Verdibørsen, P2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). What’s in a Name? Can we move further from the debate about definitions? Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). anmeldelse av Nationalism as an Veera Leine, "Argument in Contemporary Russia: Four Perspectives on Language in Action". Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 36. doi: 10.23865/noros.v36.3838. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). A Specter from the Past: the Balkanization of Europe? Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 51(6), s. 1414–1416. doi: 10.1017/nps.2022.42. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). om Putins mobilisering i Russland. [TV]. NRK nyheter. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål; Blakkisrud, Helge; Flikke, Geir; Moe, Arild; Myklebost, Kari Aga & Neumann, Iver Brynild [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Russerne er ikke kollektivt skyldige i Putins krig. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). ISSN 0804-3116. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Haga, Lars Peder & Kolstø, Pål (2022). Professor mener Putins prosjekt har skåret seg fullstendig. Er han i ferd med å miste grepet? [Journal]. Bergens Tidende. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Splittede russiske verdier. [Journal]. Forskerforum. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Nye kamper i Nagorno Karabakh. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2022). Nye kamper i Nagorno-Karabakh. [TV]. NRK nyheter. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mjør, Kåre Johan; Myhre, Marthe Handå; Kolstø, Pål & Kulås, Guri (2022). Berga brør eller forviste fiendar? [Journal]. Klassekampen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). 'The Western Balkans’ as the New Balkans: Regional Names as Tools for Stigmatisation and Exclusion. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The word ‘Balkans’ often functions as a stigma. Several authors have discussed the bloodbath during the wars in the former Yugoslavia with references to an alleged Balkan culture. Towards the end of the 1990s the term ‘Balkans’ entered the vocabulary of the European Union, now with the prefix ‘Western’. ‘The Western Balkans’ became a common denominator for non-member states in South Eastern Europe. A survey in 2011 in the ‘Western Balkans’ shows that those who live there, to a large extent share this view: membership in Western organizations like the EU determine whether a country is ‘European’ or ‘Balkan’.

• Blakkisrud, Helge; Kemoklidze, Nino; Kolstø, Pål & Gelashvili, Tamta (2021). Trade, Trust, and De Facto State Conflicts: Abkhazia’s International Economic Engagement. All the Russias: NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). Cultural Memory as Both Contributor and Impediment to Nationbuilding. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). The traditional family“ in Russian Orthodox ideology and praxis. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). RUSSIA’S NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY AND ITS EURASIAN CLIENT STATES. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). Hoch, Tomáš, & Kopeček, Vincenc (eds). De facto states in Eurasia. London: Routledge, 2019, anmeldelse. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. ISSN 1359-0987. 27(4), s. 1003–1004. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). Weiss-Wendt, Anton. Putin‘s Russia and the falsification of history: reasserting control over the past. Bloomsbury Academic 2021. Anmeldelse. Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 99(2), s. 378–380. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). No End to History. Russia in Global Affairs. ISSN 1810-6374. 19(4), s. 63–66. doi: 10.31278/1810-6374-2021-19-4-60-76. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2021). Creating a Yawning Gap between Neighbours: Civilization Rhetoric among Ukrainians and Belarusians vis-à-vis Russia. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Slezkine, Yuri; Krastev, Ivan; Aust, Martin; Sowa, Jan; Enyuan, Wu & Lieven, Anatol [Vis alle 18 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Victimhood olympics. Russia in Global Affairs. ISSN 1810-6374. 18(4), s. 62–99. doi: 10.31278/1810-6374-2020-18-4-62-99. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2019). Chernobyl - hva skjedde egentlig? Et seminar om tv-serien Chernobyl. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Oslo Peace Days har samlet tre eksperter for å prate om Sovjetunionen, autoritære regimer og Chernobyl-serien. Hva skjedde egentlig? Kunne noe liknende ha skjedd i dag? Marianne Dahl, PRIO Håvard Mokleiv Nygård, PRIO Pål Kolstø, Professor Russland, Sentral-Europa og Balkan, ILOS, Universitetet i Oslo Denne samtalen ledes av journalisten Asbjørn Slettemark, som til daglig er serieanmelder i Aftenposten

• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Dramatisk splitting. intervju om bruddet mellom Den russisk-ortodokse kirke og patriarken i Konstantinopel. [Journal]. Dag og Tid. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). "Six new years with Putin – what now?" Introduction and discussion. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). "Is imperialist nationalism an oxymoron?". Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). "intervju om diplomatisk krise Russland/Storbritannia. [Radio]. Studio 2, P2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). "Iver Neumann, NUPI og utenriksdebatten". Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Ortodoksien i Russland. [TV]. NRK. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Discussing David Laitin’s book “identity information”. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). “Russians in Norway and their views on Putin, Russia and the world”. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Revolution and War in Contemporary Ukraine: The Challenge of Change. Ed. Olga Bertelsen. Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Societies, no. 161. Ibidem: Stuttgart, 2017. 430 pp. $50.00, paper. Slavic Review: Interdisciplinary Quarterly of Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies. ISSN 0037-6779. 77(1). doi: 10.1017/slr.2018.41. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Russkii vopros, intervju med russiskspråklig latvisk TV. [TV]. LTV.LV. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). The annexation of Crimea and Russian nationalism. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). The St. George ribbon in Russian nationbuilding. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Russian nationalism and the annexation of Crimea. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). The role of the St George ribbon in Russian nationbuilding. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2018). Putinisme og russisk ortodoksi. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2017). Mischa Gabowitsch, Protest in Putin’s Russia, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2017. (anmeldelse). Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 95(3), s. 591–594. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2017). 100år siden 1917 -- Revolusjon og demokrati. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2017). foredrag om ny russisk nasjonalisme. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2017). Den russiske revolusjon 100 år. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2017). Putin og putinismen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2017). Book symposium. The new Russian nationalism: imperialism, ethnicity and authoritarianism 2000–2015. Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 45(4), s. 716–719. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). Voter apathy versus patriotic mobilization in Russia. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). Russlands rolle i Nagorno-Karabakh-konflikten. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). anmeldelse av Halvor Tjønn, «Russland blir til. Fra vikingene til Ivan den grusomme». Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 30(1), s. 55–57. doi: 10.17585/nof.v30.394. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Jelovica, Vatroslav (2016). zaklucoci: uspekh i neuspekh vo izgrabata na nacijata, strukturni nasproti politicki faktori. I Kolstø, Pål & Risteski, Ljupco (Red.), Strategii za simbolicka izgradba na natiajata vo Jugoistocna Evropa. Institut za etnologija i antropologija. ISSN 9786084762058. s. 259–277. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2016). Voved. I Kolstø, Pål & Risteski, Ljupco (Red.), Strategii za simbolicka izgradba na natiajata vo Jugoistocna Evropa. Institut za etnologija i antropologija. ISSN 9786084762058. s. 1–21. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2015). Symbol of the war – but of which one? The St. George ribbon in Russian nation building. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2015). Putins symbolske genistrek. s. 38–39. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2015). Crimea vs. Donbass: how Putin won Russian nationalist support—and lost it again. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2015). 'Russisk nasjonalisme etter annekteringen av Krim'. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2015). "Hva vil Putin?". Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). intervju om situasjonen i Øst-Ukraina. [Radio]. NRK 1 Dagsnytt 0830. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). (anmeldelse) Koinova, Maria. Ethnonationalist Conflict in Postcommunist States: Varieties of Governance in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo. National and Ethnic Conflict in the Twenty-First Century. University of Pennsylvania. Slavonic and East European Review. ISSN 0037-6795. 92(4), s. 791–792. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). innslag om uro og vold i Ukraina. [Radio]. Nyhetsmorgen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Etnisitet, demokrati og fremmedfrykt i den nye russiske nasjonalismen. Aftenposten Innsikt. ISSN 1890-6931. 7(2), s. 40–41. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Om krim-krisen. [Radio]. NRK Dagsnytt kl 1600. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). "Grunnlov og demokrati i Russland. Fra Stalin til Putin.". Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). En helt ny Putin som står frem. [Internet]. NRK Nyheter, nett. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Om Putin og Krim-krisen. [Radio]. NRK P2 Verden på lørdag. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). hva skjer i Øst-Ukraina. [Radio]. NRK 1 Dagsnytt 0830. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). om Ukraina etter Euromaidan. [TV]. TV2 Nyhetskanalen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Ukraina: forholdet til Russland: Overrasket over Putin. feature-intervju. [Journal]. Stavanger Aftenblad. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). om Vladimir Putin. [Radio]. programmet "Ekko", NRK, P2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Contemporary Russian 'national democrats', what kind of nation, what kind of democracy?'. