Dovzhenko Center reorganization not on Ministry agenda – Hryhorenko

The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine currently has no plans to reorganize the state enterprise Olexandr Dovzhenko National Center, First Deputy Minister Halyna Hryhorenko has said.

"As of today, no attempts at reorganization are continuing. We are currently in a constructive dialogue with both the State Film Agency and the Dovzhenko Center regarding supporting them financially," she told the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

When asked whether the idea of reorganizing the Dovzhenko Center had been abandoned, the Deputy Minister replied that as of today it has been suspended, and the Ministry of Culture "has not yet taken any steps to resume these intentions."

Regarding the appointment of Olena Honcharuk as the general director of the Dovzhenko Center based on the results of the competition, Hryhorenko stated that this is a matter for the State Agency for Cinematography.

"Our competitions are currently suspended due to martial law. The question is how the State Film and Television Commission will make decisions regarding the recognition of the competition results... Will they still want to make decisions when the competitions are resumed? And we have the following plans: to resume competitions for all cultural institutions, including the state enterprise Dovzhenko Center, in the near future," she added.

As reported, on November 15, 2022, the State Film and Television Commission suspended the reorganization of the Dovzhenko Center until a full audit is completed and a new director is elected.

On December 21, 2022, the State Film and Television Commission announced a competition for the general director of the Dovzhenko Center, which was won by the former head Olena Honcharuk, but the contract with her was not signed.

On July 12, 2023, the Kyiv Economic Court declared the State Film and Television Commission's order on the reorganization of the Dovzhenko-Center illegal. Later, the Northern Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the court of first instance. In the end In 2024, the Court of Cassation dismissed the complaint about the illegality of the order of the State Film Agency regarding the reorganization of the Dovzhenko Center.

On March 1, 2024, the Kyiv Court of Appeal refused to satisfy the appeal of Olena Honcharuk to the State Film Agency regarding the conclusion of a contract for the head of the Dovzhenko Center in the version proposed by the plaintiff.