Nadia Diuk was by all accounts an extraordinary woman who leaves fond memories for her loved ones as well as a legacy of admirable work throughout which she displayed tireless devotion to Ukraine.
Diuk died at age 64 on Jan. 23, in her Washington, D.C., home, surrounded by family and friends, after a years-long fight against cancer. The heartbreaking news was announced on her Facebook page by her sister, Hanya Dezyk: “It is with great sorrow that I announce the death of my sister Nadia Diuk.”
A British-born American citizen of Ukrainian descent, she spent her life being a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the world, a champion of democracy, and a defender of active civil societies in post-Soviet countries.
Her devotion to Ukraine, the land that her own parents had to flee during Soviet times, was outstanding. As a result, the Ukrainian government awarded her the Order of Princess Olha on Jan. 22, a high Ukrainian civil decoration bestowed only upon the most deserving of women.
Diuk’s friends paid tribute in online posts where they stressed her love for Ukraine.
Adrian Karatnycky, her former husband and a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said she has “helped so many and was so true to her beloved Ukraine.”
Myroslava Gongadze, the head of the Ukrainian service for Voice of America and wife of murdered Georgiy Gongadze, spoke of Diuk’s “deepest love and loyalty” to the country.
During what turned out to be one of her last interviews, Diuk told Gongadze – with whom she had been friends for 18 years – that she “had a wonderful life.”
Askold Krushelnycky, the Kyiv Post’s Washington-based reporter, was a good friend of Diuk.
Krushelnycky praised the wonderful work she has done for Ukraine: “In her job for the National Endowment for Democracy, she did invaluable work for the cause of democracy around the world and was a leader in directing resources not only from NED but other organizations toward helping Ukraine strive for democracy and the sort of society that the Maidan demonstrators risked their lives for.”
As Diuk wrote about the EuroMaidan Revolution for World Affairs in March 2014, she expressed how, from that point on, “the vision of a Ukraine in Europe has not only become something to fight for, but also something to live for.”
Diuk never stopped to be hopeful and always encouraged Ukraine to move forward.
A prominent scholar and analyst of Ukraine and the post-Soviet sphere, she obtained her doctorate from St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She worked until her last day as NED’s vice president, where she supervised various programs throughout Europe and Eurasia.
She authored several books, including: The Hidden Nations: The People Challenge the Soviet Union (1990), New Nations Rising: The Fall of the Soviets and the Challenge of Independence (1993), and The Next Generation in Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan: Youth, Politics, Identity and Change (2012).
Diuk also wrote numerous articles for the Washington Post and even contributed to the Kyiv Post over the years.
She got breast cancer some 12 or more years ago, which was treated. But some two years ago she was again diagnosed with cancer, which spread despite her receiving some of the best care possible at hospitals in and near D.C.
She was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic and part of the choir at a local Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in D.C. Her funeral is Thursday, January 31, at 10:00 a.m. in the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family. Panakhyda will be Wednesday, January 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pumphrey Funeral Home, 7557 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD.
