The Art of Theft

[Artem]

The Art of Theft

This week in the capital of the Podolsk District Court began its consideration of the merits of the criminal case of theft of paintings Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's "Taking of Christ in custody or the kiss of Judas" from the Odessa Museum of Western and Oriental art. In addition to the theft of paintings by Caravaggio, defendants charged with other crimes committed from 2008 to 2010. However, at this moment two of the five defendants were previously arrested and have appeared on on his own recognizance.
"Gentleman's set"

Painting "The Taking of Christ in custody, or Kiss of Judas" was kidnapped Aug. 4, 2008. In June 2010, it sought out in Germany. At the same time, and the suspects were detained. In the fall of 2011 the prosecutor's office in Kiev criminal case was sent to the court.
"It's not beginning to listen to on the merits because the court considered the preliminary meeting of the numerous petitions of lawyers, including a preventive measure to amend the defendants - told the deputy chairman of the IARC supervision of compliance with the laws of special forces and other agencies that fight organized crime, prosecutor of Kiev Olga Varchenko. - Court against two defendants, these petitions were granted, and the men were released on bail. Because the current Criminal Procedure Code does not provide such an appeal the decisions of courts, the prosecution was deprived of this opportunity. But we, in turn, conducted its own test, which shed light on all this. The reason we made the request to the detention center. In the medical documentation data base supporting the court to modify the measure of restraint, we have not found. In this regard, the prosecutor's office as a response made to the High Qualification Commission of Judges representation in order to attract the judges to disciplinary responsibility, which is currently still pending. "
- It was possible to establish why the abduction was chosen for this is the picture of who the customer and the people who helped her to steal from a museum?
- No, it was not possible, because only in the early investigation of the detainees were given a confession, but they were incomplete. Then, from these general statements have refused. To date, the defendants did not admit his guilt. We hope that they will give evidence at the hearing. And the prosecutor who is involved in the process, will be able to ask questions and get answers to them.
- The picture was actually a copy?

Читать дальше... 

- According to experts, the picture painted by a follower of the great master. They felt that this is the best copy of a high-level and time of execution is not very distant from the original. Estimated cost of cloth before the abduction - 3.5 mln. Damage to the experts rated at 900 thousand UAH.
- Defendants charged with a dozen other episodes of theft. What kind of property in question?

- Almost all the stolen items were seized. They are found in a garage belonging to one of the members of this group. Among them were laptops, plasma TVs, gold, silver dining set, two baby dolls are hand-made $ 2 ths. each. As well as handbags, luggage, men's suits, perfumes, and even the scales ...
In addition to apartments, a car was robbed of one of the metropolitan television stations and the office of the National Committee for Disabled Sports of Ukraine.
In their work they used a rather expensive cars - the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Autlender, Land Rover, Renault.
- Were among the stolen items have some cultural value?

- In one episode, as the victim is the mother of the priest, whose apartment was robbed. Were stolen icons, crosses breast, and books. For example, one of the icons - the Mother of God, "Three Hands" - worth 30 000 hryvnia.
- Tell us about the organizer of this group.

- This is a Ukrainian citizen, who for a long time contact with persons having criminal records. There are currently nothing more I can say about this man, as is the judicial investigation, and it can be regarded as pressure on the court.
- On the territory of Kiev in recent years, detained other groups specializing in the theft of works of art or antiques?

- No, not delayed.
- Is extinct in the criminal world "lovers of beauty?"

- Of course, such people exist. But as they say, is not caught - not a thief. Of course, we have certain operational information, but we can implement it, when this will be a good reason.
The hearing in the Podolsk District Court of the capital began with the interrogation of the victims who lost their personal property. Until the picture it seems, has not come soon. But it is material evidence, therefore, to begin its restoration can not yet.
Collectors give "good"

