Elena Chernyak is an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Human Services at Hartwick College (Oneonta, NY). She received her PhD in Sociology from the Department of Sociology, University of Windsor (Canada). She also holds her MA degree in Journalism from Saint-Petersburg State University (Russia), Master of Religious Education from Assumption University (Canada), and Master of Social Work from the University of Windsor (Canada). Elena’s research interests lie primarily in the area of gender and encompass gender-based violence, gender ideology, gendered discourses and social institutions, family relations, the impact of culture and religions on gender and identity, and Russia and Soviet/post-Soviet societies. She is the author of several articles on domestic violence against women in the countries of the former Soviet Union in which she examined, compared, and discussed the extent and determinants of intimate partner violence in the countries of this region and analyzed how patriarchal ideology and traditional gender norms in the post-Soviet societies contribute to gender-based violence by exploring the unique historical, political, and social context of the former Soviet Union. Currently, Elena is working on a book that draws from a broader ethnography and primarily consists of semi-standardized depth interviews, life histories, observations, discourse analysis, and content analysis of existing documents, historical and religious literature, and mass media. The book entitled A history of Russian women: A thousand-year of oppression and humility critically explores the experience of Russian women throughout over a thousand years and how the position and image of women changed in the Russian Empire, Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, and what role women play in contemporary Russia.