The controversial activist who trampled on the LGBTIQ+ rainbow flag continues to work on the GBar team
Representatives of the LGBTIQ+ organization UKRAINEPRIDE are demanding that the GBar chain of beauty salonsclarify its position regarding its employee and controversial activist Yuliana Kaznodiy, who trampled on a rainbow flag in downtown Kyiv during the “KyivPride” march. GBar had previously promised to address the situation but ultimately kept Yuliana on their team.
This is stated in a post shared by the community on social media.
“GBar often talks about supporting everyone. Well, sometimes it’s just lip service,” the statement reads.
It is noted that in the service sector and large businesses that position themselves based on their social and ideological values, teams are not typically formed with individuals who support discrimination against people on certain grounds.
They point out that there have already been several high-profile cases on this topic in Ukraine. In 2022, the CEO of Yakaboo resigned after making sexist remarks in an interview.
In 2025, a university professor in the Khmelnytskyi region was fired for anti-Semitic comments on social media.
And a few months ago, Nova Poshta parted ways with an employee who mocked those who asked to switch to the Ukrainian language.
“The LGBTQI+ flag is a symbol of freedom and dignity for people fighting for their right to exist. Wiping one’s feet on our symbolism is unacceptable and sends a signal to an entire segment of Ukrainians that they are all in danger here,” notes the organization UKRAINEPRIDE.
Social media users reacted negatively to the homophobic views held by some members of the GBar team. Under GBar’s post inviting people to the Ivan Kupala festival, a significant number of readers emphasized the unacceptability of the beauty salon chain’s specific hiring practices.
As a reminder, Yuliana Kaznodiy, a student at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, who trampled on LGBTQI+ flags during the “KyivPride” march on June 21, apologized for her actions, explaining that she has a different “vision of the institution of the family.” She wrote about this on Threads.
During the march, the young woman trampled on an LGBTQI+ flag, and when asked why she did it, she stated that she was “wiping her feet” because she had “gotten her sneakers dirty.” The publication showed this footage in its video report.
On June 24, the GKYIV beauty bar—where the young woman works and which is co-founded by well-known blogger Sabina Musina—posted a statement saying that they do not condone such actions or statements and that they, too, were outraged by them. They assured that they are addressing the situation internally within the team.
This is not the first scandal surrounding the GBar chain
Previously, the international beauty salon chain GBar, which Sabina Musina owns together with another entrepreneur, Lera Borodina, was implicated in a major corruption scandal.
Blogger-investor and Sabina Musina’s ex-husband, Andriy Trushkovsky, claimed that the GBar chain was founded with money stolen from the Ukroboronprom concern by Musina’s ex-husband, who is currently in hiding abroad.
According to the blogger, the entrepreneur’s first husband, Konstantin Cherednichenko—who is linked to corruption in the defense sector—allocated $50,000 to launch this business.
The scandal involving corrupt funds has posed reputational risks for the highly successful international beauty bar franchise chain. Sabina Musina and her friend Lera Borodina founded the chain in 2015 in Kyiv. Today, it comprises 67 beauty bars in 13 countries.
But according to Andriy Trushkovsky, this business partnership began to fall apart after failing to withstand the reputational blow. To back up his claims, the blogger published screenshots of correspondence with Musina’s business partner, Lera Borodina. Judging by the post, Borodina allegedly no longer communicates with Musina and wonders how she even got caught up in this “mess.”
Read more about the corruption allegations and disputes among GBar investors here.
