Olga Suslova – Post-socialist urban transformations in Saint Petersburg: The rise of urban authoritarianism through urban regeneration

This thesis examines post-socialist urban transformations in Saint Petersburg through the lens of the renovation of Soviet architectural heritage, which reveals the rise of urban authoritarianism. Using a mixed-methods approach – combining interviews, observation, mapping, statistics, network analysis and online ethnography – it explores the political, economic and social dynamics that have shaped the city since the fall of the USSR. The research highlights the gradual commodification of the ‘socialist city’, whilst challenging the dominant narratives of neoliberalisation, notably by revealing the clientelist and authoritarian dynamics of urban power at work in projects involving the demolition and reconstruction of Soviet buildings.

The Narvskaya Zastava district, a former iconic working-class area, serves as the main case study for analysing the resulting tensions between heritage preservation and urban transformation. Drawing on both fieldwork and digital research, the thesis demonstrates that heritage becomes a strategic space for challenging authoritarianism and forced politicisation. Expertise – architectural, historical and legal – is mobilised there as a political resource by residents, activists, professionals and, at times, representatives of the authorities, thereby revealing the internal flaws and tensions within the authoritarian state.

The survey, however, highlights the variety of motivations underlying residents’ reactions—whether in favour of or opposed to the regeneration projects—and reveals post-socialist social relations that are far more complex than a simple dichotomy between the winners and losers of economic liberalisation.

Composition of the jury:

• Béatrice VON HIRSCHHAUSEN, CNRS Research Director, Géographie-cités/Marc Bloch Centre (Rapporteur)
• Martin MÜLLER, Professor, University of Lausanne (Rapporteur)
• Elsa VIVANT, University Professor, Gustave Eiffel University (PhD supervisor)
• Martine DROZDZ, CNRS Research Fellow, LATTS/French House in Oxford (Joint thesis supervisor)
• Claire CARRIOU, University Professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil (Examiner)
• Lydia COUDROY DE LILLE, University Professor, Lumière Lyon 2 University (Examiner)
• Ozan KARAMAN, CNRS Research Fellow, LATTS (Examiner)
• Perrine POUPIN, CNRS Research Fellow, CRESSON (ENSA Grenoble) (Examiner)