The Verkhovna Rada did not support the decision to strip Potap of his title of Honored Artist of Ukraine
On September 17, the Verkhovna Rada considered the issue of the honorary title held by Oleksiy Potapenko, known as Potap. Lawmakers voted to send a request to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strip the artist of his title of “Honored Artist of Ukraine.” The motion received 198 votes in favor out of the required 226, so it was not adopted.
One other lawmaker voted against it, one abstained, and 90 did not vote. Thus, the Rada did not support the appeal to Zelenskyy to strip Potap of his title of Honored Artist of Ukraine.
Why There Was a Call to Strip Potap of His Title
The impetus for this was a petition addressed to the President of Ukraine. It was registered by Kateryna Taran on August 28, 2026. The author called for stripping Potap of his title of Honored Artist of Ukraine due to his public activities during a full-scale war. The petition specifically cited the promotion of Russian-language cultural content, the devaluation of the Ukrainian language, and public collaboration with representatives of Russia. The petition gathered the 25,000 signatures required for consideration.
Potap himself had previously responded to the situation on his social media accounts. The artist stated that he is at peace with the possibility of having his title revoked.
“If my title helps Ukraine win—take it away. If it makes someone feel better—go ahead. I don’t need a certificate to remain an artist and connect with people who have been listening to my music for over twenty years,” he wrote.
This was reported on the Kyiv24 TV channel’s Telegram channel.
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