Press Release, 28.08.2024

Photo: The Estate Museum of Pyotr Thaikovsky / Photo by Wikimedia Commons

The funds for the renovation of the cultural site of federal significance were allocated by the Government of the Russian Federation: orders on the allocation of funds to Udmurtia and other regions were signed on 13 August, 2024. This happened after the Chairperson of the Udmurtian branch of Yabloko, Iya Boronina, spoke about the dire situation of the museum at a meeting of the parliament of Udmurtia, and the public prosecutor’s office started investigation into the regional Ministry of Culture, which ignored the request of the museum’s management.

In September 2023, Iya Boronina visited the Estate Museum of composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and discovered that the building was in a deplorable state.

Iya Boronina included the allocation of funds needed for the museum renovation in her amendments to the draft regional budget for 2024 and the planning period of 2025-2026. To find out how much money is needed to renovate the estate, Boronina requested an estimate from the Minister of Culture of Udmurtia Vladimir Solovyov. The official ignored Iya Boronina’s appeal, for which he was fined by the Oktyabrsky District Court of Izhevsk. The politician also asked the public prosecutor’s office to conduct an audit of the ministry for the targeted use of budget funds, including those allocated for the renovation of the museum-estate.

In order to prepare amendments to the Udmurtia budget regarding the allocation of funds for the renovation of the estate, Iya Boronina requested an estimate from the museum.

The inspection by the Votkinsk Interdistrict Public Prosecutor’s Office, initiated by the leader of the Udmurtian Yabloko, revealed multiple violations of the technical condition of the building: “In the exhibition halls […] leaks and cracks were found on the walls and ceilings, the following was also found: the roof of the building is in a state of disrepair, […] mold on the insulation, damage to the roofing, etc.”

The public prosecutor’s office also sent a request to the State Control Committee of the Republic (the regional division of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation) to conduct an audit of the targeted and effective use of budget funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Udmurtia to the museum for repairs in 2019 – 2023.

According to the results of the inspection, the total amount of detected financial violations amounted to over 630,000 roubles. At the same time, the most of the violations concerned the development of the documentation for the repair of the roof of the building. The work under the contract was completed in full within the established time frame, but repair work on the project received more than a year and a half ago was not carried out. This indicates ineffective spending of budget funds on the development of this project, the State Control Committee concluded.

“As a result, the Votkinsk Interdistrict Public Prosecutor’s Office, for some reason, issued a remedial action order to the museum director, and not to the Minister of Culture Solovyov, on whom the funding for the repair depended. As far as I know, the museum director for her part submitted a request to the ministry for funding. But whether the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Udmurtia sent budget requests to the Ministry of Finance of the Udmurtia on time is something that the regional public prosecutor’s office will have to find out,” Iya Boronina reports.

It is important that the estate museum of the Pyotr Tchaikovsky will be repaired – the funds for this have been allocated by the Russian Government. The leader of the Udmurtian branch of Yabloko Iya Boronina thanks the residents of the republic for publicity and concern for the fate of a place that is significant for our country.