The Midwest Slavic Association ran its annual essay competition in spring 2021. 14 graduate applications were received from students at six different institutions in the Midwest, while four undergraduate submissions were received from three different universities. Students were able to submit papers in different formats, from conference papers, to course papers, to dissertation chapters, to master’s theses. Submitted papers covered many different disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, and different countries from the East European and Eurasian region. Papers were judged by two separate committees for the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The 2021 winners are:

• Undergraduate: Helen McHenry, Ohio State University, “The Demilitarization of Kaliningrad”
• Graduate: Moira O'Shea, University of Chicago, "'We Took the National Game and Turned it into a Sport':  Playing Kok Boru and Re-inventing Tradition in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan”

Both students will receive a one-year membership to the Association of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). Moira O’Shea’s essay has been submitted for consideration to the ASEEES Graduate Student Essay Prize, a national level essay competition.

Thank you to all students who submitted their essays for consideration! Co-sponsorship of the Midwest Slavic Association Student Essay Competition is provided by ASEEES.