Ukrainian Rada dismisses culture and information policy minister

MOSCOW. July 27 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has supported Alexander Tkachenko's dismissal as culture and information policy minister, Ukrainian media reported with reference to parliamentarian Irina Gerashchenko.

Tkachenko "came to the parliament with a two-minute report," called for "political culture rather than hate culture" and insisted that both "culture and drones" are important during a crisis, Gerashchenko said.

Tkachenko was elected to the 9th Rada as a nonpartisan candidate with support from the pro-presidential Servant of the People party in 2019. He was a member of the Servant of the People faction and headed the Rada's Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.

On June 4, 2020, the Rada appointed Tkachenko culture and information policy minister.

On November 11, 2021, Tkachenko tendered his resignation after the government had voted at an in-camera session on November 10 in favor of separating the State Cinema Agency from the Culture and Information Policy Ministry. However, the Rada did not accept his resignation at the time.

On July 21, 2023, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked Prime Minister Denis Shmygal to initiate Tkachenko's replacement as culture and information policy minister.