Alexander Balaban was suspended from his position at KNUKiI following allegations of harassment and humiliating behavior towards students.
The head of the Department of Television Journalism and Acting at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Alexander Balaban, has been suspended from his position following accusations of harassment and humiliation of students. This information was reported by the Faculty of Film and Television of KNUKiI, as conveyed by UNN.
Details
The faculty administration has also made the following decisions:
- to verify the authenticity of the circumstances outlined online;
- to strengthen oversight of compliance with ethical standards among participants in the educational process;
- to conduct a series of training sessions and webinars with faculty and students by specialists from the social and psychological center.
The university's website indicates that Balaban was the head of the Department of Television Journalism and Acting.
Context
Actress and former student of Balaban, Elizaveta Yakovishina, recently shared on her Facebook page details about harassment and humiliation of students by Alexander Balaban.
In particular, she stated that Balaban claimed, "We will go to LNR to perform in the theater because an actor should not care about who is in power; the main thing is to act. And the Soviet power is the best."
She also noted that Balaban referred to female students as prostitutes and whores, dictating who should date and sleep with whom.
In the comments, Elizaveta received support from other victims in Alexander Balaban's workshop.
Specifically, user Elizaveta Pavlenko recounted that during a rehearsal, while she was standing on stage, the director (the director's name is not specified) approached, turned his back to others, and without any warning, removed her shirt.
Additionally, in a comment, Ekaterina Polyakova shared that Balaban forced female students to undress on stage.
Ukraine has introduced penalties for sexual harassment through gestures19.12.24, 16:15 • 17702 views
However, there were also those who defended Balaban. In particular, KNUKiI student Vladislav Shklyaruk stated, "Throughout my life, I have not had a person whom I could look up to as a model of how to be dignified, unafraid of facing obstacles, overcoming them, and having a true inner strength, and Alexander Balaban has become that person for me."
KNUKiI graduate Daria Shevchuk asserted, "Alexander Balaban is a person of great stature, and I will not tolerate all this slander that is happening now."