Scandal surrounding the rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine: Korogodsky sharply criticized the sports minister
19 May 10:34
Businessman and public figure Garik Korogodsky sharply criticized Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidnyy over the situation surrounding the election of the rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine. In a Facebook post, he stated that the ministry canceled the election one day before the vote and later began citing other reasons for the postponement, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
This concerns the conflict surrounding the election of the rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, which was scheduled to take place on March 25, 2026. The day before, the Ministry of Youth and Sports postponed the election to September 23. University representatives claimed that the order was unlawful and unfounded, and polling stations opened for voting on March 25 anyway.
What Korogodsky said
In a post, Garik Korogodsky addressed Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny and stated that the election for the rector of “Infiz” had been canceled one day before it was scheduled to take place.
“Matviy, with your order, you canceled the Infiz rector election one day before the vote, relying on slander—there is no other word for it—by MP Konstantin Kasay against rector candidate Mykhailo Rygan, as if he were a corrupt official,” Korogodsky wrote.
According to him, the allegations against rector candidate Mykhailo Rygan were not substantiated.
“The slander has been investigated. The National Police found no violations,” Korogodsky stated.
The conflict surrounding Mykhailo Rygan
Mykhailo Rygan—a professor and candidate for the position of rector at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (NUPESU)—found himself at the center of the scandal. According to media reports, following the intervention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a vote was ultimately held at the university, the results of which showed that Rygan had the support of the faculty. At the same time, the ministry stated that these elections were not legally valid due to the order to postpone the vote.
In his post, Korogodsky sided with Rygan and emphasized his support at the university.
“Rigan is a professor who teaches at Infiz; the entire faculty and students are behind him,” he wrote.
After the election was postponed, students and faculty members took to the streets in protest. They demanded that the results of the vote be recognized, that Mykhailo Rigan be appointed acting rector, and criticized the actions of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The Ministry’s Position
Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi explained the postponement of the election by the need to conduct an audit at the university. According to him, the ministry had received “alarming signals” regarding the situation at the university, which is why it decided to postpone the vote.
Korogodsky, however, finds these explanations unconvincing. In his post, he stated that the minister allegedly cited one set of arguments at first and then another later.
“But the minister forgot the Native American proverb: ‘If the horse is dead, get off.’ He’s coming up with a new excuse—he doesn’t want to hold the election so as not to endanger people by gathering large crowds in one place,” Korogodsky wrote.
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Korogodsky mentioned the “Boombox” concert
Separately, Korogodsky drew attention to the argument about the danger of mass gatherings during elections and compared it to the holding of other public events.
“He’s coming up with a new excuse—he doesn’t want to hold elections so as not to endanger people due to large crowds in one place—and at the same time, he’s holding a conference for 500 people at the institute. And yesterday there was a Boombox concert—everyone saw it; the concert was wonderful, by the way,” he stated.
The topic of the Boombox concert has indeed become part of the public debate surrounding the NUPSU rector election. The argument “concerts can be held, but elections cannot?” has been actively used in connection with the scandal surrounding the university.
Korogodsky also suggested that the conflict surrounding the election might be driven by an interest in the university’s assets or land.
“And the place doesn’t seem very lucrative. Is there something there, huh, Matviy? Maybe land in the center? Maybe I’ve gotten myself into something I shouldn’t have?” he wrote.
At the end of the post, Korogodsky stated that, in his opinion, Mykhailo Rygan would ultimately become rector.
“Rigan will become rector, but something tells me that you won’t be the minister anymore. Not because of me, but because of your approach to your duties,” Korogodsky wrote.
What is known about the scandal surrounding the rector election
The scandal surrounding the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (NUPESU) has been ongoing since March. On March 24, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued an order postponing the rector election from March 25 to September 23, 2026.
The university staff called this decision unlawful and stated that the organizing committee and the election commission had not received any complaints that could have disrupted the vote. This is stated in an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the university staff.
“On March 24, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued an unlawful and unfounded order, changing the election date from March 25 to September 23, 2026. The order violates the provisions of Article 42 of the Law ‘On Higher Education’ and other legal requirements. However, prior to this, no complaints had been received by the Organizing Committee or the Election Commission for the NUPSU Rector Election. As of March 25, polling stations had been prepared and opened on time, and voters voluntarily came to cast their ballots. “The Organizing Committee and the Election Commission for the NUPSU Rector Election have no legal grounds to prevent the voting process from taking place. However, the Ministry is acting arbitrarily, violating the rule of law and democratic principles,” the appeal to the President states.
At the same time, as the university staff notes, one day before the election, Minister Matvii Bidnyi issued an order appointing Yurii Radchenko, an associate professor in the Department of Combat Sports and Strength Sports, as acting rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine.
“We would like to note separately that on March 24, Yuriy Radchenko, an associate professor in the Department of Combat Sports and Strength Sports, approached the Human Resources Department with Ministry Order No. 157-k/tr dated March 24, assigning him the duties of rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (NUPESU), signed by Minister Matviy Bidny. At the same time, no one informed the current acting rector, Oleksandr Pyzhov, of the order relieving him of his duties as rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine. This is a direct attempt to destabilize the election process on the eve of the vote and to block the lawful activities of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine. “Today, Deputy Minister Serhiy Tymofeyev and the illegally appointed acting rector Yuriy Radchenko appeared at the polling station to lobby for illegal decisions,” the university staff notes.
The NUPSU staff requests that the President dismiss Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny and ensure the lawful conduct of the rector election.
“We request your immediate intervention to ensure compliance with Ukrainian law and the holding of the vote on March 25, 2026, and it is of fundamental importance to dismiss Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny!” the appeal states.
On March 25, the vote did take place at the university. Following the vote, Mykhailo Rygan was elected head of the institution; however, the Ministry of Youth and Sports did not recognize the legal validity of this process due to the order to postpone the election.
Subsequently, protests took place in Kyiv by students and faculty members who opposed the ministry’s actions and demanded that Rygan be appointed acting rector.
What is known about Rygan
The elected rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, Mykhailo Rygan, is an associate professor in the Department of Sports Medicine, a Doctor of Medical Sciences, and an Honored Physician of Ukraine.
“I have been working at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine for over a quarter of a century. The idea of nominating me as a candidate for rector did not arise spontaneously,” he noted.
According to him, for a long time, many employees approached him, asking him “not to stand on the sidelines of the processes” and to “take an active stance.”
“On March 25, as we all know, the rector’s election took place at the National University—and 607 people voted despite the pressure. That’s 53.57% in favor of my candidacy (…). After this event took place, the university’s work has been paralyzed,” Rigan added.
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