Anastasia Kopan, a participant in the regional “Young Person of the Year – 2026” competition in the “Knowledge Leaders” category
Anastasiia Kopan is a historian, educator and researcher whose life is deeply connected with Mariupol and Donetsk region. Holding two university degrees in History and Law, she has dedicated her professional life to education, academic research and preserving the historical memory of her native region.
In 2020, Anastasiia defended her dissertation and earned a PhD in History and Archaeology. After being forced to leave Mariupol following the full-scale Russian invasion, she continued her professional work. In 2025, she joined the Mariupol City Council’s pilot project “School at the University” and also began teaching at Mariupol State University.
A particular focus of her research is developing approaches to teaching traumatic historical experiences during wartime. Her students have already achieved prize-winning results at the regional stage of the Junior Academy of Sciences competition. At the same time, Anastasiia is contributing to a collective monograph on the history of Mariupol County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Her work brings together education, research and the preservation of Donetsk region’s historical memory. Anastasiia believes that as long as Mariupol’s history is researched and passed on to younger generations, the city continues to live.
Her story demonstrates that even after losing one’s home, it is possible to remain connected to one’s community and continue serving it through knowledge, teaching and the preservation of memory.