Paintings by Aivazovsky, Kuindzhi and Kalmykov worth over 26 million hryvnias were handed over to occupiers: former director of the Mariupol museum has been notified of suspicion. PHOTOS
The former director of the Mariupol Local History Museum has been served with a notice of suspicion for facilitating the illegal appropriation by the occupying forces of unique works of art from the collections of the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art Museum.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, as relayed by Censor.NET.
What is known
It has been established that at the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion, the suspect, having free access to the museum’s storeroom, unlawfully took possession of paintings that were on display at the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art Museum. She initially transported them to her own home and later, following arrangements with representatives of the occupying administration, personally handed them over to the invaders.
The paintings were subsequently taken to the so-called "Donetsk Republican Art Museum" and illegally entered into the Russian register of museum artefacts. In this way, the suspect facilitated the occupiers’ illegal appropriation of Mariupol’s cultural heritage.
The former director has been notified in absentia of her status as a suspect in breaching the laws and customs of war (Article 438(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
What was stolen
It is noted that the items in question are five original paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky, Arkhip Kuindzhi and Grigory Kalmykov, with a total value of over 26 million hryvnias.
Among the looted cultural artefacts are Ivan Aivazovsky’s painting ‘Off the Coast of the Caucasus’, Arkhip Kuindzhi’s canvases ‘Red Sunset’, ‘Autumn. Crimea’ and ‘Elbrus’, as well as Grigory Kalmykov’s work ‘Kuindzhi Feeding the Pigeons’.
