For nearly three years, Ukraine has been engulfed in war, with the Moscow empire making attempts to obliterate our culture and history, killing our children. Meanwhile, at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, yet another scandal erupts: a teacher accused of sexism and pro-Russian sentiments by students for over a year continues to train future journalists, despite their unsuccessful calls for his dismissal.
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To an outsider unfamiliar with the inner workings of the university, this situation may appear absurd and shocking. However, from within the T. Shevchenko National University, it seems logical and fits into the developments since the controversial election of Vladimir Buhrov as rector.
Beginning of the Scandals
The university community vividly remembers the rector elections of 2020-2021, which were marred by loud scandals and undue influence favoring candidate Vladimir Buhrov. To secure his victory, targeted changes were made to legislation just before the second round of elections, enabling him to be elected as rector.
This marked the onset of scandals that became emblematic of Vladimir Buhrov's tenure as the head of the country's most esteemed university. Over the next three years, there were high-profile sex scandals involving Buhrov and female students, criminal investigations into embezzlement during the renovation of student bomb shelters, the procurement of generators at inflated prices, bribery of a police representative, overpriced purchases for cadets, and unprecedented consideration by the President of Ukraine of a petition for Buhrov's dismissal, among many others. All this occurred within just three years of Buhrov's rectorship.
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Period of Ruin
For the third consecutive year, the university has witnessed a decline in various academic and educational rankings. For two years now, the university has not been first historically in the results of the admission campaign.
The condition of administrative buildings, dormitories, and lecture halls has significantly deteriorated in recent years. The rector washes his hands of the issues, shifting the burden onto deans, compelling them to seek sponsors and beg for donations. Despite this, the university remains the only higher education institution receiving fixed funding from the state budget at a rate twice that of other institutions. However, the effectiveness of this unique funding remains questionable: for what achievements and where are billions of hryvnias being spent?
Last year, students repeatedly complained about low temperatures in classrooms and mold, leading to temporary online learning, as lecture halls resembled actual refrigerators.
The university community sadly watches the destructive trends in what was once Ukraine's leading university. Some openly supported a petition to the President of Ukraine demanding the removal of Vladimir Buhrov from the rectorship.
Roots of Systemic Problems
In December 2024, a new scandal erupted at the university involving Nikita Vasilenko, a lecturer from the Institute of Journalism at KNU. In reality, this scandal is not new, as students have requested Buhrov to remove Vasilenko for the second time within a year, accusing him of sexism, Soviet nostalgia, and pro-Russian sentiments.
However, the rector stands by Nikita Vasilenko. To placate students, a reprimand was issued to him in the spring. According to sources in the Institute of Journalism, Vasilenko's daughter, a well-known journalist under the pseudonym Sonya Koshkina, requested that her father not be dismissed.
The dean of one faculty explains that this behavior is typical of Vladimir Buhrov, who tends to avoid resolving problematic university issues, instead using them to establish connections with authorities, media, and other influential organizations.
As a result, problems persist and give rise to greater systemic issues.
Another example of Buhrov leveraging his position for personal gain, as noted in the Institute of Journalism, is a commissioned complimentary interview with journalist Yulia Litvinenko titled "The Secret of KNU's Success" amidst the university's total degradation.
To understand the context of the interview, one only needs to know that the daughter of the mentioned journalist studies at KNU.
Buhrov's Unprincipledness
The interview with Yulia Litvinenko reveals another side of Vladimir Buhrov's story, characterized by opportunism and a lack of principles, as described by a former dean of KNU who worked closely with Buhrov for many years. Positioning himself as a patriot from western Ukraine, the rector shamelessly uses a platform associated with pro-Russian owners and corresponding funding to rehabilitate his image.
Yulia Litvinenko herself is known for her work on pro-Russian projects on channels such as Inter, NewsOne, ZIK, Kyiv.Live, and radio Vesti. After the onset of Russian aggression, she publicly defended singer Ani Lorak, who treacherously remained in Russia and continues to perform there.
Telegram channels covering university life regularly report on Buhrov's meetings with former and current deputies from the banned Party of Regions and OPZZH. His contacts with the notorious and controversial deputy Mykola Tyshchenko are also highlighted.
Photos of Buhrov with Dmytro Tabachnyk and Patriarch Kirill can be found across the internet.
Impunity Breeds New Scandals
There is a simple explanation for the endless chain of scandals at KNU. Over the past three years, no scandal has been properly investigated, and those responsible have not faced consequences.
The high-profile sexual scandal, which was widely covered by leading media, was swept under the rug, although salacious and immoral dialogues between the rector and female students can still be found online.
Criminal cases have stalled for unclear reasons, with investigators being changed multiple times.
The Ministry of Education and Science has not responded to the chaos occurring at KNU, even after the President of Ukraine submitted a petition to the Government for Buhrov's dismissal.
All those who should intervene, punish the guilty, and save the university remain silent or evade the issue.
It seems someone influential is covering for Buhrov, allowing him to remain in the rector's chair. Several individuals from the President's Office, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the government, and law enforcement agencies are mentioned in the university. The most frequently recalled is the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who is simultaneously a friend of the rector and the head of KNU's Supervisory Board.
In such a situation, Nikita Vasilenko feels free to act as he pleases. The same goes for everyone else who takes advantage of Buhrov's lack of principles, creating new scandals with their actions.
Thus, new scandals are bound to continue.