2015 Award winner is Serhii Plokhy, the Professor of Eastern European history at Harvard and director of university’s Ukrainian Research Institute, the author of many scientific studies. His latest book The Last Empire – The Last Days of the Soviet Union that was published in 2014 is widely acclaimed as one of the deepest researches of the topic. Based on newly available sources it shades the light on the crucial role that the Ukrainian people plaid in 1991 and unveils true motives behind the bloodshed on the former USSR territory in recent years. His new book The Gates of Europe – A History of Ukraine will be published on December 1, 2015. It tells about the Revolution of Dignity of 2013-2014 in Ukraine and goes in depth with the analysis of centuries long historic roots of this groundbreaking phenomenon.

In his welcome remarks at the award ceremony, Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Mr. Valeriy Chaly expressed high appreciation to Prof. Plokhy and the Antonovych Foundation for their continuous considerable efforts to preserve and restore the historical heritage of Ukraine and Ukrainian Studies. The Ambassador also urged to keep further the focus of world’s attention on recent developments in and around Ukraine.