The Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists at Paderborn University is deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Professor Mariya Shcherbyna of V. Dahl East Ukrainian National University, who was also a visiting scholar at the Politecnico di Torino and a Fellow of the Turin Academy of Sciences. Mariya passed away suddenly on 2 September 2026 in Kharkiv.

In March 2022, Mariya was forced to flee Kharkiv with her son and her dog as the city came under intense bombing and shelling. Before the full-scale invasion, she served as an associate professor at V. Dahl East Ukrainian National University. Her scholarly work focused on gender, anti-discrimination, and questions of social justice, and she was a member of the Anti-Discrimination Commission of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education.

Mariya remained deeply committed to human rights, women’s dignity, and the recognition of women’s voices and experiences, including those of refugee women and Ukrainian women academics displaced by the war. She understood philosophy as inseparable from the urgent challenges facing our world. In particular, she sought to establish a meaningful connection between philosophy and ecology, drawing attention to the destruction of the natural world and ecosystems, as well as to the profound consequences of failing to respect human and animal life.

Through her teaching, research, and public engagement, Mariya advocated for a more just and equitable world. She brought together philosophical reflection, ethical responsibility, and a profound concern for those whose voices are too often overlooked. Mariya was a longstanding and active member of the Center’s intellectual community, having first visited the Center in 2018 and remaining closely connected to its work and colleagues ever since. Her presence, generosity, and commitment to dialogue made her a valued member of our community.

The Center remembers Mariya Shcherbyna with deep gratitude and respect—as a scholar, teacher, advocate for human dignity, and courageous voice for women and for a more humane and sustainable world. Her intellectual work and her commitment to justice will remain an important part of the communities she touched.