Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Official Has Doctorate Revoked After Plagiarism Charges

a former speaker of the Moscow City Duma Vladimir Platonov Denis Abramov / Vedomosti

The Ministry of Education and Science has stripped a former speaker of the Moscow City Duma of his doctoral degree, after being accused of plagiarizing his thesis.

The ministry said it acted on the request of the former speaker Vladimir Platonov, to revoke his degree and on a ruling by the state certification board, according to the ministry's order published this week by Dissernet.org — an online group aimed at exposing intellectual fraud by public figures.

Dissernet exposed parts of Platonov's thesis for a doctoral law degree as having been lifted from other sources, according to the group's report last fall.

Platonov responded months later, saying he had made a "difficult decision" and asked the State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles to revoke his degree.

Explaining via Facebook in April the unattributed matches in his thesis with works of other authors, Platonov used an euphemism "unscrupulous borrowing" that, he said, is not plagiarism.

Platonov said he would rewrite his doctoral thesis and present the new work to seek the degree.

Plagiarism accusations have been brought against scores of Russian officials, including Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, State Duma deputy from the ruling United Russia party Vladimir Burmatov, Transportation Minister Maxim Sokolov and St. Petersburg governor Georgy Poltavchenko.

None of these officials have been stripped of their degrees.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more