The region was already unsettled by sweeping government layoffs and funding cuts when the shutdown started.

© Caroline Gutman for The New York Times

The Kennan Institute, which researches Russia and the surrounding region, has re-emerged in a form that is smaller but more impervious to government control.

© Jason Andrew for The New York Times

The first woman to hold the post also made history as one of the most significant speakers in modern times.

© Stephen Crowley/The New York Times