The head of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art will resign after searches in the case of Marat Gelman

Director of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art PERMM Nailya Allahverdieva will leave her position on December 6. This was reported by Kommersant-Prikamye with reference to the Ministry of Culture of the Perm Territory and Allahverdieva herself. The head of the institution confirmed the information to Mediazona.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the head of the museum wrote a letter of resignation of her own free will. Allahverdieva explained her decision by saying that she “fully realized her plans for the development of the museum” and thanked her colleagues.

The acting director of the museum will be the head of the advertising and marketing department, Stanislav Pavlov.

On November 21, searches were carried out at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art and Naila Allahverdieva’s house in connection with a criminal case for justifying terrorism against gallery owner Marat Gelman. He founded the institution in 2009 and led it until 2013.

A Mediazona source familiar with the essence of the case reported that investigative actions in the institution took place “simply because of the very fact of [Gelman’s] relationship with the museum.” Allahverdiyeva was also summoned for a lengthy interrogation, which lasted until late in the evening.

In March, security forces already came to search Allahverdieva’s house - then the investigative actions took place as part of the case of high treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code), which was brought against Pussy Riot member and former publisher of Mediazona Pyotr Verzilov. A search was also carried out at the home of one of the Perm action artists.

Updated at 14:35 . Added confirmation to Mediazona of information about leaving Allahverdieva.