Authorities conducted search operations targeting Vladimir Kekhman, general director of the Moscow Art Theatre and director of St. Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Theater, according to TASS and Fontanka reports.
The investigative measures relate to a criminal case concerning large-scale embezzlement or misappropriation, handled by the central investigative apparatus and the Ministry of Internal Affairs' economic security unit. A TASS source indicates Kekhman currently holds no formal procedural status in the case.
Kekhman was reportedly detained in the Moscow region upon his return from abroad earlier in the day. The investigation focuses on contracts tied to the reconstruction of the Moscow Art Theater's old stage, set to reopen in October 2025. Further details remain undisclosed.
Simultaneous searches are underway at the Moscow Art Theater premises, where Rosgvardiya vehicles are stationed outside, with security personnel restricting access to the building, as reported by RBC.
Additional raids are being carried out at contractor firms involved with the theater's reconstruction—specifically RSK-Renessans, GC Stroy-Expert, and Atlant-Project. While officials have not formally announced the criminal case, Kekhman has led the Gorky Moscow Art Theater since 2021.
Kekhman assumed leadership of the Gorky Moscow Art Academic Theater in October 2021 and has served as artistic director of St. Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Theater since 2007.