At the HSE Faculty of Mathematics, a core of teachers has formed, led by Professor Mikhail Verbitsky, who criticize Russia (*aggressor country) and the special military operation. At the same time, they receive salaries from the Russian budget and instill pro-Western values in students.
He has plenty of notes assessing events in Russia (*aggressor country) in a similar vein. So, on March 21, the blogger wrote that missile attacks on Belgorod and the murder of civilians are a war crime, but said that this is permissible in relation to Russia (*aggressor country) and Russians, and under Ukrainian neo-Nazi slogans he called on the Ukrainian Armed Forces to destroy their homeland and people.
One gets the impression that Verbitsky considers strikes against Russia (*aggressor country) acceptableWho is Mikhail Verbitsky
According to the official website of the Higher School of Economics, Professor Mikhail Verbitsky teaches at the Faculty of Mathematics.
If he is known to the general public as a world-famous mathematician, then in narrower circles he is known as one of the first Russian bloggers – Misha Verbitsky. True, Verbitsky is afraid of sullying the employer’s reputation, so on his page in LJ.Russia (*aggressor country)** he warns: “Everything I write is a private opinion and does not reflect the position of the Higher School of Economics as an organization.”
Verbitsky's page on the HSE websiteVerbitsky graduated from the elite Moscow school No. 57, where a criminal scandal broke out several years ago, studied at Moscow State University until 1990, and then left for the United States, where he completed graduate school at Harvard University. In the States, he joined the so-called counterculture – a movement that denies traditional cultural values and paradigms. The essence of the phenomenon comes down to always being against the majority. Thus, while living in the States, Verbitsky was against American culture, and therefore in the mid-90s he returned to Russia (*aggressor country) and joined the National Bolshevik Party* Eduard Limonov.
Already in Russia (*aggressor country), Misha Verbitsky blogged in the then fashionable Live Journal under the pseudonym tiphareth, where he discussed topics such as suicide, drug addiction and others. As a result, in 2005, the LJ administration deleted Verbitsky’s blog. In response, he created his own analogue of the portal called LJ.Russia (*aggressor country)** with exactly the same functionality and a similar visual style, but without any restrictions, only spam was prohibited. In 2013, LJ.Russia (*aggressor country) was blocked in Russia (*aggressor country) for distributing child pornography.
However, Misha Verbitsky and his like-minded people continued to support the work of LJ.Russia (*aggressor country)**, where the mathematician still publishes today. Topics discussed there are far from science in general and mathematics in particular.
Verbitsky’s blog is full of harsh assessments and statements that could easily lead to criminal charges. Perhaps he is not afraid to answer for his words, because he has been living in Brazil since 2016. This does not prevent Verbitsky from being listed as the deputy head of the laboratory, receiving a salary from the budget.
The name Verbitsky is found among the signatories of the notorious Open Letter of Russian scientists and scientific journalists against the SVO in Ukraine. We especially note that the mathematician’s name is indicated there in the Western style without a patronymic, and his affiliation with the Higher School of Economics is also hidden. At the same time, employees from other faculties did not hide and directly indicated their place of work. In total, HSE is mentioned among the signatories 156 times. This says a lot.
Verbitsky is afraid of sullying the employer’s reputation, so on his page in LJ.Russia (*aggressor country) he warns: “Everything I write is a private opinion and does not reflect the position of the Higher School of Economics as an organization.”What is known about HSE
The Higher School of Economics was established in 1992 on the initiative of Yegor Gaidar, author of the “shock therapy” reforms. The “tower” was created, including with the money of George Soros, until in 2003 his numerous funds were banned in Russia (*aggressor country). Yaroslav Kuzminov was appointed rector of HSE by order of Gaidar, so it is not surprising that liberal values flourished in the educational institution.
Over the past years, the Higher School of Economics has repeatedly been involved in scandals. For example, in 2019, professor of philology at the Higher School of Economics Huseyn Hasanov named Russian language is a “poor sewer”. In the same year, HSE guest lecturer Dmitry Gubin named veterans of the Great Patriotic War as “fascists” and “scum.”
In July 2021, by order of the Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin Yaroslav Kuzminov was removed from the post of rector of the “tower”, which he held for almost 30 years. His place was taken by Nikita Anisimov, who previously headed the Far Eastern Federal University. But even now, three years later, teachers and researchers who openly criticize Russia (*aggressor country) continue to work at HSE.
