The order, signed by Polyankin, was published on March 24. It follows from it that the Theater School will suspend its activities from April 1 to June 1, 2022, during which time “educational relations between the institute and adult students or parents of minor students” will be terminated. In another document on the university website saysthat “for a long time the trend of a significant deterioration in the financial situation of the institute has been preserved.” It states that the university is funded by donations and tuition fees. In addition, the administration accused “certain individuals” of “deliberately discrediting the institution.”
According to Raikin, Polyankin made the decision to suspend the institute’s activities without discussing it with the artistic director, teachers, students, members of the board of trustees, or philanthropists. “Although officially we are talking about the suspension of studies, in reality it really means the closure of the school. This is done at the height of the school year and two months before the exams. Moreover, teachers and students learn about it just a week before closing, ”he said.
Raikin also said that a month before the events, he learned about his dismissal from the post of artistic director of the educational institution and the liquidation of this position from April 12: “That is, Mr. Polyankin dismisses Konstantin Raikin from the Konstantin Raikin Theater School.” He promised that the decision would be challenged in court.
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Raikin’s interests are represented by the law firm EMPP. Lawyers recalled that last year Polyankin filed a lawsuit with the Ostankino Court of Moscow on the liquidation of the Raikin Fund for the Support and Development of Culture (Raikin and Polyankin are its founders). As a result, according to lawyers, the building of the Theater School was to be transferred to legal entities controlled by Polyankin. The court did not satisfy the claim. In addition, the EMPP reported that last August Polyankin fired university professors Renat Mamin and Polina Raikin, but later they were reinstated.
The conflict between Raikin and Polyankin was reported last year, in particular, they wrote about it “Gazeta.ru” And “Independent newspaper”.
After that, on the website of the Theater School was published material “The interview of the rector to himself”, in which Polyankin presented his point of view on what is happening. The rector emphasized that no one “stole” the building of the Theater School, it belongs to the “Foundation for the Support and Development of Culture”, which, in turn, gave it to the university for free use. According to Polyankin, since 2020 he has been receiving from Raikin “requirements (in written and electronic form) in accordance with which Raikin K.A. should receive full and sole control over the School building free of charge.
Polyankin also accused Raikin of the fact that the artistic director “scares away” philanthropists from financing the Theater School, prohibits the creation of online courses for teaching acting and directing and “accepting teachers for the acting department and directors if they are not members of the Raikin family.” RBC turned to Anatoly Polyankin for comment.