The music didn't play for long: Bashkiria's Minister of Culture Amina Shafikova was detained

The head of the Ministry of Culture, Amina Shafikova, was detained in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The information was reported in the law enforcement agencies. Presumably, she is suspected of abuse of authority. Izvestia learned the details of the incident.

A high-profile incident

Law enforcement agencies reported the detention of the head of the Ministry of Culture of Bashkiria, Amina Shafikova. This is reported by Russia's largest news agencies, referring to representatives of law enforcement agencies.

"The Minister of Culture of Bashkiria has been detained," the source told RIA Novosti.

She did not provide any other details of the incident. However, it is known that Shafikova's detention took place this Wednesday, February 18. The regional Ministry of Culture, according to media reports, declined to comment on the situation.

"We are not giving any comments on this issue yet. We cannot say when we will be ready," the press service of the Ministry of Culture replied.

At the same time, earlier in Ufa, law enforcement agencies detained entrepreneur Gulnara Yurina, who holds the post of head of the ANOC Directorate of Cultural Programs of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The attention of law enforcement officers was also attracted by the People's Artist of Bashkortostan, director of the Bashkortostan State Concert Hall Vildan Yarullin.

The initiation of a criminal case against Yurina last year was confirmed by the SU TFR in the republic. She is suspected of embezzlement on a particularly large scale. According to investigators, in 2023, the accused conspired with Yarullin and signed a government contract with him at an inflated cost, without conducting competitive procedures. For 33 million rubles, the director of the concert hall was supposed to provide a venue for cultural events.

At the same time, Yarullin, who was detained in May last year, is also suspected of abuse of authority. The investigation believes that in the period from 2020 to 2022, he illegally accrued increased financial assistance, demanding to transfer part of the funds to himself.

There is currently no precise confirmation that Amina Shafikova may be linked to these criminal cases. According to a number of publications, the head of the Bashkir Ministry of Culture is suspected of abuse of authority. It is known that the Minister's house has already been searched.

It is noteworthy that on Monday, February 16, Shafikova announced the receipt of more than 1 billion 617 million rubles from the federal budget, which will be used to develop the region's culture. The amount is almost twice as high as in 2025.

After hearing the report, the head of the republic Radiy Khabirov announced the awarding of the head of the Ministry of Culture to the award. Two days after that, she was detained.

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An exemplary biography

Amina Shafikova, who holds the post of head of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan, is a native of the village of Irgizly, Burzyansky district. She connected her activities with culture in her youth, having graduated from the Ufa State Academy of Arts named after Zagir Ismagilov. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Kazan State Conservatory.

Since 1997, the future head of the Ministry of Culture has been engaged in teaching. Over the years, she has worked as a teacher, senior lecturer, associate professor, and professor. Since 2008, Shafikova has worked as a vice-rector for Additional and Postgraduate Education at the Ufa Academy of Arts. And since 2010 she has become the rector of this educational institution. It is reported that she still teaches.

In the period from 2004 to 2008, Shafikova held the positions of a leading specialist and chief consultant of the Department of Culture, Sports, Media, National and youth policy of the Office of the Government of Bashkortostan.

In 2012, she became the head of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan. At the moment, her resignation has not been announced.

Amina Shafikova has a number of awards and regalia. She is recognized as an Honored Artist of the region, is a laureate of the Sh. Babich State Republican Youth Prize and a laureate of several international competitions, including the International Piano Competition Musical de France. In 2024, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan.