The head of a state agency overseeing the...
The project to rebuild the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet has been marred by repeated reconstruction schedule delays and a misspending scandal. Russian prosecutors opened a probe last year into the suspected embezzlement of millions of dollars during the renovation.
A dispute between Mayor Yury Luzhkov and Yakov Sarkisov, former head of the state Directorate for Construction, Reconstruction and Renovation, began in December when the mayor demanded changes to the structure of an underground rehearsal room and Sarkisov rejected the changes which would require additional studies and further prolong the project, the unidentified official said.
"Luzhkov called Sarkisov"s position sabotage of the city government"s decisions and said he would demand his dismissal," the official said.
The official said the dismissal earlier this week was also a result of the Directorate"s conflict with the reconstruction general contractor, Intex, over repeated reconstruction schedule delays.