By Indra Ekmanis As a panel of scholars analyzed Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests Tuesday night at UW, 5,000 miles away in Kyiv, events turned deadly. At least two protestors were killed by gunshots as pro-European/anti-government forces clashed with riot police. These are the first reported fatalities of Euromaidan. The protests began Nov. 21, 2013, when Ukrainian

A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest erupted in Ukraine in November 2013 when the Ukrainian government suddenly suspended preparations for signing an Association Agreement with the European Union. The protest quickly transformed into a social movement called “Euromaidan” calling for stronger democratic institutions, rule of law and independence from Russian dominance. Crowds have reached

The link between the UW and Baltic singing traditions will be strengthened again this January as Guntis Šmidchens, head of the Baltic Studies Program, releases his new book, The Power of Song. The book explores the Baltic Singing Revolution of the 1980s and 1990s — a non-violent resistance movement to regain independence from the Soviet Union. Read

by Volodymyr Lysenko Nine years ago, when the pro-democratic Orange Revolution in Ukraine was victorious, Ukrainians had high hopes for positive change in all areas of their lives and brighter futures for their children. But, unfortunately, the new leaders of the country were unable to effectively coordinate their liberal efforts and failed to fulfill the

Ellison Center Director Scott Radnitz looks at China’s strategies for integrating ethnic Uighurs in his latest Foreign Policy Magazine article. Radnitz and co-author Sean Roberts argue that neither sticks nor carrots are working to integrate the population. Rather, the Chinese government’s outdated development strategy is at the root of increasing instability. Modernization and material goods did not buy

by Allison Dvaladze It was a welcome sight to see so many familiar faces gathered under the Georgia Race for the Cure tent, selling homemade goods, and marking another year as breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Georgia, and despite progress, over 55 percent

With the 2014 deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan looming, various players and analysts are warning of the potential for spillover into Central Asia. In an August 1, 2013 article in The National Interest, Will Afghanistan Take Central Asia Down with It? Ellison Center Director Scott Radnitz and Marlene Laruelle, director of the Central Asia Program, Institute

By Glennys Young Two days after the autumn quarter started, I headed for Moscow, Russia. I went to attend an event at Moscow’s Spanish Center (Ispanskii Tsentr, or, in Spanish, the Centro Español de Moscú.) On September 29, the Center held a program to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of nearly 3,000 Spanish

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Herbert J. Ellison on October 9, 2012. Herb was a brilliant Russian historian, but also a visionary leader for the whole field and a cherished mentor to so many. In 30 years of distinguished service, Dr. Ellison left an indelible mark on the