If Ukraine awarded a prize for persistence in the courtroom, former rector of the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture, Oleksandr Azhyppo, would be a strong contender. For years, he pursued a series of legal challenges in an effort to overturn the election that cost him the position he so coveted.

Although he lost all the court cases in the end, the persistence with which Oleksandr Azhyppo tried to reclaim the desired chair deserves respect. However, it would have been better if Oleksandr Yuriyovych had shown this persistence in sports, where, according to him, he is a master of sports in biathlon. But, as follows from the letter of the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports dated 07.11.2011 No. 6.4/6532, he does not hold such a title. Nor does his (former) wife, Tetyana Dorofeyeva, who is supposedly a master of sports in diving.

Why these fake titles for the former rector and his ex-wife? It’s simple – they entitled them to extra payments at the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture, where both once worked. The story is old, and we mention it for only two reasons.

The first is obvious: the moral image of the former rector of the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture, where Oleksandr Azhyppo for a long time educated a new generation of athletes and teachers. What his students carried into the masses is easy to understand from the episode where Azhippo personally recruited his own students as titushky for the Euromaidan. The story caused a lot of noise at the time; details can be read here: “Quarantine Corruption” and Millions on “Dead Souls”: Rector Oleksandr Azhyppo Cleans the Internet of Mentions of His Schemes at KSAFC.

The second reason is that the divorce of Oleksandr Azhyppo and Tetyana Dorofeyeva looks suspiciously fake. It was his ex-wife who posted quite a substantial bail for him when the former rector of the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture, Oleksandr Azhyppo, ended up in pre-trial detention on criminal charges directly related to his official duties. So the divorce is clearly not that straightforward. Especially considering the real financial situation of Mr. Azhyppo and the poverty reflected in his declarations.

The teaching biography of the former rector is quite interesting, but it is precisely what led him to the criminal charges from which Azhyppo has been trying to wriggle out for over six years now. Not to challenge the substance of the accusations – his tactic here is very simple: Azhyppo drags out the criminal cases, hoping for the statute of limitations to expire.

Thus, there is no guilty verdict that has entered into legal force in any of the cases. But the substance of both cases is extremely interesting. It vividly demonstrates the moral image of the “engineer of human souls,” the former rector, now a simple lecturer at the Kharkiv Vocational College of Sports Profile. These cases are very specific – they show the petty essence of Oleksandr Azhyppo’s soul. That is why we will focus on them.

Case One – attempt to “shake down” students for one thousand hryvnias each

Yes, yes, there is no mistake in the subheading – back then still-rector Oleksandr Azhyppo “burned” himself on an amount that a self-respecting person would not even get involved in a phone booth scam for, let alone a criminal case. Here is the story.

The story that later became case No. 554/10810/22 is connected to the period when Azhyppo headed the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture. At the end of 2021, Oleksandr Azhyppo demanded 1,000 hryvnias from each of seventeen foreign students for the opportunity to live in the dormitory. The case materials mention two payments – about 17,000 hryvnias in November and another similar amount in December 2021. Judge for yourself – that is roughly one and a half thousand dollars. For a person who positions himself as a representative of the elite of Kharkiv and Ukrainian sports in general, it is pure disgrace.

A decent person would simply disdain to “stir up” an obviously criminal scheme for such money. Moreover, it was blatantly stupid, because Azhyppo was caught red-handed immediately, and the investigation qualified his actions under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – receiving unlawful benefit by an official.

The case is at the trial stage – Oleksandr Azhyppo, as already mentioned, is doing everything possible to drag it out, hoping it will be closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. But that is not the point. The point is the amount the rector collected from his students – one thousand hryvnias. It is hard to even comment, because it is disgrace in its purest form.

Case Two – embezzlement of academy funds

Here the story began much earlier: criminal proceeding No. 12020220000000329 was registered on 13 March 2020; it initially investigated, among other things, crimes under Part 3 of Article 191 and Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code against Oleksandr Azhyppo.

