Thieves, Vandals and Idiots. A Criminal History of Russian Art

Stupidity, hope for the best, and drunkenness — these are what distinguish Russian crimes in the art sector: — To pry 602 diamonds from icons and hide behind the iconostasis for three days, only to collapse from hunger and thirst,... literally falling onto the heads of the police. — To enter the Hermitage in broad daylight and cut a canvas from its frame, fold it several times... And then to drop the painting on a prominent politician. — In front of an audience, to pull a painting from its frame, leave fingerprints on the abandoned frame, then hide the painting at a construction site. And to be arrested the next morning. — To drunkenly smash a museum window with a stone, drink some more, and fall asleep on antique furniture. And to be caught red-handed — with a single bronze statuette. Sofia Bagdasarova's book is now available in a convenient pocket format, just right to take with you to the museum. Here you will learn all about how crimes are committed in Russian museums and who usually commits them. All the thefts, scams, and acts of vandalism described in the book are completely real historical events, and that is why they are especially astonishing. They are absurd — and that is why the book is filled with a special, absurd humor. After all, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to write about these crimes with a national Russian color. In addition to engaging crime-comedy stories, the book includes normal journalistic articles about absolutely wild Russian crimes, as well as insider interviews from representatives of the contemporary art market who wished to remain anonymous, but revealed amazing details of the shadow antique business.