Olexander Scherba

Olexander Scherba - Ukrainian diplomat, ambassador to Austria in 2014-2021.

Graduated from Kyiv Shevchenko University in 1993 (German and English philology). PHD in political sciences (Kyiv Institute of International Relations) in 2001.

Entered diplomatic service in March 1995. In 1996-2000, worked as attaché, third secretary at Ukraine’s Embassy to Germany (Bonn, Berlin).

In 2000-2003 he worked as first secretary, deputy chief of staff, speechwriter to Ukraine‘s foreign minister Anatoliy Zlenko, ghostwrote his book “Politics and Diplomacy”. In 2004-2008 Scherba served as congressional liaison at Ukraine’s Embassy to the US.

In 2009-2010, during the presidential campaign, he was advisor to then presidential candidate Arseniy Yatseniuk. In 2010-2013, he worked as ambassador-at-large at Ukraine’s Foreign ministry. In 2013-2014, he served as advisor to Ukraine’s first vice-prime-minister, in charge of negotiations with IMF and European Union.

In February-November 2014, he returned to Ukraine’s Foreign ministry as ambassador at-large, participated in the information group, countering Russia’s aggression in Crimea and Donbas. He was the main author of the address by Ukraine’s president Petro Prosolenko to American Congress in September 2014. On 17 November 2014, he was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to Austria.

Ukraine’s PEN Club included his 2020 book “Vaccination from Darkness” to the top-15 best books in the category “essays”.

His book “Ukraine vs. Darkness. Undiplomatic Thoughts” was published in English by the German publishing house “Ibidem” on April 30, 2021.