Mariya Chukhnova (MARS-REERS ’20) was born in Lutsk in Western Ukraine in the late 1980s. She participated in the Orange Revolution during her first year of college. Then, like many Ukrainians of her generation, ended up immigrating abroad and watching Ukraine’s transformation, and now the war, from afar. Listen to her story.

Mariya was a teaching assistant for Professor Matthew Murray‘s course Systemic Corruption in Post-Soviet Nations: Assessing the Threat and Developing Solutions last semester.

About Voices of Ukraine: Since Russia invaded Ukraine, we’ve been hearing a lot of firsthand accounts of lives upended by the war. Listen to our new podcast, Voices of Ukraine, featuring the voices of Harriman community members who are in Ukraine or deeply connected to it. Listen to the trailer and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon,iHeart Radio, PlayerFM.

This episode was written and produced by Masha Udensiva-Brenner and edited by Ann Cooper. Trailer edited by Daniel Alarcón. Music by Ivan Nebesnyy. Art by Victoria Tentler-Krylov. Editorial help and production assistance from Jordan Waller. Production assistance from Aleks Turek. Thanks to Marko Andryczyk and Nathan Schiller for feedback on the episode.