Golden Dzyga Award Controversy: Actor Kostyantyn Temlyak Faces Domestic Violence Allegations

Kostiantyn Temliak. Facebook

This year’s Golden Gear award ceremony from the Ukrainian Film Academy awarded Kostiantyn Temliak the prize for his role in the film “БожеВільні” directed by Denis Tarasov. At the same time, a backlash around the actor intensified due to allegations of domestic violence and alleged sexual exploitation of a minor. Could such publicity affect the award’s future – let’s explore in this piece.

At the beginning of August, Temliak’s former partner Anastasia Solovyova released evidence of violence: photos of bruises, video of inappropriate behavior, and threatening messages. Over time, accounts from other former girlfriends also emerged. The actor himself admitted guilt, publicly apologized, and acknowledged inappropriate conduct.

Impact of the Backlash on the Award and the Industry

“There are many decisions that could save the credibility of Ukrainian film academics, but we have what we have. As they say, from a small flame the big house will burn down. Now the youth, who has finally taken an interest in Ukrainian cinema, will read news everywhere about the toleration of violence in our industry. And all this – culture, dignity, values – will be empty words for them. Please, extinguish the fire before it’s too late!”

Public reaction was divided: some colleagues voiced support for Temliak, notably Dasha Malakhova and Oleksiy Sukhanov. Other cultural figures expressed doubts about the academy’s decision and demanded stronger justification of ethical standards in awarding. Critics point to double standards in the industry and the accountability of awards for laureates’ behavior.

“It seems to me this is inappropriate. Honestly, I would even say, I’m in shock. So it’s okay for everyone who has received an award on this stage, since you went up there, since you took the prize on which the jury tolerates abuse?”

The Academy’s Position and Future Steps

The Ukrainian Film Academy’s position is that the decisions regarding this year’s laureates were made on June 19, while the allegations appeared in August. The founding documents do not provide for revoking an award already presented, but three steps have been proposed: amend the regulations regarding the possibility of revocation, conduct a survey among current film academy members by September 30, 2025, and make a final decision based on the voting results. Also on September 30 in Odesa there will be a discussion on ethics in cinema with industry representatives and a lawyer from Miller, representing the plaintiff.

While the review continues, specialists and viewers are watching the developments and assessing how the award’s future fate may affect trust in the prize and its values. The final decision will depend on the voting results and further discussions in the film community.