A graduate student in literature and history, she appeared in a short video, entitled I Am a Ukrainian, which went viral after being posted in February 2014.
In the spring of 2014, she gave talks about the cause of Ukrainian freedom in the United States and Canada and was interviewed by news media from dozens of countries.
[4] Yulia Marushevska was born on 2 October 1989 in the village of Shcherbani in Voznesensk Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast, southern Ukraine.
"[9] Marushevska was not politically active prior to the protests, "but when the government stopped an agreement with the EU I was very frustrated."
[9] Her mother, also a fervent supporter of the EuroMaidan Revolution, "volunteered day and night to help feed demonstrators and slept on the barricades.
"[11] The video was shot by British cinematographer Graham Mitchell and posted by American filmmaker Ben Moses, producer of the movie Good Morning Vietnam.
[10] It was Marushevska's idea to film a stand-up video on Hrushevskoho Street, where two men had been killed in the protests.
"[10] She later said: "It was very important for me to show the protesters on the street are not terrorists, extremists, bandits or Nazis as it was shown in some media.
"[8] Marushevska told the Kyiv Post that while making the video, she wondered whether she was exaggerating when she called Yanukovych a dictator.
A normal person doesn't do that when there are children dying from cancer and he's buying this stupid, useful [sic], ugly stuff for nothing.
"[10] Marushevska stated that she admires the U.S. due to the rule of freedom, but is sceptical of European democracy, which is rife with red tape.
[8] The Russian TV network RT claimed that Marushevska's video was a product of the U.S. State Department.
On the same day she took part in a panel discussion at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, where she talked about the Ukrainian news media's reaction to her video, which some considered propaganda.
Georgetown's student newspaper, the Hoya reported that "Attendees came away impressed by Marushevska's poise in delivering her message, and her ability to convey the emotions felt by everyday Ukrainians.
[18] On April 16, she participated in a panel discussion, Rights, Repression, and Revolution: A Tale of Two Countries – Ukraine and Venezuela, at Harvard University.
She expressed her respect for the Russian people and her hope that they, too, would win their fight for freedom, and said that the Ukrainians would be on their side.
[2] On June 9, 2015, Mikheil Saakashvili, the Head of the Odesa Oblast State Administration (Governor), announced the inclusion of Marushevska in his transitional team.
[3][22] According to Mikheil Saakashvili, Marushevska had previously spent a year of training at Harvard and Stanford universities.
[23] On June 23, he announced his appointment of Marushevska as head of a newly created Investment agency of the Odesa regional government.
[24] On 16 October 2015, President Petro Poroshenko announced that Marushevska would serve as the head of Odesa customs.
"[26] Marushevska clashed with the head of the State Fiscal Service, Roman Nasirov, who has been implicated in corruption.
[4] Other sources stated that she resigned after her anti-corruption reform efforts were sabotaged not only by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman alone, but by President Petro Poroshenko as well.