Nailya Allakhverdiyeva Flees Russia After Threats to PERMM Museum

Nailya Allakhverdiyeva, director of PERMM, Russia's sole major contemporary art museum outside Moscow, fled the country in late 2024 after escalating threats. She had faced searches, interrogations, and intimidation from conservative activists and the Federal Security Service, which planted a fake explosive device in the museum. Allakhverdiyeva, 54, initially resisted leaving, driven by a sense of mission to support creative freedom and artists. The final push came from an ultimatum by Alla Platonova, the regional culture minister, warning of serious problems if she did not quit. With family dependents, including a son and elderly mother, she relocated to Berlin. PERMM, located in Perm about 700 miles east of Moscow, had become a revered cultural institution under her leadership. The museum's challenges highlight pressures on cultural expression in Russia.