04 May 2026
(ILLUSTRATION: AI)
From rewritten textbooks to ruble salaries, the school in Kherson became an instrument of occupation policy, and its "director" became the executor of these changes. The court found her guilty of collaboration and aiding the aggressor state.
This is evidenced by the verdict of the Khadzhybeyskyi District Court of Odesa.
After the capture of Kherson in 2022, Russian forces quickly took control of administrative buildings, including the city council. Within a few weeks, attempts began to restructure key areas of life, from governance to education.
This is the period when the so-called "civil-military administration" was established in the city and began to rebuild the governance system, including education. One of the key tools was the emergence of a pseudo-structure - the "Department of Education and Science" - which was supposed to integrate Ukrainian schools into the Russian educational space.
According to the case file, the defendant joined the implementation of this policy. She promoted the introduction of Russian education standards and actually helped to organize the work of educational institutions under the new rules.
The court document mentions in detail specific educational institutions in Kherson that were at the epicenter of these processes. Among them:
These institutions were considered by the occupation authorities as the basis for the introduction of a new educational model oriented towards the Russian Federation.
The court also found that the occupation administration openly put pressure on the heads of educational institutions. Those who agreed to work according to Russian rules were kept in their positions. Those who disagreed were dismissed and replaced with loyalists.
From July to August 2022, she managed the school according to Russian rules: she allowed the placement of Russian symbols in the building, brought in Russian textbooks and translated all documentation into Russian. She openly supported the decisions of the occupation administration and tried to convince other school staff to work according to the new, imposed standards.
The woman held individual conversations with teachers, looking for those who would agree to work according to the Russian program. At the same time, she recruited new staff-teachers, librarians, and technicians-to ensure the school's operation under the occupiers' control. To consolidate these changes, she organized military protection for the school.
In July-September 2022, as the "director" of an already Russian school, she enrolled students for the new school year in accordance with the requirements of Russian legislation. In addition, she transferred the payment of salaries to employees into Russian rubles.
The actions of the accused were classified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - aiding the aggressor state and collaboration. The court found the woman guilty and sentenced her to 12 years in prison, a ban on working in education for 15 years, and confiscation of all her property. The sentence will be counted from the moment of her arrest.
The court also allowed a special investigation into the director of a lyceum that operated during the occupation of Kherson. This is the former head of the Service for Children of the Velyko Oleksandrivsk District State Administration of the Kherson Region, Lyudmyla Ishatenko.
Анна Бальчінос