The Moscow Basmanny Court extended its attention to Olga Yarilova, the former Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, by ordering her detention until June 16. This development was reported by RIA Novosti, citing the court’s press service for confirmation.
According to the court, the decision granted the investigator’s request to keep Yarilova in custody as a preventative measure. The charges at this stage center on abuse of power under Part 3 of Article 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. While officials have not publicly disclosed the specific criminal act or the estimated damages tied to the case, the proceeding clearly points to serious questions about official conduct during her tenure.
Some outlets have raised the possibility of embezzlement, with REN TV reporting, via an unnamed source, that as much as 125 million rubles could be at issue. The report alleges that the embezzlement involved misusing a program name and misallocating funds by listing a project called the “World’s Tallest Ice Cream Museum” on the Pushkin Map, even though the museum is housed in a Moscow tower and the site is not a traditional cultural venue. It is noted that school programs using the Pushkin Card allow for cultural experiences such as museum entries under a government-backed scheme.
Yarilova’s defense team has asked for house arrest to be considered as an alternative restraint. Previously, reports indicated she was detained on April 19 as part of a broader inquiry into the alleged theft of more than 200 million rubles connected to the Pushkin Map initiative.
As the case moves forward, official representatives have neither commented on ongoing proceedings nor provided additional clarifications. The investigation is believed to involve other individuals who are alleged to have exploited the system by creating fictitious beneficiaries and leveraging this framework to misappropriate funds from a financial institution and the Ministry of Culture. TASS has cited investigators discussing the scheme, including the use of forged “Pushkin cards” to enable a large, unauthorized ticket purchasing spree that did not correspond to actual cultural events.
According to the authorities, property linked to the suspects, valued at about 100 million rubles, has been confiscated. The three men named in the case—Viktor Yakubov, Emil Gurbanov, and Ilya Safonov—have remained in custody since January pending further proceedings, with the investigation continuing to probe the breadth of the alleged scheme.
Yarilova began her public service as Deputy Minister of Culture in 2018 and stepped down voluntarily in September 2022. The Pushkin Card program was launched on September 1, 2021, offering young people aged 14 to 22 the opportunity to participate in cultural events, museums, and exhibitions with an annual limit of 5,000 rubles. The program has become a focal point in discussions about how taxpayer-backed funds are allocated within cultural initiatives.
During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Rosfinmonitoring chief Yuri Chikhanchin outlined concerns about fraud linked to the Pushkin Card, including a broader savings-in-tourist schemes. He described a scheme involving the compilation of fictitious beneficiary lists used to justify the return of funds to tourists, a finding that has intensified scrutiny over how cultural subsidies are administered and monitored.
As the case continues, observers emphasize the importance of transparent governance in cultural programs and the necessity of robust oversight to prevent misuse of public resources. The evolving investigations promise to shed more light on the extent of any improper actions tied to the Pushkin Card project and related initiatives, along with the broader implications for accountability within state-held cultural programs. Citations for these developments include official court releases and investigative briefings from TASS and RIA Novosti, which provide contemporaneous updates on procedural milestones and charges under review.