Advisor to Education Minister Petro Chernyshev accused of having Russian citizenship
11 July 2024 16:06
Petro Chernyshov, chairman of the supervisory board of the National Aviation University (NAU) and advisor to the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, still holds Russian citizenship. This was reported by the Telegram channel Chervonyi Hubert, according to
According to the published data, Chernyshov not only holds a Russian passport, but also actively used it even after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In particular, he appealed against fines on the territory of the aggressor country.
At the same time, in 2014, Petro Chernyshov stated that he had renounced his Russian citizenship.
Additional tension is created by the language issue: Chernyshov reportedly speaks Russian at meetings with the university administration. This is causing outrage among students and activists, especially against the backdrop of his previous media publications, where he allowed himself to make controversial comparisons of Zaporizhzhia Cossacks with Chechens and Somali pirates.
Attempts by the student community to obtain a public apology from Chernyshev were met with threats to apply to law enforcement agencies, which further exacerbated the situation at the university, the channel reported.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has not yet provided official comments on the situation.
Petro Chernyshov
Pyotr Anatolyevich Chernyshov was born on 14 June 1968 in Sverdlovsk, the USSR. He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics at Ural State University in 1990. Later he received a Master’s degree in financial management in Moscow and an MBA from Kingston University.
Mr Chernyshev’s career has included working for various international companies. From 2006 to 2014, he held senior positions in brewing companies in Ukraine. In 2014, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Kyivstar, where he worked until 2018.
In July 2014, Chernyshov renounced his Russian citizenship and in August 2015, he was granted Ukrainian citizenship by a presidential decree.
After leaving Kyivstar, Chernyshov joined the supervisory boards of VoxUkraine and the pharmaceutical company Farmak. He is also known for his support of the Golos party in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
Currently, Chernyshov chairs the Supervisory Board of the National Aviation University and is an advisor to the Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
Chernyshov has been repeatedly recognised as one of the best top managers in Ukraine by various publications. He is married and has three children.
