Iryna Bekeshkina

Life and career In 1974, Bekeshkina graduated from the Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv with a degree in philosophy. She then completed her graduate studies at the Institute of Philosophy within the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

Bekeshkina became the head of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation in 2010, and remained the head of that organization until her death. She was also a member of the board of the Ukrainian Think Tanks Liaison Office, and was affiliated with the Media Director NGO, a Ukrainian media watchdog organization.

Bekeshkina was named the 38th most influential woman in Ukraine by Focus Magazine in 2007, and in 2008 she was named 51st most influential woman in Ukraine. In explaining these rankings, the magazine cited her public-facing work in the study of political information and Ukrainian foreign policy.

In 2020, Bekeshkina died in Kyiv from stomach cancer.

In November 2022, as part of a derussification campaign, Kyiv's Dmitry Karbyshev Street was renamed to Iryna Bekeshkina Street.

Selected awards Senior Fellow, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine