Dr Elena Govor
Diploma (Hons), (Minsk Institute of Culture, USSR), PhD (ANU)
Adjunct academic, CBAP, School of Archaeology & Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences
College of Asia & the Pacific
Areas of expertise
- Pacific History (Excl. New Zealand And Maori) 210313
- Central And Eastern European Languages (Incl. Russian) 200304
- Australian History (Excl. Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander History) 210303
- Historical Studies 2103
- Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander History 210301
- Museum Studies 210204
Research interests
- Russian voyages in Oceania
- Krusenstern expedition to Nuku-Hiva in 1804
- Marquesan collections of 1804 Krusenstern expedition in European museums
- Miklouho-Maclay's voyages in Melanesia and New Guinea
- Bibliography of Russian writings on Oceania
- History of science of race in Russia
- Russian Anzacs
- History of early Russian émigrés in Australia
Biography
Since 2006 I have been working on the collaborative ARC Discovery Project "European Naturalists and the Constitution of Human Difference in Oceania: Crosscultural Encounters and the Science of Race, 1768-1888" studying materials of the Russian voyagers in Oceania and Miklouho-Maclay's heritage. My other current projects include the history of early Russian émigré communities in Australia.
Career highlights
Research Scholar, Department of South Pacific Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Moscow (1989-1990); PhD Scholar, ANU (1991-1996), Lecturer and tutor in Russian, MEL, ANU (1992-1996), Visiting Scholar, AIATSIS (1997-2000); Postdoctoral Fellow, Pacific and Asian History, RSPAS, ANU (2002-2004); Research Fellow, College of Asia and the Pacific (2005-2015); Research Associate, Pacific Presences, Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (2014-2018); Adjunct academic, CBAP, School of Archaeology & Anthropology, CASS (2015-2019)
Publications
- Govor, E & Howes, H 2020, 'Physical anthropology in the field: Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay', in C Fforde, C McKeown & H Keeler (eds), The Routledge Companion to Indigenous Repatriation: Return, Reconcile, Renew, Routledge, London & New York, pp. 521-537.
- Govor, E & Howes, H 2020, 'Russia and the Pacific: expeditions, networks, and the acquisition of human remains', in C Fforde, C McKeown & H Keeler (eds), The Routledge Companion to Indigenous Repatriation: Return, Reconcile, Renew, Routledge, London & New York, pp. 295-315.
- Tutorsky, A, Govor, E & Ballard, C 2019, 'Miklouho-Maclay's Legacy in Russian- and English-Language Academic Research, 1992-2017', Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 112-121.
- Govor, E 2019, 'A Universe named Debbie Rose', Journal of Frontier Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 26-38.
- Douglas, B & Govor, E 2019, 'Eponymy, encounters, and local knowledge in Russian place naming in the Pacific Islands, 1804-1830', The Historical Journal, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 709-740. Online https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X19000013
- Richards, M, Howes, H & Govor, E 2019, 'Origins of archaeology in the Pacific: the emergence and application of archaeological field techniques', Journal of Pacific History, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 307-329.
- Govor, E & Thomas, N, eds, 2019, Tiki: Marquesan Art and the Krusenstern expedition, Sidestone Press, Netherlands.
- Govor, E 2019, 'From Nuku Hiva to Europe: the collections' histories', in Elena Govor and Nicholas Thomas (ed.), TIKI: Marquesan Art and the Krusenstern expedition, Sidestone Press, Netherlands, pp. 49-72.
- Govor, E 2019, 'Making collections: the Krusenstern expedition at Nuku Hiva', in Elena Govor and Nicholas Thomas (ed.), TIKI: Marquesan Art and the Krusenstern expedition, Sidestone Press, Netherlands, pp. 17-48.
- Govor, E, Thomas, N, Nuku, M et al 2019, 'Tiki: a catalogue of artefacts from Nuku Hiva collected or recorded by members of the Krusenstern expedition', in Elena Govor and Nicholas Thomas (ed.), TIKI: Marquesan Art and the Krusenstern expedition, Sidestone Press, Netherlands, pp. 113-211.
- Govor, E 2018, 'Pages of Russian Australia', Avstraliiskaia mozaika (Australian Mosaic), vol. 41, pp. 31-45.
- Govor, E 2018, 'Russian Sydney - the beginnings', Avstraliiskaia mozaika (Australian Mosaic), vol. 43, pp. 28-39.
- Govor, E 2018, 'Jewish Anzacs from Russia: Challenging stereotypes', The Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 66-86.
- Govor, E 2018, 'In Search of the Early Russian Diaspora in Australia', Traditsionnaia cultura, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 44-56pp.
- Govor, E 2018, 'Oceania in Russian history: expeditions, collections, museums', in Lucie Carreau, Alison Clark, Alana Jelinek, Erna Lilje, and Nicholas Thomas (ed.), Pacific Presences: Oceanic Art and European Museums, Vol. 1, Sidestone Press, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 169-195.
