The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia has initiated a legal action aimed at nationalizing Muzyka, the nation’s oldest and largest music publishing company, as reported on Friday by business news outlets Vedomosti and RBC, citing sources familiar with the situation.
According to reports, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov has launched an inquiry into a 2012 “fraudulent auction,” which allegedly enabled the Russian-American director of Muzyka, Mark Zilberquit, to acquire 100% ownership of the company for a mere 8.4 million rubles (approximately $104,500).
Zilberquit faces allegations of misrepresenting the value of Muzyka’s music catalog, digitizing its sheet music, limiting access, and compelling state institutions and musicians to pay exorbitant prices or resort to semi-legal online platforms. Prosecutors contend that this privatization was intended to “strip Russia of its cultural heritage,” damaging the nation’s “democratic” and “ethical” foundations.
Established in 1918 following the nationalization of the Jurgenson publishing house, Muzyka became a dominant force during the Soviet era and continues to publish works by esteemed composers like Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, along with academic textbooks and educational materials.
The lawsuit implicates Zilberquit, his spouse and business partner Yelena Zilberquit, as well as Anastasia Jurgenson, head of the P. Jurgenson Foundation. Prosecutors have reportedly requested a Moscow district court to impose a freeze on their assets, prohibit their business activities, and prevent them from leaving the country.
As of Friday afternoon, neither Muzyka nor the Prosecutor General’s Office had provided any comments regarding the reported lawsuit.
