Why the “Homin” choir refused to participate in “Kvartal 95”: the group named the real reason

The Lviv choir “Homin” decided to stop cooperating with the “Yedynyi Kvartal” project back in November 2025 – the reason was a high-profile corruption scandal involving the studio’s co-owner, Timur Mindich. Although the musicians had previously agreed to perform a classic carol, new facts forced them to change their plans.

This was reported by the artistic director and conductor of the choir, Vadym Yatsenko, in a conversation with “Pryama Chervona”.

According to him, after the information about the scandal surrounding Mindich and the comment of “Kvartal 95” itself regarding their owner appeared, the team had no alternatives left to participate in the entertainment project.

“When this corruption scandal broke, it seems to me that there were really no options. It wasn’t a race to see who would be the first and who would be the last to refuse. It was simply the most logical thing to do. A large number of people would see us. We were supposed to sing the most classic choral carol there. But when this case arose, of course, first of all, that couldn’t be done,” Yatsenko noted.

The conductor noted that the artists were guided by their own position, and not by external pressure. This refusal turned out to be the first in a series of similar decisions, as Nadya Dorofeeva and KOLA later withdrew from the filming. In the end, the studio was forced to completely revise the lineup of participants for the December concerts.

Moreover, the management of “Kvartal 95” officially explained such changes as an attempt to protect colleagues from criticism. The studio assured the audience that it continues to work, using only “honest humor” in its activities.

However, the change in the format of the “Quarter 95” concerts may have a prosaic financial explanation. Marketing expert Dmitry Tanasov suggests that the artists’ refusal to participate in the show is caused not only by ethical considerations, but also by the lack of a budget for fees after the scandal surrounding Timur Mindich. According to him, it was the disappearance of the main funding that made it impossible to pay the usual amounts for the performances of top performers.

The specialist is convinced that without Mindich’s resources, the studio’s large-scale projects are at risk. Tanasov criticized the company’s official version, calling it an attempt to hide the real state of affairs after the cash flow stopped.

“Do you want me to tell you why? Because there is no more money to pay for their presence. Sorry, I have been in marketing for 30 years and I know exactly where the money is going. Exclusively because Stadium Family said on the first day that the project was closed. There is no money, sorry, there will be no more shows. Mindich paid for everything. Everything. For stolen funds. And they took everything,” he noted.

Earlier, the studio announced the exclusion of Irina Bilyk, MONATIK and other stars from the program in order to protect them from information pressure. However, the version about financial difficulties looks increasingly realistic against the background of mass refusals and a radical change in the format of the performance.

As a reminder, back in November 2025, several Ukrainian artists refused to participate in the New Year’s concert of the “Kvartal 95” studio, scheduled for December 6 and 7. The reason was the largest corruption scandal during the term of President Volodymyr Zelensky, which engulfed his inner circle, including the studio’s co-owner Timur Mindich, and led to resignations and loud political statements.

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