Odessa University has launched an internal investigation into a professor's posts

A special commission has been established at the I. I. Mechnikov Odessa National University to investigate the public statements made by Alexander Muzychko, Ph.D. in History. The investigation was prompted by the professor’s social media posts, which sparked significant public outcry. 

According to Odessa University News, the issue concerns harsh remarks directed at the late “Mask Show” actor Vladimir Komarov, whom Muzychko criticized for anti-Ukrainian sentiment, as well as critical assessments of Odessa’s cultural landscape.

In addition to personal attacks, the historian publicly advocated for the radical dismantling of monuments to Odessa’s imperial past, specifically those of Richelieu, Vorontsov, and Pushkin. His proposal to demolish the monument to Taras Shevchenko also sparked controversy, as the monument was erected during the Soviet era. 

The university administration emphasized that academic and teaching staff are obligated to adhere to professional ethics and moral standards. The commission is now tasked with providing a legal and ethical assessment of Muzychko’s actions.  

As a reminder, activist Demyan Ganul was shot dead in the center of Odesa.

Earlier, then-Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov stated that a park complex dedicated to the “Imperial and Soviet Past” should be created in Odessa—some architectural monuments are to be relocated there.