In August 2022, the prosecutor’s office deemed the initial investigation ineffective and transferred it to another investigative unit. In September 2023, a separate case No. 12023220000001046 was separated from the large proceeding, which in court received number 638/17734/23.

In it, Azhyppo is charged under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code – misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of official position – as well as under Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code – official forgery. Together with him, Inna Myroshnychenko is also accused; the injured party is recognized as the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture itself.

The trial stage of this case is even less advanced: in September–October 2024, the court considered procedural complaints from the defense and left the indictment in the proceeding. In September 2025, the case was already being heard directly in court session; at the same time, the court considered the issue of a preventive measure for Azhyppo: previously he had been ordered into custody with an alternative bail of 214,720 hryvnias; the bail was posted, after which the accused was released. In 2025, the court refused to replace the bail with a personal undertaking.

What is interesting is that the bail for Oleksandr Azhyppo was posted by his ex-wife, the fake “master of sports” Tetyana Dorofeyeva, from whom the former rector divorced back in 2017. Judging by the fact that she quite promptly found a relatively large sum for a regular lecturer, things are going well for her. Or Azhippo himself provided the money, which says the same thing – things are also going well for the former rector, now a simple lecturer with an almost empty declaration.

As for the case itself, it is still at the court of first instance. The next hearing is scheduled for 5 October 2026; Azhyppo and Myroshnychenko are still listed among the accused. There is no verdict in this case, and judging by everything, there is not going to be one either.

What does Shura Balahanov have to do with it?

There is a moral in all of this. Or a “tsimes,” as they say in Odesa. And the tsimes of this case is on Oleksandr Azhyppo’s personal page, which is still present on the website of the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture, with which Azhyppo long fought for the rector’s chair and from which, judging by the materials of the criminal case, he stole something around 300,000 hryvnias. Not to mention the students from whom Mr. Azhippo tried to “shear” one thousand hryvnias each.

Here is what his personal page proclaims: “Member of the Section on Physical Culture and Sports of the Department of Higher Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, head of the Separate Unit of the All-Ukrainian Public Organization ‘Sports Student Union of Ukraine’ in Kharkiv Region, Deputy Chairman of the NGO ‘Branch of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine in Kharkiv Region’, Category I judge in skiing and biathlon.” How do you like that?

But that is not all: “For high professional achievements awarded the Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the badge ‘Excellent Educator’, the Honorary Diploma of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, gratitude from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Honorary Diploma of the Kharkiv City Council, the Order of the Student Union of Ukraine – the badge ‘Honor and Glory’.” That is also something, you must agree.

And the most interesting: “By order of the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, O.Yu. Azhyppo was appointed head of the subgroup ‘Youth and Gender Policy, Physical Culture and Sports’ of the Working Group for the Development of the Strategy for the Development of Kharkiv Region for 2021–2027.”

How do you like that? A figure in two criminal cases, who at one time recruited titushky and campaigned for Russia, is the head of a working group developing a strategy for the development of Kharkiv Region. What kind of strategy is Mr. Azhyppo developing? Marching in formation toward the Russian Federation? Students welcoming “liberators”?

By the way, judging by the materials of the criminal cases, Oleksandr Azhyppo successfully survived the Russian occupation in one of the settlements of Kharkiv Region. There is no information about his behavior during that period, but in connection with his actions in 2014, questions arise.

However, we will not build conjectures – let the SSU deal with it. If, of course, it wants to. Because there are persistent doubts about its willingness. But let us leave the topic and return to where we started – to the courts. More precisely – to the amounts that surfaced in the investigation of the criminal cases against Oleksandr Azhyppo. Because these amounts evoke a clear association with the unforgettable Shura Balaganov, who, having 50,000 rubles in his pocket, stole a wallet containing a mere 1 ruble and 70 kopecks. The fake “master of sports” titles also belong to the same category as Balahanov’s idea of the son of Lieutenant Schmidt.

Only Balahanov ended his life’s journey quite logically – in prison. And Oleksandr Azhyppo – in the group developing the strategy of Kharkiv Region. New times, new trends.