Dr. Olena Kovalova of Alexandria, VA passed away on 28 April 2021, following a courageous fight against cancer and other conditions. In her own words, she said she was a fighter and would not let the disease take her without a major battle, and she battled for almost 7 years. She was determined to beat the disease and she did longer than expected without missing a beat in executing her family and professional responsibilities.
Olena was born in Shakhty, Russia in 1962, the only child born to Oleksii Kovalov and Kira Kovalova (Glushko). Upon graduating high school, she attended Donetsk State University, Ukraine graduating with honors. She continued to excel in her pursuit of International Security Studies with distinction in Universities in Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany, and the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. She completed her Doctor of Sciences in Politics in 2004 at the Institute of Politics and International Relations, National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine. From there she became a full professor of National Security Studies at the G. C. Marshall European Center for International and Security studies in Germany. After 7 years at the Marshall Center, she became a full professor at the National War College in Washington D.C. teaching in the department of National Security Studies with a focus on International Security Studies, Military Strategy, and critical strategic thinking. Speaking English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Polish added to her amazing capacity to research and impart knowledge.
During her career, she published several books and monographs, articles, and book chapters. Further, she received several awards to include scholar positions at Somerville College, University of Oxford; British Academy Fellow in Oxford-London, UK; Eastern Scholar Fellow at Yale University; and Senior Fulbright scholar at the University of Kansas. She was highly respected for her focused and concerned approach to education and policy development, always working to challenge and guide her students and colleagues with tremendous success. Where ever she taught or participated in high level discussions, she was always recognized for her ability to inspire critical thinking and difficult decision making.
What is most distinctive of Olena was her absolute dedication to meeting and supporting her professional responsibilities while simultaneously fighting an extreme form of cancer. She fought with tenacity and surpassed expectations of treatment. Even when enduring operations and chemo therapy, she never missed a deadline or an assignment. She could be found passing materials or instructions to her husband SLAVA to meet her responsibilities while lying in her hospital room weak and drained from treatment. Her determination to her students and their programs was inspiring to all who work with her and she truly led by example.
Olena met her husband Slava Malyarchuk in Ukraine and they married in Donetsk, Ukraine, in September of 1984. Olena’s and Slava’s marriage of 37 years brought them to the Alexandria area in 2011. When not working they both enjoyed serving the community, visiting museums, as well as sports and travels. Olena liked to read books, to grow flowers in her garden, and to cook.
Olena is survived by her husband Slava and her Mother Kira.
Due to the pandemic, a celebration will be planned with a Catholic Mass at the Good Shepard Catholic Church in Alexandria followed with inurnment at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Sibley Memorial Hospital, 5255 Loughboro Rd, N.W. Washington, DC 20016. Web page is: https://sibleyfoundation29887.thankyou4caring.org/pages/emergency-preparedness-and-response
8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309
05/12/2021
10:30am - 11:30am
Deepest sympathy to you. Happy memories through the years of your marriage and support from friends, family…and neighbors will help get you through this difficult time. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you.
I had the pleasure to work with Professor Olena Kovalova on the faculty at the Marshall Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany over a period of several years. I witnessed first-hand that Olena contributed to so many lives from throughout the world community at the Marshall Center and she will be remembered by our colleagues and her students with great admiration, respect and love.
As Father John Sawicki rightly said today, Olena brought a strong sense of hope, optimism and inspiring light to all those who were blessed to know and work with her.
God bless Olena – Our deepest sympathy and heartful prayers are with Olena’s mother and her husband (dear Kira & Slava) in this tremendous loss-
Sharyl Cross & family
Mr. Slava and Ms. Kira,
I am a former staff member at the National War College and have known Dr. Kovalova since she arrived at the College. Words can not express my deepest sympathy to you both. Dr. Kovalova was such a beautiful person and would often stop by my office just to see how things were going, or just to say a simple thank you for things that I did for the College, which really meant a lot. She never complained, but I would always let her know that I was praying for her. Her beautiful smile will truly be missed.
Warmly,
Lana
Slava and Kia,
I am so sorry to hear of Olena’s passing. I had the privilege of know and working with Olena in 2015-2017 while I was the Commandant of National War College. I heard of Olena before I met her, as her fellow instructors and the staff told me about her determination, character and her heart. I soon found she was all those things and a true ‘force of nature’.
I know words perhaps hold little comfort now, but please know she will be missed by the many students and people she touched. She made a difference in this life. That is all any of us could hope for.
With Deepest Sympathy,
Darren Hartford
Sasha and family, Olena was a great scholar and a wonderful person. She will be sorely missed by her friends on the faculty and staff of the National War College. Our students mourn with you. God bless you all and may Olena’s memory be a blessing.
Dear Slava and Mira,
My deepest sympathy to both of you on the loss of your wife and daughter. My heart is hurting for you. I am on the staff here at the college and worked with Elena from almost the day she came to NWC. She was unfailingly kind to me, never forgetting to bring me back a little memento from her travels overseas, or a x-mas gift and, over the years, several plants.
I know she went through so much with the cancer – very, very rarely she would let me know when she really wasn’t feeling well or having difficulty with her chemo and other treatment. I considered her a friend and it hurts that because of COVID I hadn’t seen her in over a year.
I am thankful she is no longer in pain and I am also thankful she had the two of you to support her these many years. I know that you both were a good part of her strength in dealing with the cancer.
I don’t know if I will make it in person to the service on the 12th but if not I will be there in spirit.
Susan