What exactly was stolen works of art during the years of independence of the Ukrainian museums and private collections, are difficult to install. But only one of the last directory that control the movement of state service of cultural values ​​across the state border of Ukraine published a few years ago, includes more than a thousand items, including the theft of the loudest in recent years - the painting "The Kiss of Judas." In addition, you'll find the landscape and still-life of Albert Erdelyi, stolen in 2004 from a private collection in Uzhhorod (the price - about 150 thousand dollars). Caught in the list, and two paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky seascapes, stolen in 2006 from a private collection in Lviv (cost - about 150 thousand dollars). There is in it, and three paintings stolen in 2009 in the Museum of Fine Arts I.Buhanchuka s.Kmitov in Zhytomyr region. And two of Tatiana Yablonskaya and a Basil Nepiypivo are at least 30 thousand dollars
In Soviet times, was distributed network of national museums, which were created in small towns and villages. Values ​​stored in the school museum - something darilos eminent countrymen, something has appeared thanks to the enthusiasm of teachers. Thus, even in the villages could be real gems. It is these museums are often targeted for theft. There are several reasons: the poor technical equipment, and inadequate protection. But Ukraine is also not developed the digitization of museum exhibits, there is no electronic catalogs, most museums for a long time there were no sites that could accommodate the collection. This non-public life of works of art was only on hand to thieves.
How to find a missing icon only on the description? Or find a picture, which shows the lake, a tree, a mountain? No picture does this item elusive, impossible to find and return.
There are many examples where the lack of a legend, pedigree, no additional information leads to the fact that buyers do not know what got stolen. And when this fact was installed, they returned the items purchased by museums. At the same time suffered losses.
One of the directories, which was issued civil service control over the movement of cultural values ​​across the state border, contributed to the return to Ukraine - Lviv and Poltava museum - a very valuable works of art. Among them - the icon of the sixteenth century. "Entry into Jerusalem," which was stolen back in 1980 from the National Museum in Lviv. She was able to find in a private gallery in Germany.
Unfortunately, the long period of time there was a practice that is quietly changing the scripts easy to fake, who later years of fun on the walls and "delighted" customers. Thus, for the abduction of Ukrainian paintings by artists from Uman museum and Yampolsky Museum of Fine Arts in October of last year Kryzhopolsky district court of Vinnytsia region sentenced to five years in prison, former chief of Yampolsky interdistrict department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Vinnytsia region, the former deputy chief of police department Umansky, former director of Uman museum and former chief Yampolsky separated podrazdeleniyaGP "Vinnitsavodokonal."
In the course of the military prosecutor of the Central Region of Ukraine jointly with the employees of the Internal Security SBU pre-trial investigation was exposed corruption scheme stolen from a museum of paintings by famous Ukrainian artists by replacing the originals to copies.
"The idea of ​​how to use public property for their own benefit, there was a water utility director Alexander P. Yampolsky, - says head of state prosecution for the maintenance of the military prosecutor's office of the Central Region Denis Shevlyakov. - Try his plan, he decided on a small museum in Yampol. The businessman spoke to the director, after hearing the problems and promised to help - make picture frames from the special fund. And at the same time agreed that he would take to decorate the walls of water treatment plant at the time of a number of works by famous artists brush: Shishko Glushchenko, Zakharova and others. He returned a fake. "
The official also talked svoihznakomyh, Yampolsky employee of the SBU and the commissar, also take the time to painting to decorate the walls of buildings of the Security Service and the military enlistment office. When they returned to the store of the museum, none of the staff did not notice - reasons not to trust the officers was not respected. Meanwhile, director of the utility, ordered a copy of the artist, sold a few originals and sought buyers on the other.
Soon after this operation he was already in the Uman provernuli - by deputy head of the local police, who under the guise of the exhibition in the district department took seven paintings from the museum. Three weeks later, there came up ...
During August 2006 - December 2007 attackers seized paintings by Ukrainian artists, in particular, works T.Yablonskoy "The April day," M.Gluschenko "Winter Sun" and "Autumn charm" S.Shishko "Bridge over the Dnieper," and "Autumn time," M.Dontsova "Winter Evening" I.Grigoreva "Legend of the Kiev football," V.Yatsenko "May", V.Nepeypiva "tide," M.Kokina "Young Orchard" M.Maksimenko "Village Komarische "E.Lutsenko" In Sidneva "S.Krivoruchko" Summer Day in the Carpathians ", N.Maltseva" Warm day, "I.Zori" Blooming in August, "A.Matsievskoy" Kiev to Mount Batu, "F.Zaharova" Spring in Chernigiv "and" Spring Flood ", A.Bizyukova" Spring Water "V.Chegodara" Spring in the Crimea, "and" Ukrainian flowers. " Pictures stored in Uman and Yampolsky museums.
During pre-trial investigation traced and returned to the state 11 of the 21 original paintings stolen. Thus, the original paintings were returned M.Gluschenko "Autumn charm", S. Shishko "Kyiv landscape" (The bridge over the Dnieper), F.Zaharova "Spring in Chernigiv" and "Spring Flood", S.Shishko "Autumn time", with . Krivoruchko "Summer Day in the Carpathians", E.Lutsenko "In Sidneva" A.Matsievskoy "Kiev to Mount Batu," A.Bizyukova "Spring Water" and the famous picture I.Grigoreva "Legend of the Kiev football" on the "match death "between the Ukrainian and German players in Kiev in 1941.
In addition, during an exhibition of paintings on a large international antiques show in "Ukrainian House" was removed a picture of the artist M.Gluschenko "Winter Sun" for sale at a price of 750 thousand UAH. Another picture of Glushchenko "Autumn charm" brought to the SBU's lawyer collector who wished to remain anonymous. He read in the newspapers that the painting was stolen from a museum, and decided to return.
"The convicts appealed, but we hope that the Court of First Instance upheld the guilty verdict in effect," - said the IARC Deputy Military Prosecutor of the Central Region Nikolai bald.
According to him, the fate of the stolen paintings is still unknown. So just to say they were taken abroad or remain in the country, it is impossible. As reported by the IARC in the Department of the fight against smuggling, risk analysis and anti-corruption SCSU, during 2009-2011, the customs authorities of Ukraine no cases of illegal movement across the customs border of cultural valuables (works of art) that have been stolen from museums or private collections. Although the "old lovers" customs officers detained a regular basis. Thus, during 2011 suspended 247 attempts of illegal movement of cultural property, antiquities seized in 1712. Among them - the old icons, books, coins, philately.
In order to effectively counter the illicit movement of cultural values, customs authorities cooperate with Interpol. "Since 2003, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine through the structural units of the Ukrainian Labor Bureau of Interpol staff, including regional, performs operational checks of identified cultural values, using a global communications system I-24/7 International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol, the databases that contains information on stolen works of art - the director of the Department to combat smuggling, risk analysis and anti-corruption SCSU Alexander Popivnyak. - Customs authorities shall use the system during the identification of cultural property, which could be the subject of unlawful interference or if it is impossible to establish their origin. We send the appropriate requests to Interpol. At this time, active work on the provision of law to the State Customs Service to address the global communication system directly through the Ukrainian Interpol Bureau. "
Tatiana Bodnya