The Ministry of Agriculture has replaced the head of the Perm State Agricultural Academy

The leadership of the Perm Agricultural Academy named after Pryanishnikov (PGSHA) is changing again. The rector of the university, Andrei Belykh, was dismissed by order of the Ministry of Agriculture. Yuri Zubarev, who held the post of rector until the end of 2007 and a year later was convicted of abuse of power, was appointed acting head of the educational institution. Kommersant experts believe that the resignation of the current rector is connected with the struggle for land plots that belong to the Perm State Agricultural Academy.

As Kommersant learned, the rector of the Perm Agricultural Academy named after Pryanishnikov, Andrei Belykh, was dismissed. The corresponding order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation was communicated to the management of the educational institution last Monday. As employees of the agricultural academy told Kommersant, they were not told the reasons for the resignation. “The rector got acquainted with the order, which was brought by a ministry employee, behind closed doors. Then a general meeting was convened, at which the resignation was announced, and the composition of the commission for the transfer of affairs was approved, the Kommersant interlocutor clarified. “We were informed that the former head of the university, Yuri Zubarev, had been appointed acting rector.” According to employees, the reason for the resignation was the materials of a certain internal memo, the contents of which were not disclosed. According to the charter of PGSHA, all vice-rectors of the university also left their posts.

Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture of the region Ivan Ogorodov told Kommersant that the regional authorities are aware of personnel changes in the Perm State Agricultural Academy. The decision on this was made by the founder - the Ministry of Agriculture. According to the deputy minister, the decision was preceded by a departmental inspection. “The ministry did not notify us about its details,” the official explained.

Yuri Zubarev, we recall, was convicted in 2008 for malfeasance, which he committed while holding the position of rector of the agricultural academy. A criminal case against Mr. Zubarev was initiated back in 2006 on the grounds of a crime under Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (exceeding official powers).

During the investigation of the case, it was established that from 2002 to 2006, the university administration offered applicants who successfully passed the entrance exams to contribute funds for the renovation of the academy buildings. In total, the victims transferred more than 1.7 million rubles to the academy’s account. As a result, the court sentenced Mr. Zubarev to a fine of 70 thousand rubles. During the preliminary investigation, he and other defendants in the case compensated the victims for damages.

As Kommersant's interlocutors say, the resignation of the current rector may be related to the property of the agricultural academy in the city, as well as in the Perm region. There, the department owns land plots with an area of several tens of hectares, part of which belongs to the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Training and Experimental Farm “Linden Mountain” PGSHA,” which is included in the privatization plan for 2011–2013. These areas are considered as potential areas for residential and commercial development. Federal State Unitary Enterprise Director Sergei Martyanov explained to Kommersant that, according to his data, no transactions on the alienation of academy lands have been carried out recently. “Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t have allowed me to sow,” he explained to Kommersant.

The regional authorities do not hide the fact that the main building of the Agricultural Academy (before the revolution, the Mariinsky Women's Gymnasium) would be more suitable for more interesting projects. The attention of Governor Oleg Chirkunov was first drawn to this historical building by designers from the Dutch architectural bureau KCAP, which developed the master plan for Perm. The acoustics of the academy hall were assessed by the artistic director of the Opera and Ballet Theater Teodor Currentzis, and this summer at PGSHA it is planned to record Mr. Currentzis' orchestra commissioned by one of the leaders in the classical music recording market. And in February of this year, the governor wrote in his blog: “The Agricultural Academy needs a new educational building in its town, which began to be built under socialism on Lipovaya Gora. The region needs a conservatory, the conservatory needs a building next to the theater.”

Now the regional authorities will need to negotiate about the conservatory with the new rector. Deputy Prime Minister of the regional government Boris Milgram learned about the resignation of the rector of the Perm State Agricultural Academy from Kommersant. “We discussed the issue of moving the main building with the previous leadership, and we will discuss it with this one,” explained Mr. Milgram. According to him, PGSHA has plans to develop the site on Lipovaya Gora.

“For us, Zubarev’s candidacy is even worse,” a source in the government of the Perm region shared with Kommersant. “Mr. Zubarev was already cautious, but after the criminal case he will be afraid of every proposal.” The interlocutor noted that the regional authorities can propose their candidacy for the post of rector of the Perm State Agricultural Academy. “Let’s look at the development program of the Perm State Agricultural Academy, which Zubarev will present,” the source told Kommersant.

Maxim Strugov

Academies are demolishing arable land