By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
 
Russia's merciless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has reached its eighth week. Casualties, destruction and displacement continue to mount.
 
Five thousand miles away at William & Mary, Lev Kazakov and Brenden Volk watch in dismay. Kazakov is a Russian citizen and Volk's parents are immigrants from what is now Ukraine, so you might expect different viewpoints. Instead, they stand united in their opposition to Vladimir Putin's war machine.
 
"I don't support anything my government has been doing in Russia," says Kazakov, who with Volk is an MBA candidate in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and a student assistant coach on the Tribe's tennis team. "It's my family that has provided me with every opportunity I have.
 
"I don't feel any obligations (to) Russia. They don't represent my values. It was a very strange feeling to be in a country where I felt like a foreigner. And I've never understood how everyone is so supportive of Putin when he's doing these things."
 
Volk was born and raised in Long Island, but his parents and grandparents emigrated from Russia in the 1970s to escape antisemitism. His father's side is from Odessa, his mother's from Khmelnytskyi. Both cities are in what is now Ukraine.
 
Which has led to some conflicted emotions.
 
"Part of me feels like I'm the oppressor, but part of me feels like I'm the victim," Volk says. "Not me in particular, but my roots. I'm not sure how to feel, but the only thing I can feel is horrified. This war should not exist. There should always be peace.
 
"People should not be hating one another, and countries should not be invading other countries. There shouldn't be civilians losing their lives and people getting displaced. The fact that there are bombings going on every single day in these cities my family lived in, it's horrifying."
 
The bond between Kazakov and Volk, who are in their final year in the Mason School of Business, began before they ever met.
 
When he graduated from Cornell in 2020, Kazakov still had a season of eligibility remaining. Looking for the right combination of tennis and a quality business school, he entered the NCAA transfer portal. The first person to reach out was Brenden Volk.
 
"I wanted to let him know he'd have another Russian on the team," says Volk, who is fluent in the language. "We definitely clicked right away."
 
In their only season together, Kazakov went 8-3 at No. 2 singles. Volk, who played four seasons at W&M after transferring from Northwestern, teamed with George Davis for an 8-5 record at No. 1 doubles.
 
Now, Kazakov and Volk remain connected with the program as student assistant coaches.
 
"Obviously, we both wish we were still playing," Volk says. "But being able to still be around the team, guys we competed with last season, and contributing to wins has been really rewarding. And a whole lot of fun."
 
Tennis provides a respite from the news, but only for so long. Ukraine remains in peril, but Kazakov is encouraged by the world's opposition to Putin's war.
 
"I'm happy to see the world is very clear and united against Russia," Kazakov says. "Everyone is well aware of what's happening and there's no confusion outside of Russia. Everyone is trying to provide whatever help they can without worsening the conflict.
 
"The sanctions against Russia, while they're hurting my family, I think they're necessary. That's one of the more peaceful ways of stopping Russia."
 
Although Kazakov has long opposed Putin, few knew it outside his family and circle of friends. Last month, encouraged by his sister, he made his feelings publicly known.
 
On Instagram, Kazakov declared his support for Ukraine and called Putin's actions "an attack on all humanity." He said he was "embarrassed" to be a citizen of Russia and for having been silent.
 
There was some pushback, mostly from his friends in Russia.
 
"Part of the problem is that they're being brainwashed because the only news outlets are state owned and state controlled," Kazakov says. "It's hard to be upset at them because it's not really their fault. At the same time, I'm a little upset because they don't want to listen to what I have to say.
 
"I also got a lot of support. I have friends from Ukraine, and I keep them and their families in my thoughts all the time. It's hard because there's very little I can do except show them support. I cannot comfort them and say 'it's going to be all right,' because you don't know what's going to happen."
 
In August of 2020, Kazakov came to William & Mary with a degree in finance from Cornell. In less than two months, he will pick up his MBA from the Mason School of Business. He has a job lined up at Chardan, an investment bank in New York City.
 
As for his homeland, Kazakov knows it will never feel like home again. He hasn't been there since December of 2018. His parents still have assets in Russia but for now are living in Turkey. His younger sister lives in Toronto.
 
"I would love to stay in the United States," he says. "But the best way to put it is, anywhere but Russia."