Education 

Ph.D. Anthropology, Harvard 

M.A. South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of California at Berkeley 

B.A. History, Herzen University, St. Petersburg, Russia 

Peter Eltsov is an anthropologist and historian. He has lived and conducted research throughout Eurasia, including politically volatile regions of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Northern Caucasus. Prior to NDU, he held positions as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Free University of Berlin, a John W. Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress, a research associate at Harvard University, and a lecturer at Wellesley College. He has published in anthropology, philology, and international affairs both in academic and mainstream venues and provided numerous commentaries for the media. 

He authored two books. His first book From Harappa to Hastinapura (Leiden: EJ Brill 2008) explores the complexities of the city and civilization in ancient South Asia. His second book The Long Telegram 2.0 (Lanham: Lexington Books 2019) deals with Russia’s resurgent political identity. In his current research, he is particularly interested in how competing interpretations of the past affect modern politics, including conflict and war. 

Last Updated: 11 August 2025