Malgorzata Stelmaszyk

I am a Post-Doctorate Research Associate in Social Anthropology working on an ERC funded project entitled Cosmological Visionaries-COSMOVIS. In 2018 I completed my PhD at the University of Edinburgh. I conducted ethnographic research on cursing and shamanic practice in post-Soviet Tuva. In particular, my work focused on transformative qualities of sound and music in shamanic rituals and animistic relationships. My research interests include shamanic practice, sound studies, visual anthropology, post-colonialism, animism and addiction studies.

Expanding on my PhD research, I currently focus on the questions of animism and climate change in Far Eastern Siberia. I explore how the processes associated with environmental change and climate uncertainty influence beliefs and practices of indigenous communities in Amur and Khabarovsk regions, in particular the Nanai and the Eveny. I further ask if and how these distinct knowledges and practices can be merged with scientific approaches in order to better understand climate change. 

Recent publications include:

Shamanism in Siberia: Sound and Turbulence in Cursing Practices in Tuva. 2022. Routledge.

Voiced into being: The power of sound and the phenomenon of cursing in Kyzyl, Tuva. 2021. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.2021. Vol. 27 (1): 90-107

Turbulent beings. Curses and systems of healing cooperation in post-Soviet Tuva. 2018. Curare, Journal of Medical Anthropology. 2018. Vol. 41 (1+2): 51-62