- Govor, E 2018, 'From Russia with love: Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay's Pacific collections', in Lucie Carreau, Alison Clark, Alana Jelinek, Erna Lilje and Nicholas Thomas (ed.), Pacific Presences: Oceanic Art and European Museums. Vol 2, Sidestone Press, The Netherlands, pp. 123-130.
- Balakhonova, E & Govor, E 2018, 'Old Polynesian tapa in ethnographical collections of the Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology of Moscow University', Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 103-120.
- Govor, E 2017, Falling Stars: The story of Anzacs from Ukraine, Canberra: Alcheringa.
- Govor, E 2017, 'U istokov russkoi obshchiny Sidneia, 1906-1910 (The Beginnings of the Russian Community in Sydney, 1906-1910)', Berega, vol. 21, pp. 12-17.
- Windle, K & Govor, E 2016, 'Dva neobychnykh tolstovtsa v Avstralii (Two Unusual Tolstoyans in Australia)', Literaturnaya Amerika, no. 2, pp. 375-395.
- Windle, K, Govor, E & Massov, A, (eds) 2016, From St Petersburg to Port Jackson: Russian Travellers' Tales of Australia 1807-1912, Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
- Govor, E & Manickam, S 2014, 'A RUSSIAN IN MALAYA Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay's expedition to the Malay Peninsula and the early anthropology of Orang Asli', Indonesia and the Malay World, vol. 42, no. 123, pp. 222-245.
- Govor, E 2013, 'Belarusian Anzacs', Bialoruskie zeszyty historyczne, vol. 40, pp. 53-108.
- Govor, E 2013, 'Revolutionaries, Anzacs and pioneers: towards the history of the early contacts between Kursk and Australia', "In battle learning the joy of victory...": Kursk Military Historical Journal, no. 11, Kursk, pp. 36-54.
- Govor, E 2013, 'Yuly - Dmitry - Joel: searching for ancestors of the Berdiansk Engel family', Melitopol Journal of Regional Studies, no. 1, pp. 54-60.
- Govor, E & Ballard, C 2012, 'A mirror in the South Seas: Russian perspectives on New Caledonia during the nineteenth century', in Frederic Angleviel (ed.), La Mélanésie. Actualités et Études, l'Harmattan, Paris, France, pp. 155-176.
- Govor, E 2010, 'Latvian Radicals in Australia', in Aldis L Putnins (ed.), Early Latvian Settlers in Australia, Sterling Star Pty Ltd, Victoria, pp. 199-213.
- Govor, E & Putnins, A 2010, 'Latvian ANZACS: from Abelscaln to Zeeman', in Aldis L Putnins (ed.), Early Latvian Settlers in Australia, Sterling Star Pty Ltd, Victoria, pp. 53-79.
- Govor E., 2010, Latvian Anzacs. - In: Aldis L. Putninš, ed., Early Latvian Settlers in Australia, Melbourne: Sterling Star, pp. 16-52.
- Govor, E 2010, Twelve Days at Nuku Hiva: Russian Encounters and Mutiny in the South Pacific, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu USA.
- Govor, E & Ballard, C 2009, 'N.N. Miklouho-Maclay as Anthropologist: the 1879 New Hebrides trip', Sydney University Museums News, issue 17, 2009, p. 7
- Govor, E., 2007, 'Russians in the Australian legend'. Australian Mosaic, Sydney, no. 12, pp. 69-74.
- Govor, E 2007, 'Not- Meeting, or the Russian road to Australia', in (ed.), Australia in Russian perceptions, 1807-2007: Impressions, images, ideas, cmnphob, Moscow, pp. 286-292.
- Govor, E 2007, 'Russians in Australia:1804-1920: Convicts, Swagmen and Anzacs', in Alexander Massov, John McNair and Thomas Poole (ed.), Encounters under the Southern Cross:Two Centuries of Russian-Australian Relations 1807-2007, Crawford House Publishing, Adelaide, pp. 116-140.
- Govor, E 2007, 'Glimpses of Russian Australia', in Alexander Massov, John McNair and Thomas Poole (ed.), Encounters under the Southern Cross:Two Centuries of Russian-Australian Relations 1807-2007, Crawford House Publishing, Adelaide, pp. 286-291.
- Govor, E 2007, 'We'll call our daughter Koala: From Australia to GULAG', Russkaia Zhizn, no. 5, pp. 106-109.
- Govor, E & Massov, A 2007, Russian Sailors and Travellers in Australia, Oriental Literature Publishers, Moscow.
- Govor, E 2007, 'The first Russian publications on Australia and Tasmania', in (ed.), Australia in Russian perceptions, 1807-2007: Impressions, images, ideas, cmnphob, Moscow, pp. 17-20.
