David Arakhamia may gain influence over the Razumkov Center, sources say

David Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction in the parliament, is negotiating to gain control over the Razumkov Center, and a former minister of social policy, Oksana Zholnovich, may be offered the position of director of the organization. This is reported by sources in the Verkhovna Rada. According to them, former MP Mykola Martynenko, who has long been associated with the center’s leadership, is also participating in the negotiations. There is no official confirmation of agreements or a decision to change leadership in the provided information.

The Razumkov Center was founded in 19 August 1994 year. The organization is registered as a public association, its EDPRO code is 20063407. The Center has its own sociological service, which conducts surveys on public trust in government bodies, politicians’ ratings, electoral preferences, public attitudes toward the war, the economy, and international policy. The results of the research are regularly used in public discussions about social moods and political processes, the media reports. Currently, the Center’s president is Yuriy Yakimenko, the general director is Pavlo Pynzenyk, and the head of the sociological service since January 2000 year is Andriy Bychenko. This structure ensures the conduct of sociological research and the preparation of data on citizens’ attitudes toward political forces and state institutions. A potential change in leadership could affect the organization’s management model, but by itself it does not indicate a change in the methodology of research or the editorial independence of the sociological service. The Razumkov Center’s financial statements show a decrease in income over the past three years. In 2023 year the organization received 23,7 million hryvnias, in 2024 year — 21,65 million hryvnias, and in 2025 year — 19,98 million hryvnias. By the end of 2025 year the center’s assets amounted to 6,18 million hryvnias, liabilities — 706 thousand hryvnias. According to the data, 32 employees worked at the organization. The Center also has a network of more than 300 interviewers and engages more than 100 external experts. The organization owns registered trademarks “Razumkov Center” and Razumkov. The combination of research infrastructure, expert network, and a recognizable brand makes the center’s leadership important for setting its future priorities. At the same time, there is no data on financial arrangements or changes in funding sources within the scope of a possible reformatting.

According to sources in the parliament, David Arakhamia is considering a possible change of leadership of the organization with the participation of Mykola Martynenko. The Razumkov Center’s council, according to the provided information, includes Martynenko, MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, politician Oleg Berizuk, and Mykola Melnyk. However, the specific mechanism for appointing a new director, the composition of participants in negotiations, and the timeline for decisions are not publicly specified. Mykola Martynenko previously headed the parliamentary committee on the fuel and energy complex and nuclear policy. In June 2020 year, the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland found him guilty of laundered approximately 2,8 million euros in a case connected with contracts of the Czech company Škoda JS. In Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau investigated corruption episodes around Energoatom in which Martynenko was involved. These circumstances form part of his public political and legal background, but do not in themselves confirm influence over the Razumkov Center’s current decisions. Oksana Zholnovych in 2020–2022 years headed the Department of Social Policy and Health Care at the Office of the President. In July 2022 year she became minister of social policy and held that post until July 2025. Her possible appointment as director of the Razumkov Center is linked by sources to Arakhamia’s political group and a shift in influence balance after Andriy Yermak’s departure. At the same time, there is no official statement from Zholnovych about readiness to head the center in the provided information. David Arakhamia has chaired the Servant of the People faction in the parliament since 2019 year and participates in political negotiations on behalf of the faction. His potential interest in the Razumkov Center may be related to the importance of sociological research for the political environment, but without official statements from the negotiators, the objective of the agreements cannot be considered established. There is also currently no verified information that the leadership change has been agreed or that the organization has made a corresponding decision. The Razumkov Center continues to conduct nationwide surveys and publish research on public moods, politicians’ ratings, and the level of trust in state institutions. If negotiations regarding leadership culminate in personnel changes, future attention will focus on the appointment procedure, the new managerial team, and possible changes in the sociological service’s work. Until an official decision is announced, information about agreements between David Arakhamia, Mykola Martynenko, and other participants remains a report from sources, not a confirmed fact.