Reward yourself: Pskov State University rector detained in fraud case

On April 8, Natalia Ilyina, rector of Pskov State University (PskovGU), was detained on suspicion of embezzlement of budget funds. According to investigators, Ilyina may be involved in the creation of a criminal scheme involving the employment of a non-existent employee at a university and a fictitious salary increase. With the help of these frauds, the rector allegedly embezzled about 10 million rubles, and also increased her salary by 2 million rubles annually. A criminal case was opened against Ilyina under the article on fraud. For more information about what is known about Natalia Ilyina's case and what punishment she may face, see the Izvestia article.

What crime is the Pskov State University rector suspected of

On Tuesday, April 8, police officers detained the rector of Pskov State University, 47-year-old Natalia Ilyina, on suspicion of fraud on a particularly large scale. According to the investigation, Ilyina applied for employment at the university of a non-existent employee, through whom she embezzled about 10 million rubles. The funds coming to the university from the federal and regional budgets were allegedly cashed out through a "dead soul" — an employee who was on staff but actually did not perform any duties.

In addition, for several years, the rector appropriated salary increases and bonuses accrued to university staff. According to preliminary data, thanks to the criminal scheme, Ilyina's salary has approximately doubled over the past three years. Over the past two years, her salary has grown by 2 million rubles annually. The exact amount that Ilyina received over the past year is currently being determined by the investigation. It is also known that five years ago Natalia Ilyina officially declared an income of 15 million rubles.

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A criminal case has been opened against Ilyina under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The circumstances and details of the incident are currently being clarified. The maximum penalty for this crime is imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to 1 million rubles. The press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation reported that the agency is assisting law enforcement agencies in providing the necessary documentation related to Ilyina's salary.

On April 9, Dmitry Matveev, Vice rector of the University, was appointed interim rector of Pskov State University, the university's press service reported.

What property does Natalia Ilyina own?

According to income declarations, in 2019 Natalia Ilyina earned 2.7 million rubles, and her husband — 620 thousand rubles. They owned a Toyota RAV4 and a Nissan TIIDA. The family used three apartments with an area of 78, 50.8 and 113.4 square meters, the last of which was registered to the spouse. In 2020, Ilyina's income skyrocketed to 15 million rubles, but Ilyina's husband's apartment of 113.4 square meters disappeared from use. The Nissan TIIDA car also disappeared from the declaration.

In 2021, Ilyina's official income decreased fivefold to 3.2 million rubles. However, in the same year, the rector purchased an apartment with an area of 74.7 sq. m. The woman also had two apartments for 78 and 50.8 sq. m.

What is known about Natalia Ilyina

In 2000, Natalia Ilyina graduated from Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University with a degree in Biology. Psychology". After that, she began to actively develop her scientific career. In 2002, Ilina defended her PhD thesis in ecology, and in 2006 — her doctoral thesis in microbiology. In 2011, she was awarded the academic title of professor.

During her scientific career, Ilina has published more than 200 scientific papers, including articles, monographs and textbooks. Under her leadership, 15 research projects were implemented with the support of leading Russian scientific foundations. In addition to her scientific work, Ilina actively improved her managerial skills: she underwent retraining at the National Research University HSE, RANEPA, Sirius University and her native Pskov State University, studying strategic planning and security of educational institutions.

In 2020, following an open competition, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education appointed her Rector of Pskov State University, a leading university in the Pskov Region, which currently has more than 10,000 students. In addition to administrative activities, Ilyina continued to conduct scientific work and served as the chief researcher of the university, as well as chairman of the Academic Council.