[Konstantin]

I've been careless something commented on the phone and hit the "story".
But the case is interesting, what everyone thinks?

Today, July 14, Dzerzhinsky district court of St. Petersburg would consider whether to return the collector Alexander Pevzner picture of Karl Briullov "Christ in the tomb. The invaluable work of the great Russian painter, was arrested a few years ago by the Office of the FSB in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region in the case brought against the collector under smuggling.

According to Pevsner BFM.ru lawyer Anna Stavitskaya, the defense filed in court, challenging the refusal of the investigating authorities to close the case against Pevsner. "We also asked the investigators to return Pevzner now, but our request rejected", - said Stavitskaya.

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The criminal case against a citizen of Russia and Germany Alexander Pevzner was brought under Part 2 of Article 188 of the Criminal Code ("contraband" - up to 7 years imprisonment) March 18, 2003. This occurred soon after as a collector bought one of the Orthodox parishes in Belgium now unknown artist canvas and brought to St. Petersburg.

In order to attract Pevsner as the defendant stated that the collector was going to sell the painting Bryullova State Russian Museum. However, he "with intent to evade payment of customs duties," said customs officials and declare it knowingly false information about the purpose of import pictures, customs regime and its value. So, Pevzner blamed that he does not give the author's name and the value of the painting, and declare it apocryphal canvas in preferential mode of temporary import.

After the expert picture is not returned to the owner

Pevsner himself guilty of smuggling denies. According to him, when he bought the picture, there was no credible evidence to suggest that it was written by Art Masterpieces. «Under a contract with the seller, I returned to work if it turns out that the picture did not brush Bryullova ", - says the collector. He noted that the work constitutes a sheet 1,5 to 2 meters, was not traditional for Briullov. It was written in a very thin canvas, viewable at the light as a slide.

To identify the author of the work, Pevzner and brought the canvas to Russia for the examination in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. "In Germany, these specialists Brullov no. In addition, the German certificate would have no force ", - told BFM.ru Pevzner. He added that the choice fell on the Russian Museum is not accidental: this facility is the largest owner of the works of the great artist, one picture is there, there are more than 70.

According to the agreement concluded, the Russian Museum took the painting "Christ in the tomb" a temporary storage. "If so, they should be restored at my expense, because the church was leaking, and experts have stated that the picture is seriously ill, but it can still be saved," - continued his story Pevzner.

According to him, representatives of the Russian Museum no secret that they are very interested in buying the painting, and asked the collector "yield" museum canvas. But it was not planned by Pevsner.

"When it became clear that this picture Brullov, it simply decided to take away. It was a criminal case "- has joined the conversation, Anna Stavitskaya.

Collector assures us that he acted under the law

Within four months of the collector was in the status of a witness, and when he left, he was charged in absentia in the "smuggling" by the fact of non-declaration pattern. Later, the wording changed. "The fact is that, processing the temporary import pictures in Russia, I have a detailed description of the canvas and presented to customs at once, two photo picture - the overall look and fragments of fine detail", - says Alexander Pevzner.

His lawyer claims that the investigation does not have any data that Pevzner wanted to sell the painting Briullov. "In fact there is only a statement of the Russian Museum that they are interested in the painting came to him in the museum for permanent storage", - said the lawyer.

According Stavitskaya, representatives of the Russian Museum requested investigation as quickly as possible to determine the legal status of the picture that the museum was ready to buy for 400 thousand dollars. Himself a collector said that now the canvas is already ten times more.

Currently, a criminal case against Alexander Pevzner suspended due to the fact that he is outside Russia. What would happen is difficult to predict. The statute of limitations on the case expires in 2013. However, this does not mean that Pevzner back now. The businessman said that the seizure pattern in favor of the state has no legal grounds - the property can be seized only after conviction by a court. "But I am sure that the picture must be confiscated and returned only after the decision, which in our favor, take the Strasbourg Court", - said the collector.

How can cost Masterpieces

According to the commercial director of portal artinvestment.ru (Internet project dedicated to Russian art market), Konstantin Babulina, estimate the cost of painting by Karl Bryullova now quite difficult. His works are not sold at international auctions ago. According to experts, in 2005, a sketch of one of the works Bryullova sizes 60 to 70 cm was sold for 750,000 dollars. And in 2009 at Christie's auction design Bryullova purchased for 400 thousand dollars As such large paintings as "Christ in the tomb, in the opinion of Babulina, if the work they want to sell, the starting price may be 2 million dollars. "To leave the same picture can be for any number", - said the expert.

The painting "Christ in the tomb" was written Bryullov in 40-ies to the 19 th century located in St. Petersburg chapel Count Adlerberg, later governor-general of Finland. In 1881 Earl and his family emigrated to Germany, where, most likely, and took a picture. In the 30's the 20 th century painting was bequeathed to the Orthodox parish in Brussels. Presumably, the will was drafted descendants Adlerbega.