Baldin collection

[Allena]

Stumbled upon an article two years ago in the AIF. Interestingly, the continuation of events followed? Does anyone know anything?

Who would get Rubens and Monet? I will give the Baldin collection

Tired of war, the soldiers were glad to any artifacts. 15 October [2007] in Germany have a meeting of Putin and Angela Merkel. In Russia's cultural community is not the first week of rumors that at that meeting Russia's president can do germanskomu Chancellor truly royal gift - to transmit the Baldin collection to reduce the enthusiasm of Western critics of Russia.

Читать дальше... 

Baldin, or Bremen, the collection remains one of the most painful points in the German-Russian relations. What explained. The price issue - 1,5 billion dollars. It is so much on the western art market today are the work of Dürer, Degas, Goya and other masters of painting. This 362 figure and 2 pictures, allegedly belonging to the Bremen Kunsthalle, evacuated during the war from the territory of Germany, the Soviet Army Captain Baldin. He collected these pictures, lying on the floor of an abandoned during the retreat of the castle, traded by Soviet soldiers (as recalled children Baldin, tired of fighting soldiers willingly hung out in their own beds over the outline of a nude female kind). The Germans believe that the collection from the territory of Germany was taken illegally.

struck a bargain at $ 30 million

In 1992-1993. F. Polenov, grandson of the famous artist in those years - Chairman of the Commission on the Arts of the Supreme Soviet of Russia, professor of Moscow State University A. Rastorguev, Academy of Natural Sciences restorer S. Yamshchikov several times flew to Bremen to negotiate on this collection. The agreements recorded in the protocol signed by the first persons of the city of Bremen, and Russia's delegation. "The authorities of Bremen leave Russia top 10 of 362 exported Baldin drawings. 5, we would choose 5 - Germans. The rest we will refund in part - to 50 works. Each time that the German side pays for the restoration of the churches of Novgorod and helps replenish mugged Integrated Museum ", - says Savely driver. However, the protocol was not implemented.

"The willingness of the Ministry of Culture of the RF transmit" the Baldin collection "of Germany, announced by officials in 2003, provoked a wave of indignation, - said director Nikolai Gubenko, one of the staunchest defenders of the collection. - 12 March 2003 State Duma, asked the President to prevent transmission. Since then, after a thorough investigation in the Attorney General's Office, which recognized the attempt to transfer the collection of illegal, took four years. But whenever our next meeting was scheduled between the president and chancellor of Germany, and the German side, and supporters of the transfer to Russia's side once again raised this question.

Over the past year, negotiations on the collections held twice. At first, Russia has proposed to the German side as one of the conditions of transfer collections to recover the expense of Germany, Russia objects destroyed during the Second World War. And submitted them to the list. This is consistent with international law, in particular the concept of "restitution" as well as Russia's law on displaced cultural values. Moreover, the amount on which the matter is, quite frankly, for the sparing of Germany - 30 million.

Yet they flatly rejected the compensation offered and insulting to Russia of $ 2 million and should not receive it directly, but sell a few pre-selected images on any auction. Russia has refused offers from this.

Americans do not want to share?
 
- Recalled the opinion of the German newspaper "Die Zeit", who wrote in 1991: "During the war, the Russian had been robbed twice: first time - the Germans, the second time - the Americans" - continues Gubenko. - The Americans were taken from its occupied zone is not only good German, but Soviet, which was plundered by fascist troops in the territory of the USSR. Now in the U.S. are closed at this special depositories for 100 years. But the right to restitution could be granted only to countries, partially or fully occupied by Germany, to which America is not.

My position on the issue, to give or not this collection are strict enough. "Russia has acquired ownership of the above works, by virtue of acquisitive prescription on the basis of Art. 225 Civil Code "(Submission № 7/2-3118-2003 Prosecutor General's Office from 17.03.2003). Prosecutor's Office also stated that "ownership of the Art Society of the city of Bremen on these works documented, as required by the law" On export and import of cultural property "(Article 36), not confirmed." 67 of 362 exhibits collections do not have any signs of belonging - neither the Bremen Kunsthalle, nor to anyone else. Among them are paintings by Titian, Rubens, Veronese, Durer, Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet.

I do not understand what has happened over the past four years, if such a unique collection of works again ready, as was stated at the press conference the deputy. Head Rossvyazohrankultury Mr. Vilkova AI, to the transfer of Germany for a miniscule amount? Or Germany ceased to be the aggressor and is not responsible for the invasion of the Soviet Union June 22, 1941? Have we forgotten the horrendous human and material losses during World War II, in which the Soviet Union suffered the greatest loss?

According Gubenko, active position of Russian as "otdatchikov" can be explained by material gain. By the unwritten rules of international mediator to facilitate the transfer of the unique collection, may receive up to 60%of its value.

«COLLECTION SHOULD RETURN»
 
Anatoly Vilkov, deputy. Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Mass Communication and Protection of Cultural Heritage:

- Decisions of this level are not made matter of personal choice - no matter how high the rank of the head, but on the basis of laws. Rossvyazokhrankultura studied the situation with the legal status of the Bremen collection, which belonged to the Soviet Captain Baldin, and found that 362 figure, and 2 pictures were taken with the Baldin in Germany in 1945 illegally. Breaking the decrees of the Supreme Command occupied the territories of Germany, Baldin not passed, as was its finding to the office, and had brought her secretly as a personal trophy.

Therefore, these figures are not subject to the Law on Displaced Cultural Objects, the question of which must be resolved according to international agreements on assistance in finding and return of illegally exported property, signed by the USSR and then Russia. From our point of view, values can be returned to their rightful owner. This question addresses the Ministry of Culture. It should develop their proposals and submit them for consideration to the Government. No, as far as I know, the government did not tackle this problem.