Russian Curator Subpoenaed Over Censored Art

MOSCOW — A museum director who helped organize an exhibition of censored Soviet and post-Soviet art in defense of Russian artistic freedom now faces censure himself.

Prosecutors have summoned the director, Yuri V. Samodurov, to a hearing on Tuesday during which he will be charged for his role in organizing “Forbidden Art — 2006,” a March 2007 exhibition at the Andrei Sakharov Museum in Moscow, according to a subpoena delivered to Mr. Samodurov last week. The subpoena was then faxed to The New York Times.

The charges stem from an investigation that began shortly after the exhibition opened into whether Mr. Samodurov had incited religious hatred by displaying pornography-infused artworks, some of which mocked the Russian Orthodox Church.

Yevgeni E. Korobkov, who signed the subpoena, confirmed that he had sent it but said he was not authorized to give further comment. A spokesman at the Moscow prosecutor’s office also declined to comment.