Director of the Palace of Creativity under the occupiers in Kherson region goes to prison for 6 years

The former director of the Palace of Arts was convicted in Kherson region. She was sentenced to 6 years in prison for aiding the aggressor state.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Kherson City Court.

The court found that after the occupation of the city, the woman agreed to head a center for children and youth creativity. Already in October 2022, she officially began to perform the duties of the "director" of the institution controlled by the occupation administration. Over the following years, she fully organized the activities of the institution according to the standards of the Russian Federation: she paid salaries in rubles, recruited teachers and technical staff who agreed to work in the illegally created institution, and participated in the registration of the center with the Russian tax authorities.

Under her leadership, the Genichesk Palace of Children and Youth Creativity replaced Ukrainian symbols with those of the aggressor state and installed new signs on the facade of the institution.

The center held numerous celebrations and competitions, and the defendant gave interviews to pro-Russian media, talking about the success of students and the main tasks of the institution. The court also recorded her appearances on online platforms and speeches in which she expressed gratitude to the Russian authorities and foundations supporting education in the temporarily occupied territory.

In addition to organizational activities, she drafted the institution's charter and approved curricula based on Russian standards. She supervised the recruitment of staff and controlled the payment of salaries, ensuring that the institution operated in full compliance with the occupation administration.

The accused pleaded guilty in court. She explained that she took the position due to difficult personal circumstances and a desire to ensure the functioning of the center for children. The court took into account her sincere repentance and active assistance in solving the crime, so the punishment was imposed below the minimum limit of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

She was sentenced to 6 years in prison and banned from engaging in educational activities for 10 years. The physical evidence, including two cell phones, a notebook and a sheet with pension recalculation, was returned to the owner. The verdict will come into force after the deadline for filing an appeal.

The court also convicted a resident of the village of Stanislav in Kherson region who deliberately cooperated with the Russian occupiers. It was established that in August 2022, Oksana Ivanko took an illegal position of the head of the community, where she organized the work of utilities, employed local residents and paid salaries in rubles.

Анна Бальчінос