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is an interesting article in 2012 in the " Forbes ":

Why billionaire Grigorishyn does not sell anything from his collection of paintings


The owner of the " Energy Standard " has created a collection valued at $ 300 million, of which no one is willing to sell a painting

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In 2008, businessman Grigorishin (№ 70 on the list of the richest to Forbes, - $ 1.3 billion), arranged a dinner at his mansion . Three dozen guests - members of the board of trustees of the Guggenheim Museum , which cooperates Grigorishyn and American collectors , for the sake of it flew to Moscow.

The museum regularly organizes such private dinners in the homes of collectors from around the world. Billionaire proudly showed guests paintings from the private collection . And he really has something to be proud of. On the walls of the house are decorated with three dozen works from the time-tested by Lucas Cranach the Elder to the trendy Roy Lichtenstein .

One of the guests found a job on Wall Russian constructivist El Lissitzky : " She always hung my friend in Palm Beach " A little later, he sent Grigorishyn old photo of a friend's home - to show how " Proun " looked in the interior. Businessman immediately noticed Fernand Leger on the mantel of American and began negotiations to purchase. " For the price not agreed . But we keep this thing on the radar. We need a Leger , "- says the 46 -year-old businessman in an interview with Forbes.

On the wall

The owner of the " Energy Standard ", which includes the largest Ukrainian manufacturers of power equipment , the first painting bought in 1993 .

His friend Edward Dymshits Kiev , curator of the collection of one of Ukrainian banks, the businessman offered to hang on the wall instead of the calendar landscape Mikhail Klodt. "I thought it was the right idea ," - says Grigorishyn . Especially since the price of the issue was not critical - about $ 20,000 . Now in its collection of works 238 " oil on canvas " and about 500 sheets of graphics. The total cost was estimated collections a year ago Lloyd's underwriters in the $ 300 million

In contrast, Peter Aven, collecting art "World of Art " and " Jack of Diamonds" , or Dasha Zhukova , collects only modern art , in Grigorishina has it all. And the old masters, and even Aivazovsky - "big , beautiful ." The only unifying principle - in all areas of the collection provides only top names. "In everything should be perfectionism . If you buy , the better , "- said a businessman .

His first love was the avant-garde. Grigorishyn , all of whose assets are located in Ukraine , gathered , in particular, the most comprehensive collection of the Kiev Alexander cubofuturists Bohomazov . One of the theorists of the avant-garde art, painting the Civic campaign train in the Red Army during the Soviet era was banned, but the work has kept widow .

In 1966, in the wake of Khrushchev's thaw, she was able to organize an exhibition in Kiev , and the following took place only in 1991 . One of the organizers was the same art Dymshits . Intrigued with his creativity flow Bohomazov , Grigorishyn found out the names of all the collectors who have been the work of the artist, and gradually bought what I wanted , not only colorful canvases, but also about fifty sketches for paintings .

"In the fullness of our meeting , perhaps, can only be compared with the museum. All of the best work is, and the goal to get to the ore , assemble everything in front of you I never put "- says Grigorishyn . But then he admits that he would like to have around even " Streetcar " - this work is in the collection of well known art collector Valeria Dudakov that part with it is going. Grigorishyn personally had no contact with him , but not for the first throws a rod through intermediaries.

Art of the early XX century Grigorishyn buying , not thinking about whether this investment perspective - in addition to " Iris " by Natalia Goncharova , for example , he is in a meeting , and her early work , doavangardnogo period. The first ten years he collected on a " hang on the wall ," and the only reference was " feeling inside ." In 2003 Grigorishyn generally stopped buying art - several experts , one by one doubted the authenticity of some works from his collection. "No money was sorry , just frustrating ," - says the businessman.

Examination of authenticity - a non-trivial task. Questions asked , when redeemed our archive of his relatives - just in 2003 businessman bought in Germany about 100 sheets of graphics avangardistki Olga Rozanova , wife of the poet's twisted , directly from her brother. Well studied and described the work of such artists as Goncharova and Larionov, who left the Russian themselves have taken out all of their work to the West (which is why the security of their works western banks willing to lend to collectors ) . With the majority of the same name the story is more complicated.

Shit happens even with the leading auction houses . Once Grigorishyn bought at Sotheby's Nicholas Pymonenko work , and when he became execute documents , it appears that neither the Tretyakov Gallery or Grabar Institute does not undertake to confirm authorship : no expert on this particular artist. Sue auction for tens of thousands of dollars businessman did not. All this has helped Grigorishyn realize that serious collection need a professional curator.

