You're reading: Kyiv University invites Russian professor who compared Putin to Hitler

Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University wants to employ Russian historian Andrey Zubov, who has been threatened with dismissal for his heavy criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy towards Ukraine.

Zubov, a professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, published an article in the leading local business daily newspaper Vedomosti on March 1 and compared Putin’s actions in Crimea with Adolf Hitler’s in Austria in 1938.

MGIMO authorities did not like the article much, especially as it was widely spread in the social media leading to numerous discussions. 

Several days later, on March 4, Zubov received a phone call from Aleksey Shestopal, head of philosophy department that he belongs to, with an offer to quit the job voluntarily, otherwise Zubov would by forcefully fired by the MGIMO rector Anatoliy Torkunov. The professor refused to quit. 

“I was ready for this and assumed that situation in the country gets worse,” Zubov told Vedomosti. “Even if the country loses freedom, I will stay in my country as a free person.”

Kyiv University seized the moment and offered a job to the professor immediately.

”We will be glad to see among our staff such a significant historian, honest scientist and man!” read the university statement.

MGIMO rector Torkunov on March 5 said that Zubov has not been fired yet.

Ukraine with its much more liberal atmosphere has become a safe haven for several Russian intellectuals. Television show host Savik Shuster moved here in 2005 after his show at NTV, major Russian station, has been closed. Another political journalist and Putin’s critic Evgeniy Kiselyov came in 2009.

Meanwhile, Russia welcomed former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who is wanted for mass murder in his country. Besides, Moscow is ready to provide Russian passports for officers of Berkut, Ukrainian riot police that participated in violent dismissal of political protests in Kyiv that led to almost a hundred of dead.

Kyiv Post associate business editor Ivan Verstyuk can be reached at [email protected]