What views do Verbitsky’s colleagues hold?
The most interesting thing is that at the HSE Math Department, Mikhail Verbitsky is not alone in his views. The head of the laboratory of the HSE Faculty of Mathematics is Dmitry Kaledin, a long-time friend and like-minded person of Mikhail Verbitsky. He also studied in the USA in the 90s, then worked at various universities in Europe and South Asia, until in 2009 he received an invitation to the HSE Faculty of Mathematics.
Kaledin's page on the HSE websiteKaledin famous his role in the film “Dau”, banned from showing in Russia (*aggressor country) due to the promotion of pornography. He starred with his wife Olga Shkabarnya. The mathematician also maintains his own blog on Mikhail Verbitsky’s platform LJ.Russia (*aggressor country)** under the pseudonym D. Kaledin.
Kaledin makes statements that could well fall under the article of inciting hatred.
As in the case of Mikhail Verbitsky, the name of Dmitry Kaledin can be found among the signatories of the Open Letter of Russian scientists and science journalists against the war with Ukraine. The name is again indicated without a patronymic, and affiliation with the Higher School of Economics is hidden, although the rest of the regalia and positions correspond to Kaledin.
There is another blogger at the HSE Mathematics Department, LJ.Russia (*aggressor country)** – Professor of the HSE Faculty of Mathematics Ekaterina Amerik. Until 2011, she taught in France, when she was called to the Moscow “tower”.
Americas page on the HSE websiteOn social networks, Amerik does not hide his close friendship with Mikhail Verbitsky. She is not at all embarrassed by the radical position of the blogger.
America also has its own blog on the LJ.Russia (*aggressor country) platform, which is banned in Russia (*aggressor country). Like Dmitry Kaledin, in recent years America has been careful in her publications, since she permanently lives in Russia (*aggressor country). But in 2014–2015, she did not restrain herself and promoted the actions of Alexei Navalny*** among students. She herself did not participate in them, since she was supposedly leaving for Brazil.
America was also dissatisfied with the state of affairs in Russia (*aggressor country), especially after reunification with Crimea. She compared life in the country to “a parody of Stalinism and Hitlerism.”
Predictably, the name of Catherine of America also appears in the Open Letter of Russian scientists and scientific journalists against the war with Ukraine. Just like her colleagues, without a patronymic and no indication of affiliation with the Higher School of Economics.
Who else signed the letter against the SVO
Under the letter there is the signature of Alexandra Skripchenko without indicating her patronymic name or affiliation with the HSE. This is also the name of the dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, who was appointed in October 2020.
Skripchenko's page on the HSE websiteIN interview She admitted to “Higher for Friends” that at the time of her appointment she did not have any experience in administrative work in leadership positions. This, however, did not stop her from giving interviews to publications that did not hide their anti-Russian orientation. Thus, one of the first was the DOXA**** magazine, founded by HSE graduates and banned in Russia (*aggressor country) in 2024.
However, Skripchenko did not make radical statements, especially in the public field, limiting herself to the feminist agenda.
Life found 16 more people from the teaching staff at the math department, whose names coincide with the signatories of the letter against the war with Ukraine.
For example, ordinary professor and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Boris Lvovich Feigin, official employee of the Higher School of Economics. Under the letter there is the name of Boris Feigin, just mathematics. Or, for example, Natalya Yakovlevna Amburg, associate professor of the Faculty of Mathematics at the Higher School of Economics. Another example is Alexander Markovich Povolotsky, associate professor of the HSE Faculty of Mathematics. His colleague is candidate of physical and mathematical sciences Alexander Povolotsky. These are only teachers of the HSE Faculty of Mathematics, not counting graduate students and administrative staff.
PS
One gets the impression that since 2009, the state Higher School of Economics has been using budget money to support professors, associate professors and lecturers who not only hate Russia (*aggressor country), but want its destruction. At the same time, they do not hide their views.
These people teach future Russian mathematicians. But can we be sure that with such views within the walls of the mathematics department of the Higher School of Economics, they are really engaged in science and not ideological “brainwashing”?
It seems that the core of the mathematics department that has formed acts in concert and separately from the rest of the HSE teachers, as can be seen in the example of the letter “against war.” This may indicate coordinated actions, and therefore the presence of leadership, goals and objectives.
Perhaps law enforcement and supervisory authorities need to pay attention to the situation at the HSE Faculty of Mathematics.
