Hope in a time of darkness
The cohort acknowledged Max as a marvellous mentor and appreciated his Sports Challenge- in this, he created a map of the 24 countries that this cohort came from and challenged everyone to travel through them in “sports miles”.
Parallel to the sweeping invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government launched in February 2022 a comprehensive domestic operation aimed at curbing dissent and ruthlessly persecuting opposition-minded individuals. On the 24th of February, I took to social media, encouraging my friends to join an anti-war rally, and I found myself that evening in the heart of Moscow, brandishing a “No To War” placard. Over two thousand people were detained by the police that evening, and the protest was brutally suppressed. Just two days later, I received a notice of dismissal from the University where I had worked, and within another day, I was removed from all the public councils where I had a role. Both my employers and I were threatened, with them facing audits and me, potential arrest.
Becoming a refugee and being forced to leave my homeland were scenarios I had never contemplated. Yet, suddenly, my entire life was packed into a small travel suitcase. My pregnant wife and I were stripped of all the comforts we had known, our home, our country. Being a refugee proved to be challenging, both physically and mentally, more so when one is fleeing from Russia, a nation actively engaged in a war of aggression at that moment.
Max and his family at Oxford
By March, while transitioning from the fourth to the fifth country of our escape, I received an offer from Oxford University for my dream programme - the Master of Public Policy. The news filled me with joy, and I was pleasantly surprised that Oxford had not turned away people from Russia. Being invited for an interview with WHT, I felt a glimmer of hope that attending Oxford could become a reality, despite my difficult circumstances. And indeed, WHT made this dream come true, a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.
The WHT cohort and Oxford became a distinct and “neutral” haven for me. I had never been part of such a diverse community, where individuals from an array of backgrounds, even from countries in direct conflict, convened. The WHT friends showed me what the world can look like when people from different backgrounds engage, listen, and dismiss their fears of one another. It was an important lesson on the dangers of isolation and its contribution to misunderstandings among people and the role of communication in dispelling fear.
I have never felt more at home and secure than at Oxford and amongst the WHT cohort that offered me hope. I am immensely grateful to WHT and the HOPE Fellowship for keeping their doors open and welcoming people from different nations, regardless of the country that issued their passport. After all, our birthplace or citizenship is not our choosing, but each of us has the power to shape the world we want to build and what we aim to contribute to it.
