A top Russian scientist has died in mysterious circumstances in Moscow. Anatoly Gerashchenko fell to his death a series of flights of stairs on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin's ally headed the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI).
"This morning, 73-year-old Anatoly Gerashchenko fell from a height, flying [down] several flights of stairs. The scientist received injuries incompatible with life. The doctors who arrived at the scene could not save the professor," said Russian channel TASS on the messaging app Telegram, quoting the MAI.
Gerashchenko Plunged To His Death From A Great Height
Gerashchenko had more recently served as an adviser to the current MAI rector, Mikhail Poghosyan. The electrical engineer joined the MAI in 1977 after completing his graduation.
Gerashchenko Served As The Rector of MAI
He served as the rector of MAI from 2007 to 2015. A commission, which will include officials from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, the State Labour Inspectorate and the Moscow Aviation Institute, is being formed to look into the death.
Gerashchenko is rumored to have fallen out with Putin's inner circle, leading to him being forced from his position as rector seven years ago, according to The Sun.
Gerashchenko Was Removed From His Post In A Raider Takeover of The Institute
Reports also claimed that Gerashchenko was removed from his post in 2015 in a 'raider takeover of the institute'. He was reportedly pushed out by then Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov, who is directly involved in the Ukraine war.
Gerashchenko Published Hundreds of Scientific Papers
The MAI stated in a statement that the advisor died in a result of an accident and his death was a "colossal loss for the MAI and the scientific and pedagogical community.
Gerashchenko Was Honored With Merit to the Fatherland
Gerashchenko, who had published more than 100 scientific papers and articles, was also honored with including the "Merit to the Fatherland" medal from the Russian government.
It came after a top official in the Russian Federation died mysteriously in September. Ivan Pechorin fell off the side of a boat in waters close to Russky Island. He was Putin's point man for developing Arctic resources.
His body could only be found after a search of more than 24 hours. Recently, Pechorin attended a key conference that was hosted by Putin. Officially, he held the position of managing director of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation. In recent months, a number of Russian officials have died mysteriously.
