[russiaart]

The paintings have been owned by Kaplunov's former business partner since the time they were conducting auctions in France. There has never been any claim made regarding these paintings and their ownership, (which is well documented) was not in dispute for over a decade. After a business dispute and lawsuit ended in a verdict against Vladimir Kaplunov for Fraud and theft, Kaplunov began to file a series of false claims against his former partner. Vladimir Kaplunov also has filed a statement claiming that he, Vladimir Kaplunov, was Mentally ill to avoid contractual obligations. This case kaplunov lost also. Kaplunov then tried to claim these same paintings as stolen from him in New York on his former website Godlevsky.com.

When none of these frauds worked he somehow managed to get Rosokhrankultura to publish this fraudulent claim, without any evidence or legal basis whatsoever. The widow of Godlevsky never made any legal claim regarding these paintings, and there is absolutely no legal documentation supporting this fraudulent claim.

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The business dispute started in 2002 when Sothebys caught Vladimir Kaplunov selling a forged Russian painting under the company name. it was discovered that Kaplunov was also stealing paintings from the owner. in 2002 Kaplunov was actually selling Paintings By Ivan Godlevsky now listed Rosokhrankultura. Documentation that Kaplunov was selling in these paintings he now claims are missing can be found on the internet. Kaplunov also exported and sold paintings by other artists but apparently never paid the artists. he has tried to blame his former business partner, But the truth was all documented in the New York Courts many years ago that Kaplunov is a thief and frraud.

Rossokhrankultura knows that the paintings in the catalog were never missing and that the claims made by Vladimir Kaplunov are a fraud and extortion scheme against his former business partner. They also know that the paintings involved were either lawfully exported by the artist or they have never been in Russia at all. Rosokhrankultura is/was not a Court of law, and has/had no jurisdiction to assert a claim.