Fatal scene: will the head of the Moscow Art Theater, Kekhman, become involved in the embezzlement case

Investigative actions in the case of embezzlement and embezzlement of funds allocated for the reconstruction of the old stage of the Moscow Art Theater. Gorky, held on July 9 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The head of the Moscow Art Theater and the Mikhailovsky Theater, Vladimir Kekhman, is being investigated as a witness, he was summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee. The total amount of state contracts since the beginning of the reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater has exceeded 2 billion rubles, Izvestia estimated. These include repair work, development of project documentation, supply and installation of equipment. The head of the theater promised that the stage will open in October 2025. The information about which contracts were concluded for the reconstruction, why it lasted for several years, and ended in a criminal case is in the Izvestia article.

Who is suspected of embezzlement during the reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater

Searches in the case of embezzlement of funds during the reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater stage. Gorky was trained by his head, Vladimir Kekhman, as well as a number of companies that acted as executors under government contracts in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

On the afternoon of July 9, Kekhman arrived at the Investigative Committee.

"We'll find out now,— Vladimir Kekhman said, answering a question from Izvestia about the reasons for the call for questioning.

Questions to the head of the Moscow Art Theater arose due to the reconstruction of the old theater stage, a source told Izvestia. A criminal case has been opened under the article on embezzlement or embezzlement. Vladimir Kekhman was invited to the Investigative Committee as a witness.

The total amount of state contracts since the beginning of reconstruction has exceeded 2 billion rubles, Izvestia estimates. They include both repair work and the development of project documentation, as well as the purchase and installation of equipment. Most of the contracts are for 2022 and 2023. In 2025, government purchases of the Moscow theater, one way or another related to the renovation, exceeded 130 million rubles.

Vladimir Kekhman announced the closure of the theater for repairs in early 2022.

Eduard Boyakov, who at that time was the artistic director of the theater, estimated the cost of reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater building at at least 10 billion rubles.

— At the same time, the building cannot be rebuilt, it must be completed. With successful reconstruction, the theater will be one of the most interesting places in artistic Moscow," he said.

However, in an interview with Izvestia, Kekhman himself estimated the cost of 5-7 billion rubles before the start of the repair.

"No reconstruction is needed here — the foundation of the building is excellent," he emphasized. — Only major repairs are needed. I estimate the budget to be somewhere between 5 and 7 billion, which is the maximum. But I think that we will meet the figure in the region of five.

The work front is planned to be large. As the troupe's artists told Izvestia, the work is going on in sections. First, the auditorium and the foyer were renovated, the chairs were replaced, the walls were updated, and the dressing rooms and the administrative part were polished. The stage is currently being repaired. Because of this, the troupe plays performances at foreign venues in Moscow, and sometimes the theater goes on tour.

In January of this year, in an interview with the Rossiya 24 channel, Kekhman announced the completion dates: "We were certainly let down by the situation related to 2022, when many suppliers refused to work with Russia. But all the issues have been resolved now. We really hope that in October 2025 we will open with a completely new stage complex."

One of the largest contracts for current repairs turned out to be a tender worth almost 1 billion rubles. It was won by RSK-Renaissance. Its website states that it provides repair, comprehensive restoration and adaptation services for the use of cultural heritage sites. Marat Karginov is listed as the CEO there. The profit for 2024 amounted to 54 million rubles.

As Izvestia found out, the same company had already received a similar contract with the Moscow Art Theater a year ago — in the amount of 267 million rubles. Since 2017, the company has received about 14 tenders for about 2.5 billion rubles. The main customers of the services were the Mikhailovsky Theater and the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. From 2015 to 2017, Vladimir Kekhman was also the director of the Novosibirsk Opera.

In addition, another firm of Marat Karginov, GC-Expert LLC, has received several dozen contracts from the Mikhailovsky and Novosibirsk theaters since 2011. A number of other companies, founded by Marat Karginov, are also associated with Vladimir Kekhman theaters and have won tenders.

Will the head of the Moscow Art Theater become a person of interest in the case

The mere fact of a search or interrogation as a witness does not mean anything, said Fyodor Trusov, lawyer and managing partner of Sokolov, Trusov and Partners Law Firm.

"After that, there may be both an interrogation as a witness and a deterioration in the procedural status," he believes.

The commission of crimes and, as a result, punishment under the article on embezzlement and embezzlement is not uncommon in criminal practice, especially when budget funds are being used, said Ilya Vasilchuk, a judicial lawyer and public figure.

— The theatrical environment is no exception to this, perhaps the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's "Dead Souls" give some ideas to "figures" from the theatrical sphere, but these schemes have not worked against Russian justice for a long time, — he noted.

If the status of Vladimir Kekhman or any other person involved in the case is changed to a suspect, he may be charged depending on the amount of damage and circumstances. Sanctions in such cases can range from a fine to ten years in prison, said lawyer and human rights activist Ekaterina Kutuzova.

—Scandals related to budget embezzlement in culture and theaters occur regularly, especially during expensive renovations, purchases of equipment, costumes, and decorations," she said. — In the theater sector, as in other budget organizations, violations related to misuse of funds, overestimation of the cost of work, fictitious contracts or affiliated contractors are often detected.

Such cases usually involve schemes involving methodical overestimation of the cost of stage reconstruction or other repairs, holding fictitious tenders and public procurement through controlled firms and applying for the work of front employees and companies.

— In addition, it is not uncommon to transfer budget funds through a chain of affiliated organizations to personal accounts, — said the expert. — The defendants also attribute unfulfilled or substandard work, write off materials. As a result of such frauds, huge amounts of budget money go "to the left", and theaters receive either prolonged or substandard repairs.

The theatrical sector, due to the specifics of financing and the scale of expenses, as experts note, remains a risk zone for the emergence of such corruption schemes.