Europe and the Soviet Union
Anya Yakhedts Brunson: From Soviet Union to American Diplomacy
A Jewish refugee from Minsk who became a Foreign Service Officer.
- Fled
- Soviet Union
- Status
- Refugee
- Arrived in the U.S.
- 1990
- Service
- Presidential Management Fellow (2006); Foreign Service Officer
- Region
- Europe and the Soviet Union
Anya Brunson grew up Jewish in Minsk, in the Soviet Union. She came to the United States with her family as a refugee in 1990, at about age nine, and became a citizen in 2000.
She joined the Department of State as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2006, working on Pakistan and on the Georgia desk, and then entered the Foreign Service. Her first overseas tour was in the Dominican Republic.
Read the history behind this story on the The Soviet Union page, or browse all the diplomats.