In February 2025, Ural Federal University (UrFU) dismissed Mikhail Volkov, a professor and the head of the Department of Algebra and Fundamental Informatics, from his position in apparent retaliation for his son’s political activities.

Mikhail Volkov is a leading scholar in mathematics and theoretical informatics. In 2017, he was elected to the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Literature. Volkov’s son, Leonid, was the chairman of the late Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023. According to Leonid Volkov, his father’s dismissal was politically motivated. UrFU gave Volkov only one day’s notice. UrFU’s press office confirmed that Mikhail Volkov is no longer employed at the university.

Two months after his dismissal, on April 3, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) raided Dr. Volkov’s home. Following the raid, the FSB interrogated Mikhail for several hours before opening a criminal case against him. Russian authorities also barred Volkov from leaving Ekaterinburg, where he lives.

Scholars at Risk is concerned by a university’s dismissal of a scholar on apparently politically motivated grounds. Higher education institutions should respect and safeguard academic freedom and institutional autonomy, including by refraining from dismissals or other disciplinary actions that retaliate against scholars’ relatives, and should employ transparent, fair processes when engaging in disciplinary actions. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, these actions undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and a democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://cms.math.ca/news-item/statement-of-concern-for-prof-mikhail-v-volkov/
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/04/04/the-criminal-case-taking-shape-against-opposition-politician-leonid-volkov-s-father
https://t.me/leonid_volkov/4967
https://www.youtube.com/live/S8PnVixzvJw?si=SETvNuV7E7-5S88j