"Ironic over death": associate professor of St. Petersburg State University accused of mocking the memory of a student who died during the SVO

St. Petersburg State University appealed to the police with a request to conduct an inspection after accusing the associate professor of the Faculty of History of criticizing the SVO and mocking patriotic students and teachers.

Earlier, the network drew attention to the statements of Mikhail Belousov, associate professor at the Institute of History of St. Petersburg State University. A message from a Telegram chat was published on social networks, allegedly on behalf of Belousov, in which he stated that he would talk about a special operation in the context of "outright banter".

"I want to tell you all that I think it's normal to use "smashnoy" rhetoric within the framework of postirony, i.e. outright banter," the message says.

In addition, a video appeared on the network with Belousov's speech to students, in which the associate professor speaks with irony about the NWO, including strikes on decision-making centers and the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge.

The publication Readovka claims that the video was made on February 22 this year at a meeting of the student council.

The scandal with the aggressive statements of the associate professor of St. Petersburg State University erupted against the backdrop of reports that one of the students of the Institute of University History, 21-year-old Fyodor Solomonov, died in the NWO zone, performing military duty.

The Military Historical Society of St. Petersburg State University, in which the deceased student was a member, said that last fall the young man received a summons as part of partial mobilization, but went to the front to serve of his own free will. On April 1, he died in the line of duty.

"Fedya was a true patriot and a real man. Having received a summons for mobilization, he did not take advantage of the deferment due to him by law and voluntarily went to the front - to defend his beliefs not only in word but in deed. And he remained faithful to them to the end. This is how the Faculty of History will remember him," the society group wrote.

As RT found out, Solomonov studied at the New History department, he came to St. Petersburg from Zelenograd. In August 2022, the young man traveled to Lysychansk in the LPR as a volunteer and delivered humanitarian aid. According to Fyodor's friends, this trip influenced him and encouraged him to go to serve at the front.

After the news of Fyodor's death, teachers and students of the university organized a memorial in honor of the deceased soldier on the first floor of the building of the Institute of History.

On May 11, the Academic Council of the Institute of History proposed to install a memorial plaque in memory of the student's feat, and the rector of the university supported this initiative.

"Party" at the history faculty

At the same time, against the backdrop of news about the death of a volunteer student at the front, some students who do not support the defense of Donbass have also become more active. Information about this began to appear in various Telegram channels dedicated to patriotism and the chronicle of the special operation.

Thus, the St. Petersburg branch of the public movement "Call of the People" drew attention to the fact that some students began to "put yellow-black flags on avatars in social networks", as well as accuse those who mourned the death of Solomonov of "rashism". The same attitude was expressed by Mikhail Belousov, according to the movement's Telegram channel.

Social activists claim that a community of opposition-minded students has developed at the Faculty of History, including the current chairman and members of the student council. The patron saint of the community is Mikhail Belousov, according to the authors of the appeal.

"According to our sources, this group was formed in 2019 and is known at the history faculty under the name "party". This circle includes opposition-minded pro-Ukrainians, shaking the university from within," the movement said in a statement.

Social activists are asking for a check on the pro-Ukrainian students of the faculty and teacher Belousov, who "openly mocked the student who died in the NWO."

The authors of the appeal also accused the students of the community of seizing the student magazine "Studen" and through it began to broadcast their opposition views and support for Ukraine during the special operation.

"Think about who and why outright traitors to Russia, like Belousov, are being raised. These same students, celebrating our retreats and sneering at the death of their classmates, will soon receive their diplomas, and some of them will go to teach. Teach your children," the social activists noted.

The information that some students, as well as Associate Professor Belousov, tried to sneer on the topic of the NWO against the background of the news about the death of a volunteer student, was confirmed to RT by Associate Professor of St. Petersburg State University, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences Galina Zhukova.

The woman, together with the students, organized a musical evening in memory of Fyodor Solomonov at the university to talk about his feat.

"For the students, he was a leader. A lot of people came to the concert in his honor, including the vice-rectors of the university and even the commander Fedor, "the interlocutor said.

Zhukova believes that within the walls of the university there are many more students who support the NWO and respect the defenders of Donbass, but they are not so noticeable.

"I followed the social networks of the student council, I saw that there were different publications, including opposition ones. We watched with condescension: children, you never know what they write. Most of our students understand what is right, but they are simply not visible: they do not walk around with posters, do not expect praise or reaction. They just live and learn, unlike these (critics of the NWO. - RT): those are visible, they are rocking themselves, "Zhukova noted.

RT tried to contact Mikhail Belousov to find out about his position, but after the scandal, he deleted his page on social networks, his number is not available. According to RT, the associate professor continues to teach, at the university he gives lectures on "Russia's Foreign Policy" and "History of Russian Constitutionalism".

The press service of St. Petersburg State University published an official statement on its website, in which it said that on May 26 and 28, Belousov gave written explanations. In them, the associate professor stated that he did not commit the actions of which he is accused.

In addition, Belousov sent an appeal to law enforcement agencies, in which he stated that he had been slandered. «... today I discovered that a page on the Telegram network was created without my knowledge. There is my photo and my full name. A message was written from this page that discredits my honor and dignity ...", the press service of the university quoted Belousov as saying.

The university itself appealed to the police with a request to conduct an inspection. If law enforcement officers establish that one of the teachers or students involved in the conflict has committed "illegal actions", the university will apply "disciplinary measures up to dismissal, expulsion." The police and the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg have so far refrained from commenting.