Gutseriev sharply responds to Zapashny's rebuke for supporting Canadian circus

On December 18, the Ingush businessman, Mikhail Gutseriev, announced his intention to file a lawsuit for protection of his business reputation after being accused by Moscow Circus director Edgard Zapashny of constructing an arena for the Canadian "Cirque du Soleil".

Mikhail Gutseriev was criticized by Edgard Zapashny, Director General of the Great Moscow Circus, on December 15, at a sitting of the Council for Culture and Arts under the President of the Russian Federation. Mr Zapashny, in particular, accused Gutseriev of investing money into foreign arts, stating that he was financing the construction of a multidisciplinary site for the "Cirque du Soleil" in the Moscow region.

In response to the accusations, Mr Gutseriev told the media that Zapashny's criticism had nothing to do with reality. The businessman has confirmed that his company is building a concert hall in Skolkovo, which will be leased to many performers and groups, including the "Cirque du Soleil".

The "Safmar" Industrial and Financial Group of Mikhail Gutseriev, the main developer of the Skolkovo territory, has promised to file a complaint against Zapashny to the Prosecutor's Office and the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), suggesting that accusations against the businessman could be a "pre-planned competitors' action," the TASS wrote on December 18.

Also, the "Safmar" Group has officially announced its intention to file a claim for the protection of the honour, dignity and business reputation of Mikhail Gutseriev, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 21, 2018 at 02:14 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.