As Ukraine continues to navigate the challenges of war, the concept of societal resilience has become central to understanding how communities withstand and adapt to crises. Democratic governance, decentralization, and a strong civil society have been crucial in resisting Russian aggression. However, challenges such as democratic backsliding, centralization of power, and shifts in media and political dynamics threaten this resilience. Drawing from firsthand experience, Dr. Oleksii Kolesnykov will illustrate how these dynamics have played pivotal roles in Ukraine’s capacity to endure and resist aggression. Furthermore, he will address how democratic backsliding and growing centralization of power threaten Ukraine’s ability to withstand the ongoing crisis.

Dr. Oleksii Kolesnykov holds a PhD in Political Science (2011) and is currently a Research Fellow at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu, under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (since 2023). Previously, he worked as a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (Chernivtsi, Ukraine). He later served as a policy analyst and subsequently as the head of the Association for Community Self-Organization Assistance, a leading Ukrainian think tank focused on local governance, democracy, and civic engagement. Additionally, for over six years, he worked as an expert in the EU-funded Association4U project, assisting the Office of the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.