Former Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko publicly criticized the planned participation of a number of Ukrainian artists in the concert "United Quarter", organized by the "Quarter 95" studio, following the corruption scandal surrounding its co-owner Timur Mindich. The politician accused the artists of taking royalties from the "blood and tears of Ukrainians" and called the studio part of a political project.
Rozenko published on social media the poster of the concert “Edyny Kvartal”, where performances by Nadia Dorofeeva, Monatik, Drevo, Pozitiv, Iryna Bilyk, Kola, the bands Kazka, “Antitila” and the choir “Homin” were announced. In his post, he addressed the artists with sharp criticism, recalling the corruption suspicions against the co-owner of “Kvartal 95” Timur Mindich, whom NABU considers a figure in a large-scale scheme in the energy sector.
“ Will you really participate in this event? After we all saw what corrupt funds this Mindich company exists on. You are not “outside politics”! You take fees from them, which are in the blood and tears of Ukrainians! Don’t be ashamed! ” – wrote Rozenko, calling on the artists to reconsider their participation in the concert.
After a wave of indignation caused by the poster, the Homin choir publicly announced that it was withdrawing from the “United Quarter” concert. Pavlo Rozenko also announced this, emphasizing that the group would not cooperate with the “Quarter 95” studio within the framework of this project.
Amid the criticism, the Kvartal 95 studio published a statement distancing itself from the political accusations and corruption suspicions against its co-owner. The post emphasizes that Kvartal 95 has existed for over 20 years, creates humorous content and supports the morale of the country, continuing to work even in the most difficult times. The studio stated that it has no connection with the businesses of its shareholders or political processes, and called attempts to draw it into the political struggle manipulation.
“Quarter 95” also announced that they are not canceling their planned concerts on December 6–7 and intend to “speak to the public through creativity and humor.” The authors of the statement say they are ready to “defend themselves” and continue working, despite criticism of the studio and its co-owner.
In response to the statement, Rozenko published a new comment in which he called the studio's attempts to position itself as "outside politics" strange. He recalled that "Kvartal 95" had harshly criticized the previous government for years, and after 2019, graduates of the studio and people associated with it found themselves in key government positions - from the president to the leadership of parliament and law enforcement agencies. According to Rozenko, the fact that "Kvartal 95" did not respond to corruption scandals, rising tariffs and people's poverty, but continued to ridicule "unpleasant people" demonstrates the project's political bias.
A separate background to the conflict was the high-profile NABU and SAPO case on corruption in the energy sector, where Timur Mindich appears as one of the key suspects. NABU detectives searched the studio's co-owner, and media outlets, citing sources, reported that he left Ukraine a few hours before the investigative actions, using a premium transportation service. Anti-corruption authorities said that this was a "high-level criminal organization" that influenced strategic enterprises, including Energoatom.
Against this background, the participation of famous artists in the “United Quarter” project has become a subject of public discussion. Part of the audience demands that the stars take a clear position on cooperation with a studio associated with a person involved in a corruption case. Others emphasize that the “Quarter 95” concerts remain a form of emotional support for many during the war, and the artists themselves have the right to creative collaborations.
The members of the bill themselves are still refraining from making loud public comments about their participation in “Yedynyi Kvartal”. At the same time, the story of the refusal of the “Homin” choir and the mutual statements of Pavlo Rozenko and “Kvartal 95” shows that the scandal surrounding the concert can only grow, becoming part of a broader discussion about the responsibility of business, show business, and the media during a great war.
