Russian director held on fraud charges

A PROMINENT Russian theatre director known for his biting satire of officialdom was detained by investigators yesterday on charges of embezzling 68million rubles (£890,000).

Kirill Serebrennikov, 47, who has won international acclaim for his productions spanning drama, opera and films, has denied the accusations. The detention of Mr Serebrennikov, whose productions mocking official lies, corruption and growing social conservatism have been hits for years, marks the first instance since Soviet times that a theatre director has faced official reprisals.

Leading members of Russia’s cultural elite have strongly defended Mr Serebrennikov, denouncing his detention as an act of intimidation.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigation agency, accused Mr Serebrennikov of staging a scheme to embezzle 68million rubles in government funds allocated for his productions between 2011 and 2014.

He rejects the charges.