Russian media reports say Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov has been detained on charges of embezzling public funds.
Russian media cited sources in the Interior Ministry as saying that Pirumov was detained on March 15 in the city of Rostov-on-Don and transferred to Moscow for questioning.
According to the sources, Pirumov is suspected of embezzling funds allocated by the government for the construction and restoration of cultural heritage sites.
No more details were immediately available.
Pirumov, 53, has been serving in his post since March 2013.