Goodbye to the Kremlin Institute

Abstract

Feb. 28 is my last day as director of the Kennan Institute Kyiv Office, a position I held since December 2015 and won in tough competition with other reputable scholars. Two weeks ago, my former boss Matthew Rojansky, the Director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., abruptly dismissed me, offering no specific reason for such a decision. Just as it happens, I am bidding goodbye during the most tragic days in Ukraine’s history. Four years ago, thousands of Ukrainians fought on the streets of Kyiv for their freedom and dignity. The sacrifice of the Heavenly Hundred is a vivid reminder of what Ukrainians are up against – corruption, injustice and disrespect to human rights.