Pro-Russian activist receives 10,000 euros from Slovak arts fund, publishes only one article

Alexander Riabov, a pro-Russian activist who sits on the board of Slovakia's state news agency TASR, received a 10,000-euro grant from the Fund for Arts Support (FPU) for his online magazine Pole. Under the grant agreement, Riabov promised to publish 10 to 15 articles monthly throughout the year. However, he produced only a single article during the entire grant period, which focused on a conspiracy theory about Pope Francis being the last pope before his death. Riabov failed to return the grant money within the required timeframe after failing to fulfill his publishing obligations. The case highlights concerns about the allocation of public arts funding and raises questions about oversight mechanisms for grant recipients who fail to deliver promised content.