Statement from The Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

The Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, and we wish to state our full solidarity with the people of Ukraine at this perilous time. While this disastrous conflict has global implications, we also recognize that it places a particular strain on the personal and professional lives of those who teach the languages, cultures, and histories of Eastern Europe and post-Soviet territories. Our department is composed of graduate students and faculty who have a variety of ties to this region—some of us hail from this part of the world, and others have dedicated their lives to better understanding it. Our student body is no less connected to these events than we are, and many of our students have relatives who resided—or still reside—in areas affected by conflict in Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and Russia. We extend our solidarity and support to all of them and to our colleagues, the scholars and educators of Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Russia who work every day to resist the senseless and destructive actions of the government of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the people of Ukraine.