The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology canceled a student meeting with Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov two days after it was announced. This happened after pro-Kremlin Telegram channels drew attention to the announcement of the meeting.
“We planned to hold an open meeting with Dmitry Muratov, a journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. I proceeded and proceed from the fact that the MIPT community is open to communication with bright professionals in various fields, people with a wide audience and a high intellectual level. This has always been a "pass" for the guests of Phystech. This is exactly how our previous open meetings went,” Rector Dmitry Livanov said in a statement.
Muratov himself also spoke about the cancellation of the event and Muratov himself. His statement was published in the Telegram channel of Novaya Gazeta Europe:
“Back in January, I was invited to a meeting with MIPT students. I warned that trouble would come with me. Yesterday, March 21, after publishing the announcement of the meeting on the university website, he was subjected to vile criticism from various ultras.
The level of attacks is understandable – one of the extreme nationalists (Do you know this breed? They go in camouflage, but in Moscow) even outlined the thesis of my "anti-patriotic" speech, which I have not even written yet … With such a flair, one must look for truffles … <…> Of course, I understand the reason why the university notified me and the students about the rescheduling of the meeting.”
