PhD candidate at the Department of History at the University of Basel. She is part of the SNSF-Prima research project, "Red Tower of Babel: Soviet Minorities Experiment in Interwar Ukraine" under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Olena Palko at the University of Basel. Her academic focus lies in minority history and nationality policies, with a particular emphasis on the Soviet Union and Ukraine. Her research interests extend to migration studies. Julia is a member of the Swiss Academic Society for Eastern European Studies and the BASEES Study Group for Minority History.

In this framework, she writes her thesis "Defying Soviet Assimilation: Non-Titular Minorities in Post-Stalinist Transcarpathia and Lviv" [working title]. She is part of the SNSF-Prima research project, "Red Tower of Babel: Soviet Minorities Experiment in Interwar Ukraine" under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Olena Palko at the University of Basel. This research delves into the dynamics of nationality and minority policies in post-Stalinist Soviet Ukraine. Seeks to analyze the dynamics of nationality and minority policies in newly acquired Soviet western borderlands, as well as examine the responses of local minority members in those two distinct areas. By comparing the regions of Transcarpathia and Lviv Oblast—both located on the western border yet marked by significant differences—the project uncovers specific nuances and commonalities that are essential to understanding local conditions.

During her residency at the Lviv Center for Urban History, Julia’s main objective is to take full advantage of the Center’s extensive resources, particularly in the realm of multiethnic urban history, while fostering meaningful connections with the local community. She aims to explore the Center’s library collections, especially in Jewish and Polish Studies, and utilize the multimedia archive. In addition to engaging with researchers affiliated with the Center, she plans to visit local archives and trace the history of Lviv’s multiethnic population in the city and its museums.