Artyom Pronko, a second-year political science student at St. Petersburg State University, has been expelled following allegations by authorities of his involvement with the radical leftist organization "Workers Power." The university's decision was reported by "Paper," which cited an official expulsion order.
The dismissal cited violations of a university charter clause mandating compliance with Russian federal laws and institutional regulations. Notably, the court ruling that fined Pronko under protest-related charges hasn't yet taken legal effect.
The case stems from a late March incident where unidentified individuals staged an unusual demonstration in St. Petersburg featuring a mannequin of Minerva, the classical goddess of wisdom. The effigy appeared suspended from a monument near the Twelve Colleges building, bearing the message "Science is dead." Both Pronko and Stepan Timofeev from LETI university were detained in connection with the protest. While Pronko received a fine, Timofeev was given administrative detention. Action organizers later told "Paper" that neither student participated in planning the event.
This development follows May 15 searches targeting five students allegedly linked to "Workers Power," conducted amid a separate criminal investigation involving Kazakh national and SPbSU student Harry Azaryan. Subsequently, the student group announced its voluntary disbandment.