End of Russian Empire 2.0

A map of Eastern Europe with the western borders of Russia and Belarus highlighted.

Date and Time

November 2, 2026
05:00PM - 06:30PM EST

Location

CGIS South, Tsai Auditorium (S010)

1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
Register to attend

End of Russian Empire 2.0

Having fought against Moscow’s authoritarianism in the Cold War era and played a key role in advancing democratic governance throughout the region then known as Central and Eastern Europe, Wałęsa believes this sort of change cannot come as long as Russia continues to act as an empire with expansionist goals. The 1983 Nobel Peace Prize laureate welcomes strong democratic opposition within Russia, encouraging a democratic movement there that supports Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Speaker

  • Lech Wałęsa, Former President of Poland (1990-1995); Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient.

Moderator

  • Grzegorz Ekiert, Faculty Associate; Harvard Academy Senior Scholar. Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government, Department of Government; Director, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.

This event is co-sponsored by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies and the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University.

For registration and more information, please visit the event page.

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