- Govor, E & Massov, A 2007, When the World was Wide: Russian Sailors and Travellers in Australia. Documents, Letters, Memoirs, Alcheringa Books, Canberra Australia.
- Govor, E. 2006, 'From Killalpaninna to Sergach: the destiny of Alexander Iashchenko'. Australian Mosaic, no. 9, pp. 92-110.
- Govor, E., 2005-2006, 'Jewish Anzacs'. Vozrozhdenie, Sydney, 2005, no. 30, pp. 23-29; 2006, no. 31, pp. 37-42; no. 32, pp. 37-43; no. 33, pp. 48-55; no. 34, pp. 54-61.
- Govor, E 2005, 'Speckled Bodies: Russian Voyagers and Nuku Hivans, 1804', in Nicholas Thomas, Anna Cole and Bronwen Douglas (ed.), Tattoo: Bodies, Art and Exchange in the Pacific and the West, Reaktion Books Ltd, London, pp. 53-71, 230-231.
- Govor, E 2005, 'Looking for Private Petroff', Newcastle Family History Society Inc, vol. 170, pp. 4-6.
- Govor, E 2005, 'And now... looking for Private Petroff', Ancestor: Quarterly Journal of the Genealogical Society of Victoria, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 10-12.
- Govor, E 2005, Russian Anzacs in Australian History, UNSW Press, Sydney, Australia.
- Govor, E 2005, 'Alice Chehovski: U vremeni v plenu (Alice Chehovski: hostage of time)', Avstraliiskaia mozaika (Australian Mosaic), vol. 8, pp. 24-36.
- Govor, E 2001-2006, 'Russkie Anzaki (Russian Anzacs)', Australiada, nos 26-49. .
- Govor, E., 2001. 'Russians and the Australian Aborigines (200 Years of Observation, Research and Speculation)', in: A. Anderson, I. Lilley, S. O’Connor (eds), Histories of Old Ages. Essays in Honour of Rhys Jones, Canberra, Pandanus books, pp. 123-132.
- Govor, E 2000, My Dark Brother: The Story of Illins, A Russian Aboriginal Family, UNSW Press, Sydney.
- Govor, E., 1999, 'Russian Prerevolutionary Emigration to Australia: Socioethnic Background and Preconceptions'. In: Russians in Asia-Pacific Region, vol 2, Vladivostok, pp. 54-62.
- Govor, E., 1999. 'My friend, my foe (Early Australian attitudes to Russia and Russians)', My Australia, no. 2, pp. 3-16.
- Govor, E., 1998. 'Russian-Australian relations'. In: Oxford Companion to Australian History, ed. by G. Davison a.o. Melbourne: OUP, pp. 567-568.
- Govor, E., Massov, A. 1998. 'Rynda’s visit to Australia (110th anniversary)'. Australiada, no. 16, pp. 1-6, no. 17, pp. 1-3.
- Govor, E. 1997. 'Decembrist Dmitry Zavalishin, an Australian blacksmith and a Russian revolt (175th anniversary of the first Russian visit to Tasmania)'. Australiada, no. 14, pp. 1-4.
- Govor, E 1997, Australia in the Russian Mirror: Changing Perceptions, 1770-1919, Melbourne, MUP, 1997, 275 pp.
- Govor, E., 1996. 'Miklouho-Maclay and Russian Utopia in the South Seas'. Australiada, no. 8, pp. 37-39.
- Govor, E., 1991. 'A Russian Bibliography of Australia (Description and genesis of the Bibliografiia Avstralii)'. Reference Australia, no. 7, pp. 8-19. (With introduction by R. McCaskie).
- Govor, E., 1990. 'Tasmania through Russian eyes (nineteenth and early twentieth centuries)'. Tasmanian Historical Research Association. Papers and Proceedings, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 150-164.
- Govor, E. 1990. 'The life and times of N. N. Miklouho-Maclay'. In: Miklukho-Maklai N.N. Collection of Works in 6 volumes, vol. 1, Moscow, Nauka, pp. 23-28.
- Govor, E., Novikova, N., 1989. 'Australian and Oceanian ethnographical collections in the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University'. Anthropological Issues, no. 83, pp. 104-114.
- Govor, E. 1988, 'Russian sailors and travellers on Solomon Islands in the second half of the nineteenth century'. In: The nineteenth conference of Australian and Oceanian studies, Moscow, Nauka, pp. 138-147.
- Govor, E., 1988, 'To the history of Miklouho-Maclay’s stay in Southern Russia', Soviet Ethnography, no 2, pp. 137-143.
- Govor, E. 1986, 'N.N. Miklouho-Maclay as remembered by his contemporaries (forgotten pages)'. Soviet Ethnography, no. 2, pp. 110-118.
- Govor, E. 1985. Bibliography of Australia (1710-1983), Moscow, Nauka 380 pp. Partly translated into English as Russian Sources on Australia, 1788-1990, St. Lucia, Brisbane, 1993.
