Bashkiria cultural scandal: directors of philharmonic and orchestra accused
Following the director of the Bashkir State Philharmonic, Almaz Saetov, the head of the republic«s symphony orchestra, Artur Naziyullin, has also been placed under house arrest. This was reported to UFA1.RU by Naziyullin»s colleagues, who noted that at the court hearing on preventive measures, conductor Dmitry Kryukov spoke in his defense with a fiery speech.
«Culture in the republic is a catastrophe. He is the person holding together everything that remains,» Kryukov stated.
He and Saetov are accused of misappropriating funds. According to the investigation, they signed contracts without competitive procedures and at inflated prices for organizing the classical music festival «Romantika Oseni» (Autumn Romance) and the international book fair «Kitap Bayram» (Book Festival).
«The aforementioned actions caused damage to the republic»s budget totaling more than 15 million rubles (approximately $150,000 at current rates),« the Bashkiria investigative committee reported.
The department noted that the investigation and detention operation were handled jointly by investigators, FSB operatives, and an employee of the republic«s Ministry of Internal Affairs. As for the state of culture in Bashkiria, note that last year a scandal erupted over the arrest of businesswoman Gulnara Yurina, who in the industry was considered the queen of state contracts. Earlier, the head of the Bashkortostan concert hall, Vildan Yarullin, came under investigation.
