Ukrainian and foreign media contain a lot of information about those who are leaving Ukraine. There is much less information about those who are returning home from abroad, as if it’s not happening or it’s at best a rarity.
However, this is not the case.
Many specialists are looking for opportunities to advance their careers and find personal fulfillment in Ukraine.
Mostly in green technologies, defense industries, and other sectors of the economy are successfully developing against the backdrop of the war. These are precisely the industries that are taking off now in Ukraine and that are becoming more relevant every day.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is engaging partners in searching for and repatriating highly qualified specialists with foreign language skills and Western education. It is made to strengthen and enhance state institutional effectiveness and efficiency, with an eye toward transitioning to European standards of operation.
Kyiv Post attended an event where, within the framework of the Ukrainian-Lithuanian Create Ukraine program, 25 young people returned to begin or resume careers in Ukraine.
They had left the country before or at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and received education at Western universities, but now want to live and work in their homeland.
“We already see the effectiveness of the work of participants from the first Create Ukraine cohort—their projects have become part of the changes in Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna said.
“I am convinced that the 25 new participants will keep the bar high. Being Ukrainian is not only about a passport, but also about responsibility. Acting when the country needs you. Thank you to everyone for your choice and responsibility. You are part of the changes that begin with personal decisions. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is ready to be your partner in this transformation.” she added.
Among these 25 are specialists who returned to Ukraine from Europe, North America, Asia, and even the Southern Hemisphere: from Italy, Japan, and the United States to Morocco and New Zealand.
While abroad, they’ve gained experience working in international companies, government institutions, and the civil sector.During the Create Ukraine event, Kyiv Post spoke with several of the participants.
Darka Harnyk is from Donbas and left Ukraine for the United States before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. She has already visited energy facilities in various parts of Ukraine and plans to work in the energy sector. Here’s how she explains why she did not stay in New York:
“I came from New York, I lived and studied there, studied for 4-5 years, I left Ukraine in 2019, that’s already 7 years, it seems! I started as an ordinary Ukrainian, but then moved into the public sector, investments, and energy security. My task here is to transfer experience here, to work on investments in Ukrainian energy in order to fight the blackouts we have now. From New York it looked very painful; I was actually there when the full-scale invasion began,” Harnyk said.
Her colleague, Hanna Velykova, is returning from France, where she studied in the field of law, and will be joining the Cabinet of Ministers team.
“I’m returning after a long period of living and studying in France and Bulgaria,” Velykova told Kyiv Post. “I worked in refugee and migrant law and helped many Ukrainian refugees in Europe, and I received an award in Bulgaria from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee – I was Volunteer of the Year, and I was the only foreigner to receive it. It’s important for me to return now, when my country faces such a difficult existential challenge. I want to bring here all the best of what I gained in France – education, one of the best in the European legal system, language skills, and the desire to be part of the European family.”
Alisa Lytvynova is also returning from New York, where she studied at Columbia University. She is joining the Ministry of Economy, where she plans to work on privatization issues.
“I was finishing my master’s thesis in New York at Columbia University in international affairs,” Lytvynova explains. “Life in New York was very good and very comfortable, but I felt that I would not be able to do something there that would satisfy my aspirations, and I wanted to do something for my country right now, in its difficult times. Could I have built a good career there? Well, yes, but I want to build a good career here! I’m joining the Ministry of Economy, Agriculture, and Environment on Deputy Minister Daryna Marshchak’s team working on privatization issues, where Id like to make privatization more effective and transparent, and improve the business climate in Ukraine.”
All of them have returned to visit Ukraine multiple times since going abroad; some have helped with the war effort, and some have relatives serving in the armed forces. They are fully aware of why they want to apply their efforts here.
“I left Ukraine in 2022, did a lot of volunteering for the Ukrainian army, my relatives are in the military,” Lytvynova says. “And I regularly visited Ukraine during holidays throughout the full-scale invasion. My colleagues in the United States were happy for me that I am returning to work at the Ministry of Economy, which is one of the most advanced institutions, and that I want to work not on something abstract, but on very concrete projects for Ukraine’s development.”
“I started coming not very often, but gradually more and more frequently, every month,” Harnyk says, “and I realized that it makes no sense – there is a lot of stability in New York, but I need a challenge, something that keeps me on my toes every day, motivates me. I believe my potential is better realized here, and I can give myself to my country to the maximum.”