The faculty members teaching Russian language, literature, and culture in the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies stand with the peoples and communities of Ukraine, who are currently under attack by Russia. We are feeling profound grief and despair at Putin’s invasion of Russia’s sovereign neighbour, and we offer our heartfelt support and solidarity to our Ukrainian students and their families. We deeply admire the courage of those Ukrainian and Russian citizens who are willing to stand up to totalitarianism and to the unchecked and unprovoked aggression of Vladimir Putin, and we note too that thousands of Russians are protesting this devastating and violent action in the streets of Russia. We also note that many thousands of families and communities, including our own, live multilingual, multicultural lives that straddle the border between these two countries. Our hearts break when authoritarian leaders pit us against each other. We full-heartedly support the democratic ideals of the diverse peoples of Ukraine, and we stand with them—in solidarity and respect.
Veta Chitnev, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Russian and Lecturer
Katherine Bowers, Associate Professor of Slavic Studies
Dariya Prykhodko, Russian Curriculum Lead and Lecturer
David Gramling, Head and Professor of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
