1974
Kennan Institute Founded
The Kennan Institute was founded as a division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in December of 1974 through the joint initiative of Ambassador George F. Kennan, then Wilson Center Director James Billington, and historian S. Frederick Starr. Named in honor of Ambassador Kennan's relative, George Kennan "the Elder," a nineteenth century explorer of Russia and Siberia, the Kennan Institute is committed to improving American expertise and knowledge about Russia and Eurasia.
Ambassador Kennan was one of the most distinguished diplomats of the 20th Century. He relied on his intimate understanding of Russian history and culture to help shape the US national security strategy for the Cold War. The Kennan Institute has followed his example for five decades by putting knowledge into public service. Learn more about Kennan's enduring legacy.
Left: Kennan Institute cofounders S. Frederick Starr, George F. Kennan, and James Billington.
Above: George Kennan "the Elder"
Alumni Highlights 1974-8
1975 - Nikolai Bolkhovitinov (1930-2008)
Bolkhovitinov (pictured left) was a prominent historian, pioneer of American Studies in the USSR, Honorary Foreign Member of the American Historical Association, and known as “the best Russian friend of American historians.” Read Nikolai Bolkhovitinov's biography by fellow Kennan alum Sergei Zhuk.
1977 - Andrei Voznesensky (1933-2010)
Voznesensky (pictured right) was one of the greatest modern Russian poets, an iconic figure of the Khrushchev Thaw, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, who had been referred to by Robert Lowell as “one of the greatest living poets in any language.”
