Gains of reform are threatened amid an exodus of Ukraine’s revolutionaries from patrol police. And failure to reform the upper echelons of the police could mean a return to the old corrupt and inefficient practices.

When Ukraine introduced a new and radically reimagined patrol police in 2015, Nazar Franchuk was one of the first to sign up. Franchuk, who spent the winter of 2013-2014 splitting his time between university exams and protesting in Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, wanted to bring his revolutionary energy to the new law enforcement body which was intended to replace the country’s notoriously corrupt police force.

Since the Revolution of Dignity, reforms have not been a walk in the park for Ukraine. While the first months brought progress, serious shortfalls remain. But, the revolution did succeed in one important way – there is now an entire generation of activists improving their communities and building a new civic culture. They have not succeeded in politics, but someday they might, and already they have made a positive impact on Ukrainian society.