Kekhman talked about plans to renovate the Moscow Art Theater in the fall of 2021.

About plans to renovate the Moscow Art Theater named after Vladimir Kekhman, artistic director of the Mikhailovsky Theater and general director of the Moscow Art Theater, told Izvestia in the fall of 2021. At the same time, he said that the work would be carried out quickly and efficiently and hoped to "establish financial discipline."

"First of all, no reconstruction is needed here - the foundation of the building is excellent. Only major repairs are needed. Secondly, I estimate the budget to be somewhere between 5 and 7 billion, which is the maximum. But I think we will meet the figure in the region of five," he said in an interview.

In recent months, the cultural institution has placed two purchases for the development of documentation related to the overhaul of the scenic space. It is specified that they were published on June 10 and July 7, the amounts were 9 and 9.5 million rubles.

Earlier in 2025, two contracts worth 4 million rubles were issued for the development of documentation for technological work. In addition, agreements were concluded, the total amount of which reached almost 9.5 million rubles. They are related to work at the transformer substation and the main switchboard. At the same time, one contract talks about repairs, and the other about reconstruction.

In 2024, the Moscow Art Theater named after Gorky signed contracts related to the design of a dimmer room and the creation of a restaurant concept for visitors. Their amount amounted to 2 million rubles. In 2023, agreements were signed for 7.8 million for electricity supply works. In 2022, the Moscow Art Theater allocated approximately 2 million rubles for the development of documentation, consulting services and technical surveys.

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On the same day, it was reported that Kekhman had been searched in the case of embezzlement and embezzlement during the reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater stage. The CEO is a witness in the case, he came to the Investigative Committee (IC) of Russia. Later it became known that investigative measures were being carried out at the cultural institution.