The final of the first all-Ukrainian academic essay contest for students on the topic “Is It Possible to Expel Russia from the UN?” has taken place. The contest attracted dozens of submissions from students across the country, with 14 finalists advancing from various regions of Ukraine.
The winners are: Sofiia Avdiuk, Yevhen Kostohryzov, Ruslana Kistechok, and Kateryna Opanasenko.
For the organizers, this contest is an educational project that complements the work of the international initiative #UnRussiaUN, which seeks to reconsider the status of the Russian Federation in the United Nations.
Artem Mykolaichuk, Chairman of the Board of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and co-founder of the #UnRussiaUN initiative group, emphasized:
“We received many truly substantive works that can be valuable not only in academic circles but also in our practical work. It is especially significant that students proposed approaches and arguments for expelling Russia from its illegally occupied seat of the USSR in the UN that we had not previously considered. This once again proves how strong and talented Ukrainian youth are,” said Artem Mykolaichuk.
Over two days, the students worked in Kyiv: they visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine — including the exhibition “Path of Heroes: In Memory of Symon Petliura” — and met with diplomats, members of parliament, and defended their essays before a jury.
The finalists were met by Serhii Dvornyk, Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“I am convinced that the ideas the students put into their works will be useful for Ukrainian diplomacy and will find practical application,” said Serhii Dvornyk.
During the final, participants presented their research before a jury composed of diplomats who have represented Ukraine on the international stage for years, as well as scholars and experts in international law and international relations.
Words from the Jury Members
Volodymyr Yelchenko, Head of International Policy Research at the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, called the contest a fully justified idea.
“Even five to seven years ago, the very topic of expelling Russia from the UN was barely discussed. Many people did not believe such a scenario was realistic. And today we see students who not only know about this problem but are proposing concrete mechanisms for solving it. I am convinced that these works contain much that can be useful in practical diplomacy.”
Igor Kharchenko, Chief Consultant of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, shares the same view.
“I am very pleased by what I heard during the defenses. It is clear that minds are working, there is interest in the processes taking place not only in Ukraine but in the world. Many participants demonstrated an understanding of the place Ukraine already holds and should hold in international relations.”
In his view, this is the main outcome of the contest.
“I think we should continue this practice. It is precisely through such projects that a generation of people is formed who will help Ukraine stand more firmly in the world.”
Ihor Ostash, Rector of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, noted the high level of the participants.
“First of all, I want to thank the organizers for the right choice of topic. For me, the question of how to expel Russia from the UN sounds like true balm for the soul. Many participants argued their positions very seriously and proposed genuinely interesting solutions.”
Ostash also sees among the current finalists future Ukrainian diplomats.
“After speaking with the students, I am convinced that some of them are fully capable of joining the ranks of the Ukrainian diplomatic service. We very much need such people. We all understand that water wears away even stone. In the same way, step by step, Ukraine must change the attitude of the international community on this issue.”
Member of Parliament of Ukraine Yaroslav Yurchyshyn shared his impressions after speaking with the finalists:
“It is extremely important that students do not live within certain boundaries but strive to change the world according to their vision.”
The finalists were also addressed by Maksym Baryshnikov, co-founder of the #UnRussiaUN initiative group, and by Andrii Melnyk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, who joined from New York. Melnyk stressed that today it is important to speak not about whether Russia can be expelled from the UN, but about exactly how to achieve this.
“I would allow myself to rephrase the contest’s question: not ‘Can Russia be expelled from the UN?’ but ‘How exactly can and must this be done?’ This is an extraordinarily difficult task, but if we are certain that justice is on our side, then nothing is impossible,” said Andrii Melnyk.
Contest Winners
After several hours of defenses, the jury named the contest winners.
First place and a prize of 20,000 hryvnias was awarded to Sofiia Avdiuk, a student at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
In her work, the winner proposed concrete international legal mechanisms that could allow the question of the legitimacy of the Russian Federation’s presence in the UN to be raised.
“The main problem is that Russia effectively declared itself the successor state of the USSR without going through the full membership procedure of the Organization. That is why it is necessary to return to this question and give it a proper legal assessment,” said Sofiia Avdiuk.
She emphasizes that the war Russia unleashed against Ukraine contradicts the very idea of the UN.
“The Organization was created to maintain peace, yet today the aggressor state uses its mechanisms to advance its own interests.”
Second place and a prize of 15,000 hryvnias was awarded to Yevhen Kostohryzov, a student at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
“For Russia to lose its seat in the UN, a combination of political and legal circumstances is required. Some of them Ukraine can create independently — through international advocacy, building legal precedents, and consistent diplomatic work. It is precisely the combination of such factors that can bring the result closer,” said Yevhen Kostohryzov.
Third place this year was special — the jury decided to award it to two participants simultaneously.
One of them was Ruslana Kistechok, a student at Lviv Polytechnic National University.
“Yes, expelling Russia from the UN is possible. There are legitimate grounds for this. As future state-builders, we must work to ensure that the aggressor state cannot use international organizations in its own interests.”
Ruslana admits that the contest final turned out to be much more than just an academic competition for her.
“I visited Kyiv for the first time. These two days were incredibly eventful. The meetings with diplomats and the visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the greatest impression on me. For an international relations student, this is a true dream.”
The third prize was also awarded to Kateryna Opanasenko, a student at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
“During our studies, we examine international law extensively in theory. But the contest gave us the opportunity to look at the problem from a practical perspective. Because even if a legal mechanism exists, one must take into account political reality and the institutional self-interest of major powers.”
In her words, the collision of academic knowledge with real diplomatic practice was the most valuable experience.
Contest Objectives and Jury Composition
The organizers emphasize that the contest aims not only to support young researchers but also to cultivate a new generation of Ukrainian diplomats, international relations specialists, and legal experts capable of proposing practical solutions to protect Ukraine’s national interests on the international stage.
The finalists of the contest were: Daniil Burdelny (Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University), Karyna Hromyk (Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University), Nikita Kardash (State University of Trade and Economics), Oleksandr Lyashevsky (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Myroslav Mykhalchyn (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), Anastasiia Opanasenko (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Kateryna Opanasenko (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Artem Tkachenko (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Dmytro Fialkovskyi (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), Kyrylo Kharchenko (National University “Odesa Law Academy”), Ivan Tsymbal (Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University).
The #UnRussiaUN initiative continues its work to advance the question of the Russian Federation’s illegal presence among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, engaging the expert community, diplomats, scholars, and youth in this discussion.
The contest jury included:
Volodymyr Yelchenko — diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, Head of International Policy Research at the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation;
Igor Kharchenko — diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Chief Consultant of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation;
Ihor Ostash — diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, Rector of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
Valerii Kopiika — Acting Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Director of the Educational and Research Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Volodymyr Manzhola — Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at the ERIMIR of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Viktor Konstantynov — Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at the ERIMIR of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Oleh Zaiarny — Scientific Advisor of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, Doctor of Legal Sciences, Professor of the Department of Intellectual Property and Information Law at the Institute of Law of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Olesia Isaiuk — Doctor of Philosophy in History, Senior Research Fellow at the National Museum-Memorial of Victims of Political Repression “Prison on Lontskogo”.
As we previously reported, the All-Ukrainian Academic Essay Contest was organized by the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation together with the Educational and Research Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
More photos can be downloaded here: Google Drive.
