The Dovzhenko Center Won a Lawsuit in Odessa Against Its Former Director

A court in Odesa issued a default judgment ordering Ivan Kozlenko, the former CEO of the Dovzhenko Center, to pay more than 284,000 hryvnias to the institution. The claim for compensation for material damages was granted based on the findings of audits conducted by the Northern Office of the State Audit Service.

This is stated in the ruling of the Peresypsky District Court of Odessa.

Ivan Kozlenko referred to the “material damages” claimed by the Dovzhenko Center as bonuses paid to him. 

“This ‘damage’ consists of my officially accrued bonuses for the last year of work at the Center, including a final bonus for my entire 10-year tenure there,” he wrote on social media.

According to him, under his contract with the Ministry of Culture, upon its completion he was entitled to a final bonus equal to 42 months’ salary, which amounted to over 1 million hryvnia. At the same time, Kozlenko notes that the Center had those funds because it was profitable. 

He also explained that he considered it unethical to receive such a large bonus given the modest salaries of his colleagues and subordinates. As a result, he was paid only 240,000 hryvnias, which he immediately returned to the Center to repay the “improperly paid” amount. According to Kozlenko, as a result, he did not keep a single kopeck from the total bonus for his 10 years of work at the institution.

As Intent previously reported, the Odessa-based writer, cultural scholar, former CEO of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Center, and director of the “Silent Nights” Film Festival Ivan Kozlenko attended the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and shared his thoughts on the event. 

Юлія Калабайда