Students of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) have written an open letter to the university administration in support of professor Denis Grekov, who was forced to quit after an anti-war post on social media, The Vyshka student news outlet reports.
“We, the students of the RANEPA Institute for Social Sciences, express our deepest dissatisfaction with the policy of the university regarding our professors. We consider the termination of Denis Anatolyevich Grekov, senior lecturer of the Critical Thinking and Philosophy courses at the RANEPA Institute for Social Sciences, unlawful and unfair,” the letter said. So far, it has been signed by 140 students.
According to the students, Grekov was forced to resign due to a complaint by Natalya Tanshina, a professor of the history department. Tanshina accused Grekov of “imposing his views on students during class” after he published a post criticising “the celebration of 9 May in modern Russia.” The students stressed that this accusation is untrue.
Grekov published a post criticising the policy of the Russian government on 8 May. “Reality has rendered all the myths about 9 May and the great victory null and void. To an outside observer, Russia’s place in this myth has changed as a result of the change in generations, the 'forward-looking' policy of the current regime, and now, as a result of the shameful and despicable war it has started. Putin’s Russia has taken the place of the Third Reich in this myth for many years to come. And it seems that Lukashenko’s Belarus has taken on the role of fascist Italy,” he wrote on 8 May.
In response, Tanshina stated on her Telegram channel that Russia does not need any external enemies with educators like Grekov.