The hunt for the picture

The last eight years of his collection has been on a constant basis Olga Vashchilin . We met by chance, when he and flew to St. Petersburg on the birthday of mutual friends . The reason for talking about art and authenticity of works was a birthday gift - a surreal sculpture . It turned out that Olga herself collects contemporary artists . Offer businessman she considered the year , and eventually agreed.

The primary task - to verify and confirm the authenticity of the already existing collection of works . " Provenance , experts , technological expertise : X-rays , chemical analysis . We are 100 %sure to be "- says Vashchilin . Despite the passionate desire to have a collection of Kazimir Malevich , Grigorishyn was forced to give up one of the options " Suprematist Composition" and other works - was not sure of the authenticity .

All paintings Grigorishyn holds in Russia and Ukraine (" I live here , and not in the West "). Delivery of paintings purchased abroad is expensive : a special box , supervision from the place of purchase to the airport, armed guards , etc. This service provides auction houses to them for transportation from the U.S. to Moscow would have to pay $ 40 000-50 000 . But if you go directly to contractors - this is dealt curator , the delivery cost at least five times cheaper.
One of the main tasks of the curator - to seek work are of interest to collectors. Grigorishyn , for example , has long hunt for nude by Amedeo Modigliani - give his wife Natalia .

 How many will have to wait - is unknown, but the curator already being worked on. Total Modigliani painted a nude 32 . Of them as possible to establish directories and various exhibitions of communicating with collectors and experts in private hands today is seventeen. Only seven of the potentially accessible works are interesting Grigorishyn .

Olga collecting the crumbs of information about each owner : who, what country , who works without a divorce that with finances , etc. It seemed that luck is close - one of the works found in the collection of Arab investment fund that is ready to part with it . But the owner asked for a $ 70 million Modigliani , Grigorishyn took a reprieve. A fund in the meantime sold the work through an auction .

The collection includes "Portrait of Picasso " - a little work on the cardboard. The recent success - portrait of a woman who managed to buy just because a rich New York family that owned it since 1962, started a divorce, but both husband and wife were so fond of Modigliani, they could not divide it .

Museum exhibit

When the collection was systematized , confirmed the authenticity of the works of reputable experts and they were included in the catalogs , reason (full catalog of an artist . - Forbes), to Grigorishyn began to address the major museums. Now 60 %of his collection for the year goes to the international exhibitions . "This is not to increase the value - if a good job with good provenance , it is even more worth it if they write " never exhibited " not become familiar ," - says Grigorishyn .

At the 2006 at the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin's solo exhibition graphics Basil Chekrygin more than half of the works were from the collection of Grigorishina . Chekrygin in his youth was a friend of David Burliuk and Vladimir Mayakovsky ( made ​​out his first book, " I "), but is better known in the group " Jack of Diamonds ", which was the main ideologist of the priest Pavel Florensky . In 1922, the artist was killed under the wheels of the train, and it was almost forgotten . The meeting Grigorishina more than 200 of his works , including paintings uncharacteristic for him . Everything - from the family bought the daughter and granddaughter of the artist.

In 2008, the Russian Museum hosted an exhibition of works from the collection of Alexander Bohomazov Grigorishina in 2011 - Vasily Ermilova exhibition in the exhibition center "Arsenal " in Kiev ( one of the papers given, by the way, from his collection of Viktor Pinchuk, which often communicates by Grigorishyn Ukrainian business issues or policy ) . This summer Ermilova solo exhibition was held in Moscow - the Multimedia Art Museum .

In September, returned home from exhibitions in the United States and the Pushkin Museum 's most expensive exhibit collection Grigorishina - work by Joan Miro . " Worried , of course ," - says the businessman. Even more lives through his wife , when exhibitions are asked to work out the number given to her - always asks in detail , for how long , exactly when to return, says Grigorishyn .

But businessman confident that cooperation with museums, which can not always afford to buy works in private collections - the right thing . "Sleeping " by Tamara Lempicka from his collection , and it is "The Lady in Black Dress " from the collection of Alexander Chistyakov , who participated in the recent exhibition "Portraits of Collectors" in the Pushkin Museum , were shown for the first time in Russia the public works of the artist's iconic art deco , it is noted in the museum .

