The School of Civic Education was founded in 1992, as the Soviet Union crumbled. It came into life as the Moscow School of Political Studies, begun by two Russians in Moscow — Lena Nemirovskaya and Yuri Senokosov.

From a hope for greater democracy and a belief in a strong civil society, it has become one of the most prominent and influential pro-democracy institutions in the post-Soviet space. The School has attracted more than 20,000 students to participate in its programmes, many of these being civil leaders and activists, both from inside Russia and throughout the region.

From these beginnings, the School has pursued its mission to promote these principles:

• The rule of law, where all citizens are equal

• Democratic government, in which all can participate;

• Human rights, available to all citizens;

• Civic engagement, in a free space where all can take part.

To give these principles a solid foundation, the School set out to build and empower a network of civil society actors across the post-communist region, knowledgeable, and actively engaged in applying their learnings to building open and transparent communities and regions across the entire post-communist space and contributing to democratic development and global dialogue.

The bitter war in Ukraine, the increasingly dictatorial political power in Russia, the flight of hundreds of thousands of Russians from their homeland (including the creators and staff of the School) adds urgency to this work: it continues and must continue.