Russian Department's Statement Concerning Russia's War Against Ukraine

The faculty of the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Dartmouth College condemns Russia's aggression against Ukraine which began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and has been escalated with Russia's launching a large-scale invasion of Ukraine and a series of attacks on Ukrainian cities.

It is our professional duty as scholars of Russian, Ukrainian and Eastern European languages, cultures, and literatures, to expose the false and ahistorical narrative used by the Russian regime to justify its aggression against Ukraine. We assert our full support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

We also acknowledge that the criminal actions of the current Russian government do not express the will of all Russian people and support anti-war demonstrators in Russia who are being detained and persecuted for their public statements against the war.

We express solidarity with Dartmouth students from Ukraine and those with Ukrainian heritage for whom these latest developments are particularly devastating. Please know that we share your anguish and are here to offer support. We also welcome all Dartmouth students interested in the situation to reach out to us for conversation and reliable sources to understand and follow the events that are currently unfolding.