Did they mistake a clarinetist for a repeat offender? Arthur Nazyullin's fame and arrest

A scandal has erupted in Ufa over the house arrest of Arthur Nazyullin, director of the republican symphony orchestra. He is accused under the article for «Embezzlement and Misappropriation,» but despite this, a number of his colleagues and fans of the ensemble he leads have come out in support of the musician-manager. UFA1.RU explains in detail why Nazyullin is so loved and how he became a suspect in a criminal case.

Arthur Nazyullin is 38 years old and is considered one of the most effective representatives of the cultural sector in Bashkortostan. He took over as director of the state orchestra of the republic at just 30 years old. The orchestra was founded back in 1992—initially as a private one. It was established by conductor Tagir Kamalov, who later caught the attention of the then head of Bashkortostan, Murtaza Rakhimov, and, with his support, made the ensemble state-owned.

Kamalov was considered Rakhimov«s favorite. Allegedly, upon learning that the musician had no housing of his own, the then-president ordered an apartment to be allocated to him. Over its existence, the orchestra has performed thousands of concerts in Ufa, as well as in other Russian cities and European countries. The ensemble has performed with a number of famous conductors and musicians, including Vladimir Spivakov, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Sergei Roldugin, who is called a friend of Vladimir Putin.

Arthur Nazyullin was appointed to the position of director in 2018. By that time, he had established himself as an outstanding clarinetist. Nazyullin was born in Ufa and became interested in music in childhood, later studying at the lyceum of the local Academy of Arts and the Kazan State Conservatory.

Moreover, he graduated from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory and the Berlin University of the Arts. Nazyullin regularly performed in Russia, Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Canada, Turkey, Czech Republic, Netherlands, USA, and Saudi Arabia. He was invited to the stage by world-famous musicians—the same Spivakov, Denis Matsuev, the legendary Maxim Dunayevsky, and others.

One of Nazyullin«s first decisions as orchestra director was to invite the rising conductor Dmitry Kryukov as permanent leader. He was only 28 at the time, but was already considered one of the most in-demand young conductors in Russia, with a reputation abroad.

In Bashkortostan, Kryukov was awarded the title of People«s Artist of the Republic, and the orchestra under his leadership also became »Academic.« This term confirms the high quality of the musical ensemble»s performance. However, overall, clouds were gathering over the cultural sector in the republic.

Media, including UFA1.RU, have repeatedly noted that information about a number of state orders from the Ministry of Culture of Bashkortostan for large sums is concealed, and almost on a permanent basis, lucrative contracts were awarded to local entrepreneur Gulnara Yurina.

From 2015 to 2024, Yurina, according to UFA1.RU«s estimate, concluded at least 74 contracts with cultural institutions of Bashkortostan for a total amount of 126.63 million rubles (approximately $1.4 million at current rates). In particular, Yurina was involved in organizing the book fair »Kitap-bairam« and the classical music festival »Romance of Autumn«.

She even came to be called the queen of cultural state orders. In 2023, one of Yurina«s deals was deemed suspicious by antitrust authorities. Experts concluded that the terms of the tender procedures for concluding the contract were written specifically for the winner.

In 2025, the director of the state concert hall «Bashkortostan,» Vildan Yarullin, ended up in a pre-trial detention center. He is also known in the republic as the founder of the musical group «Karavansaray.» The investigation suspected that Yarullin concluded contracts for the state concert hall with affiliated firms. Soon after, Gulnara Yurina was also arrested.

The Bashkir Symphony Orchestra performed at the «Romance of Autumn» among others. It is precisely because of this, as told by the investigative committee, that law enforcement needed Arthur Nazyullin. At the end of January, he and the director of the philharmonic, Almaz Saetov, were accused of embezzlement of budget funds on a particularly large scale.

«The suspects, having conspired with a local entrepreneur, concluded contracts with her for the provision of services for organizing two cultural events in violation of procurement legislation, without conducting tender procedures and at an inflated cost. These actions caused damage to the republic»s budget totaling over 15 million rubles (approximately $167,000),« stated the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee»s department for Bashkortostan.

For the duration of the investigation, Nazyullin and Saetov were placed under house arrest. In support of the director, other representatives of the symphony orchestra immediately spoke out. Conductor Dmitry Kryukov even defended him at the court hearing on the selection of preventive measures.

«Culture in the republic is a disaster. He [Arthur Nazyullin] is the person holding together everything that remains,» declared Kryukov.

A post in support of Arthur Nazyullin was also published on the orchestra«s social media page. In particular, his representatives noted that the criminal case over the »Romance of Autumn« festival was initiated back in 2024.

«The administrative document, according to which the festival was to take place, was received by the State Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan already with a delay that did not allow for proper tender procedures. Nevertheless, according to Clause 17 of Federal Law No. 44, cultural institutions in certain situations have the right to conduct events without tenders, which is what the orchestra»s management relied on, as there were only two weeks left until the festival«s start,» explained Nazyullin«s assistants.

They added that the event was carried out in full, and the director repeatedly reported «for every penny.» In their opinion, there is no need to place Nazyullin under house arrest, since he previously, even at the initial stage of the investigation, went on foreign tours, but «always returned, confident in his own righteousness.» Under the collective«s statement, dozens of fans left comments:

«The team of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan is very lucky to have such a wonderful director as you.»

«We believe in and are proud of our State Academic Symphony Orchestra and its leader.»

«It seems to me that the investigation is mistaking a clarinetist for a repeat offender; there is no need to place under house arrest a person who poses no danger and, on the contrary, invests all the most precious things (time, health, energy, nerves) in the development of Bashkortostan»s culture.«

The State Philharmonic, led by the second arrested individual, Almaz Saetov, has not made any statements regarding the scandal. UFA1.RU attempted to contact representatives of the institution, but no one answers calls to the phone numbers listed on its website. Saetov himself also does not answer the phone (probably, he cannot do so due to the court«s arrest order).