Grigorishyn - a rare example of our international -type collector, - says Marina Lochak , art director of the " arena " and co-founder of the gallery " Proun ", co-organizer of exhibitions Ermilova . - It is open to various educational projects and ideas , understand that the arts should be supported . And he does not do it for their own PR . "

This behavior is not typical of the billionaires who collect art . Few people have seen a collection of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili (№ 153 in the global list of Forbes) or Roman Abramovich (№ 9 "Gold hundred "). About the collection of Dmitry Rybolovlev (№ 13 in the "Golden Hundred" ) was known only from the claim of his wife in a divorce . Rumor has it that it has a Van Gogh , Degas , Monet, Picasso. Grigorishyn is open to the world .

It communicates with many international gallerists , curators and collectors . For example , the director of the Pushkin Museum , the legendary Irina Antonova , visits Grigorishina away . The billionaire said that communication with people from the world of art in his pleasure. "From a business, especially Ukrainian , it is difficult to communicate - talk about politics , money and business, quickly bored ", - says the businessman.

What to collect


Partly with the filing of Olga, who constantly brings him books and catalogs with new names , Grigorishyn started buying contemporary art. With Russian art dealers talks , but prefers to buy in the West - where the level of work , in his opinion , is much higher.

Eight years ago, noticed the work of Roy Lichtenstein's "head" in one of the books . The curator had found it in the catalog of the American gallery owner Larry Gagosian . Sent a request - can you find the coordinates of a private owner . Surprised by the interest of Russia , Gagosian helped . Now, talking all the time - at the Gagosian Grigorishyn bought , such as Francis Bacon, when he still was not as expensive as it is now (the record set Roman Abramovich , who paid in 2008 for his work at Sotheby's $ 86,3 million).

The work of the Colombian Fernando Botero painting the obese people Grigorishyn bargain personally - I saw her on the cover of a book , called himself an artist , and even got a discount to the argument " you do not have in Russia ." "There are lots of things to like about contemporary art, but the price is a little confusing - says Grigorishyn . - At the Gagosian good young artists . The last I saw , like abstraction Sesili Brown, Clifford Still's work . But it was so expensive that I did not dare . "

The big names of contemporary stars and auction records for Grigorishina is not valid - it is still guided by their emotions . "I 've seen a lot of Damien Hirst - Commercial collectors whole show. In the Tate Modern recently Hurst was again . But I do not feel anything when I see it ", - says the businessman.

Despite the fact that he became interested in Western art , an interest in Russian and Ukrainian artists of the early XX century in 20 years is not weakened . Bohomazov last purchase he made just two years ago. Grigorishyn emphasizes that forms the collection is not as an investor . "I have much to invest ," - said the billionaire .
He's a tough business , and shares the passion and says that he can control his passion for art : never had a situation where he would spend money on art to the detriment of the business. Bargaining at the auction for the " Vampire " by Edvard Munch , Grigorishyn stopped at the last moment and did not outbid rival - a record $ 38.2 million , "When you realize that you pay for the work the most in the world, it is sobering ," - says the businessman.

But when Grigorishyn considers the price reasonable , the money does not regret. In May 2009, he bought at auction Christie's « Night Fishing " by Peter Doig for $ 4.7 million , " I would never have been able to buy it, if not a crisis . Or not be sold , or would have cost three times as much. "

He still has not sold a single work from the collection. Those that now seem to be weaker just does not get out of the store. Despite the fact that tastes change over time, says the collector, works that really would not like him , not in the meeting .

About the only thing he was willing to part with part of the collection - the work of Hieronymus Bosch. "From the start gathering 'm looking for Bosch. But for 20 years, no one in the market was not yet 50 years old and can not be ", - says soberly Grigorishyn . But among the fifty works of the old masters in his collection is " The Temptation of St. Anthony " by Pieter Bruegel the Elder - especially for his dealer got the job in boskhovskom style in one of London's galleries, knowing that the client will like it.

In the other dreams come true - Pavel Filonov , who bequeathed all of the Hermitage are not on the market, Paul Gauguin ("good Tahitian Gauguin happen, but so far negotiations have failed ") , Kazimir Malevich (" to close the block of the Symbolists in the collection ") - only about fifty authors or particular works .

The list is based on all of the same personal preferences and attachments. "Collection - is a strong personal case , you need to collect himself. If someone is charging, will no longer be yours " - says Grigorishyn .

photo:

Office Grigorishin . On the wall - relief Leger

( photo Eugene Dudina to Forbes)