Director of the Palace of Creativity remanded in custody in Mykolaiv

The director of the Palace of Creativity in Kherson region has been charged with treason and will be detained. She promoted the integration of the educational institution into the educational system of the aggressor state and supported the occupation authorities.

This is stated in the decision of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

The court considered a motion to impose a pre-trial restraint on a suspect in high treason who acted in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region. She is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the suspect voluntarily headed an illegal additional education institution established by the occupation administration in the city of Henichesk. She implemented the illegal decision of the occupation authorities to reorganize the educational institution with the transition to the educational program of the aggressor state. In particular, the suspect developed and implemented the charter of the new institution, which was officially approved by the so-called Ministry of Education of the occupation administration.

Under her leadership, the Ukrainian symbols were replaced with the symbols of the aggressor state in the Genichesk Palace of Children and Youth Creativity, and new signs were installed on the facade of the institution. In accordance with the orders of the occupation authorities, the suspect organized the recruitment of pedagogical and technical staff, ensured the payment of salaries in Russian rubles and introduced the use of Russian as the official language in the educational process and documentation.

She also gave several interviews to pro-Russian media, where she promoted the activities of the institution and events organized by the occupation administration. The suspect contributed to the formation of an occupation and militaristic worldview among students and supported the integration of the institution into the education system of the aggressor state.

Investigators filed a motion with the court for a 60-day detention without bail, citing the risks of the suspect's absconding, possible pressure on witnesses, and the threat of continued criminal activity. The court granted the motion, choosing a measure of restraint in the form of detention until September 27, 2025.

The investigation is ongoing, and the prosecutor's office has emphasized the seriousness of the charges, which could lead to imprisonment for a term of ten to twelve years with additional sanctions.

In late June, an educator was sentenced to 10 years in prison for collaborating with the occupiers - in 2022, she headed School #3 in Kakhovka, created by the invaders, and participated in the referendum.

Анна Бальчінос