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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
1 billion hryvnias for cultural needs or for Minister Tkachenko’s needs?
The current Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, who took office only on 4 June this year, began his career as minister very, very rapidly.
Already a month after he started work, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine voted to allocate 1 billion hryvnias for the needs of Ukrainian culture. The figure is very large and one might even be glad, but only until one begins to look in detail at what exactly this money will be spent on.
The largest sum, 590 million hryvnias, will be spent on the program “Culture in Times of Crisis: Institutional Support.” Under this program, support is planned for all cultural entities that suffered losses during quarantine restrictions, for increasing jobs in the creative industries, for stabilizing the operations of domestic tourism entities, and for supporting the film industry during the pandemic.
The goals seem not bad, but what is the practical implementation of this program? For example, supporting the Dovzhenko National Center, which did not stop working during quarantine, requires 8,6 million hryvnias. The center itself has stated this repeatedly, and the newly appointed minister Tkachenko said at the start of his tenure that he would advocate for allocating exactly this amount to the Dovzhenko Center. However, promises are just promises, and in July the restoration of funding for the Dovzhenko Center approved an amount of 7,6 million hryvnias — 1 million hryvnias less. Why? Maybe because that is exactly the sum the Ministry of Culture is allocating to shoot a video about the National Guard’s fight against coronavirus? Or rather, de jure that is the sum allocated for the filming.
Of course, we are very glad that our state and law enforcement bodies diligently fulfilled their duties. But isn’t it too expensive to report to the people of Ukraine for such funds? Maybe 1 million hryvnias would be more appropriate to direct to other, more important needs?
Perhaps that could be the case if the allocated budget were really distributed sensibly. But the following facts make one think that the allocated money is more likely just being “sawed off” according to past administrations’ traditions and is going into Mr. Tkachenko’s offshore accounts, well known for his love of large fortunes and illegal income.
On his Facebook page Oleksandr Tkachenko reports that the Ministry of Culture is allocating 25 million hryvnias in state subsidies to film «Rhino» for Oleh Sentsov. We hold great respect for Oleh, but the question arises: why does a film that had a budget of 4 million in 2012 now cost more than 50 million in 2020? Although, for example, producing one episode of the well-known series «Servant of the People» cost 2 million hryvnias, which Tkachenko is well aware of. Oleh Sentsov states that the budget increase was due to inflation and rising prices. Let’s turn to official statistics. The inflation index for the period 2012–2020 years was 165%. Therefore, 4 million hryvnias in 2012 would be worth 6 600 000 million hryvnias in 2020. But in no way 50 million. So the question arises — will all the funds really be directed to filming the movie? Or perhaps the Minister of Culture has his own plans for these funds? Maybe he plans to shoot another film or series together with the main enemy of our country — Russia? Is that why Tkachenko is so active in calling for lifting sanctions on Russian actors and insists on restoring cooperation in cinematography? Is it easier for a Kremlin agent to split funds with Russian companies?
Another sum allocated by the Ministry of Culture under loud slogans is 100 million hryvnias for holding a competition to select projects for producing patriotic series. Just think! 100 million hryvnias from an economy that suffered losses during the pandemic to hold a competition. Mr. Tkachenko, by the way, very clearly specified the deadlines and conditions under which these funds are allocated, and it is not at all surprising that the main criterion to receive financial support is being close to Tkachenko. For example, as close as Borodyansky, Gnedash, or Oleksandra Tkachenko. Yes, yes, we are talking about the minister’s close relatives — his daughter, former wife, and a family friend. And Ukrainian directors, producers, actors, and other film professionals, outraged by such discrimination, are forced to write open letters and appeal for help to the Head of the State Film Agency of Ukraine, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, the head of the Subcommittee on Cinematography and Advertising of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, and the Council for State Support of Cinematography.
While film industry workers try to defend their rights, budget funds are obtained by front companies of the minister-swindler, distributed among him and members of his family, and spent through offshore accounts. And we are forced to watch as Ukrainian culture is brazenly and cynically destroyed before our eyes under a pretty wrapper…
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "1 мільярд гривень на потреби культури чи потреби міністра Ткаченко?". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.