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Пол Кольсте: Между Косовом и Крымом есть существенная разница. [Internet]. Pravda.ru. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). den politiske utviklingen på Krimhalvøya og forholdet mellom Ukraina og Russland. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). propagandakrig om Ukraina. [Radio]. Verdens rikeste land, P3. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Strategies of symbolic nation-building. main findings. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Etnonasjonalismens grenser. s. 14–15. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Symbolic Nation-building in South Eastern Europe. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Om etniske forhold i Russland/Russisk identitet. [Radio]. NRK P2 Ekko. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Hatretorikk skaper frykt (om krisen i Ukraina). [Journal]. Klassekampen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Om krimtatarene. [Radio]. NRK Dagsnytt kl 1530. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Om innlemming av Krim i Russland. [Radio]. NRK Dagsnytt kl 1600. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2014). Kan ha snudd maktforholdene i Ukraina på hodet. (Om nedskytingen av MH17 i Øst-Ukraina). [Journal]. Aftenposten. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Moskva -- fremmedfryktens by. Aftenposten Innsikt. ISSN 1890-6931. 11, s. 26–27. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Anmeldelse av Nina Caspersen, Unrecognized states: The struggle for sovereignty in the modern International system. Cambridge, Polity press, 2012. Nationalities Papers. ISSN 0090-5992. 41(4), s. 677–678. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Anmeldelse. National Symbols in Multinational States: The Yugoslav CaseSvein Mønnesland. Oslo: Sypress Forlag 2013379 sider. ISBN 9788291224541. Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 27(4), s. 413–416. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). anmeldelse av Jussi Lassila, The Quest for an ideal Youth in Putin’s Russia II: The Search for Distinctive Conformism in the Political Communication of Nashi, 2005-2009. Stuttgart: Ibidem forlag 2012. 226 sider. ISBN-13: 978-3-8382-0415-4. Nordisk Østforum. ISSN 0801-7220. 27(3), s. 293–295. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Etnisk mangfold på spill. s. 21–21. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). «Europa», «Balkan», og andre merkelapper: Sørøst-Europas symbolske geografi i endring. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Den russisk-ortodokse kirke, dens rolle i russisk historie og i russisk samfunn i dag. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Moscow -- city of xenophobia. Transitions online (TOL). Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

• Kolstø, Pål (2013). Moskva -- fremmedfryktens by. 154. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). “Identifying with the old or the new state: nation-building vs. yugonostalgia in the Yugoslav successor states”. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Den russisk-ortodokse kirke idag. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Russisk filosofi – finnes den? om Nikolaj Berdjajevs bok Den russiske ide. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Innlegg om blasfemi i Russland. [Radio]. NRK, P2, Verdibørsen. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Hva er nytt i russisk politikk? Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). What is new in Russian politics after the 2011/2012 elections? Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). Studying the countries of Eurasia/Russia in Norway: intrinsic and applied value. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2012). discussant til Vebjørn Horsfjords foredrag om den russisk-ortodokse kirke og menneskerettighetene. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). 'Trajectories of adaption to the fall of the Soviet Union among ethnic Russians in the former Soviet republics'. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Foreword, The New Third Rome. Readings of a Russian Nationalist Myth. Universitetet i Bergen. s. xiii–xvii. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria as Russia’s Client States: Degrees of Independent Agency for Eurasia’s ‘De Facto States’. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Jødenes stiling i Russland rundt forrige århundreskifte. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). (review of Michelle Commercio) Russian Minority Politics in Post-Soviet Latvia and Kyrgyzstan: The Transformative Power of Informal Networks. Slavic Review: Interdisciplinary Quarterly of Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies. ISSN 0037-6779. 70(2), s. 490–491. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). 'Russian ultra-nationalism and the new ‘others’', introduction to a seminar. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Key Note Speech: Theoretical aspects on the rise and fall of de facto states. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål (2011). Democracy in de facto states: the case of Nagorno-Karabakh. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolstø, Pål & Blakkisrud, Helge (2021). Not So Traditional After All? The Russian Orthodox Church's Failure as a "Moral Norm Entrepreneur". PONARS Eurasia. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Wigen, Einar; Kolstø, Pål; Flikke, Geir & Blakkisrud, Helge (2011). The Shifting Geopolitics of the Black Sea Region: Actors, Drivers, Challenges. NUPI. ISSN 9788270023035. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv

Se alle arbeider i NVA