How it all began ? In 2009, the CEO of the publishing house " The Golden Age" Leonid Shumakov proposed doctor Andrei Vasilyev buy Boris Grigoriev . Prices going through the roof garde : just in 2009 at Sotheby's gone watercolor "Faces of Russia " ( from the same cycle ) for nearly a million dollars, and that painting is quoted more. A canvas " restaurant " seems to be descended from a " good home " ( Gen. Nikolai Timofeev ) , and " lit up " in 1914 in the publication " My Journal for the few ", which produced the 1st merchant guild, bibliophile and collector Alexander E. Bourtsev . Vasilyev decided to buy a "picture of the biography " without expert advice. A year later she went to the exhibition in Moscow, where he saw her employee Grabar Center Yuly Rybakov . Expert , as it turned out , had previously faced her and acknowledged forgery : examination showed that the paint used to create the fabric , appeared after the death Grigorieva . Vasiliev later received another confirmation that he foisted fake , already in the Russian Museum . Vasiliev rushed to Shumakov , he explained that he had received a job from Elena Basner . Art itself , however, did not deny that dealt with this picture . That's what she said "MK" in August the year before last (№ 26020 from 21.08.2012 ) : "Three years ago, I brought work , the authenticity of which I was absolutely sure . But I did not even give a written conclusion ! ".
And in April 2011, the Russian Museum opened an exhibition of Boris Grigoriev . Excellent remember the Opening Day : Sea public, the best textbook work Grigorieva ( distant beauty and power of acquisition Vasilieva ) and expensive hefty catalog . It showed up and the twin brother of the picture itself , which was bought by a collector . " Paris Cafe " (1913 ) , cardboard, watercolor, tempera , White . 53,3 x70 , 3. The meeting Belt "- learn from the signature. And that's important , " restaurant " is specified as an option in the published edition of the work . Here is mentioned only once thing , the origin of which is now so bothered Investigative Committee of St. Petersburg.
Sounds version that " Paris Cafe " has arrived in the Russian Museum in the 1980s , along with other works from the collection of Boris Okuneva . Professor ballistics bequeathed his collection belt , and his daughter sang the last will of his father . He really could not buy a job in any thrift store, where the thing could really get from the collection of Alexander Burceva . Publisher has played an important role in the fate of the artist. When still unknown Grigoriev studied at the Academy of Arts, Bourtsev began to bring him to design folklore and ethnographic collections . Experiments in the journal Burceva responded in the most famous cycles Grigorieva : " Race " (1918 ) and " Faces of Russia " ( 1923-1924 ) . It is believed that in " burtsevsky period" (1910-1912) born Grigorievsky grotesque , which is distinguished by its brilliant style of writing . Do Burceva obviously not kept one work Grigorieva . But then all of its capital and assets were nationalized during the revolution.
But who saw the painting " Paris Cafe ", except employees of the Russian Museum ? Collection took Okuneva deposited in the belt Basner , and directory on it too it was . " Paris Cafe " on the recent opening at the Russian Museum has not got and never before exhibited . As for the catalog , 2011, that there is no signature Elena Basner . In the book's authors former colleagues critic - Irina Waqar , Vladimir Kruglov, supervisor - Yevgeny Petrov . To last names return.
After detecting the clone of your purchase listing Russian Museum Andrey Vasilyev went to the police - until then hoped that the work is still present . Statement filed in June 2011 , but did not give the cause of stroke . Sued SHumakova , which , by the way , the sign 30 years old, but he was not satisfied with the statute of limitations . Wrote to the Ministry of Culture , promising to arrange a check Russian museum, but " did not find good reasons to send a commission ." And then came to the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin . Thrust doctor was - seen a lot of nerves , effort and money invested .
Elena Basner was arrested the next day after returning from Helsinki - January 31. She spent five days in jail , is now under house arrest. All electronic media ( computers, cameras , flash drives ) removed . Parallel searches were conducted at other antique dealers that may be relevant . But the investigation now must be involved in the case develops another - Estonian Michael Aronson . According to Andrey Vasilyev , Basner in conversation with him said that he owner of the painting , and it is only an intermediary . Collector also found that one - repeatedly convicted felon . Basner also said ( through a lawyer Larissa Malkov ) that Aronson brought painting to the auction house Bukowskis, where she works , and so the picture was her .
Where strings stretch of this crime ? How many pieces involved in a dark laugh ? Could , according to Vasiliev, " someone's invisible hand " to slow the process so much that the case could give only move Bastrikin ?
But the presumption of innocence has not been canceled , what if Basner really wrong , taking a job , which she showed at face value ? After all, out of her mouth while we did not hear any confessions . That and her colleague Irina Shalina argues that Basner "lives a wealthy quite like everyone else" . Could Elena Basner itself become a puppet in someone's clever game? In defense critic collected about 2,000 signatures - among supporters of all artistic Petersburg, and not only. Who are they protecting ?
Radioactive expert
There is a tacit guild called " respectable people ." Elena Basner entered it for a long time . Daughter cult Soviet composer Benjamin Basner , author of melodies "Where the Motherland Begins " and " On the Nameless Height ' , grew up in the bosom of art and devoted herself to him . Specially chosen vanguard , explains: caught his mystery, taboo . Graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Painting , Sculpture and Architecture in 1978 and settled in the Russian Museum. Eventually became a senior fellow painting the second half of XIX - XX century. It Basner peredatirovala many works by Kazimir Malevich and curated the first international exhibition devoted to the artist (1988-1991 years Москва–Ленинград–Амстердам–Вашингтон–Лос-Анджелес–Нью-Йорк). Suddenly in 2003 to resign and went to " free bread " - an expert in the Swedish auction house Bukowskis, then , since 2006 , a leading researcher in the St. Petersburg Museum of avant-garde ( Matyushin House ) .
Positive examination Basner Sapunova work , which proved a forgery .
A couple of years Elena Veniaminovna made a sensational statement, she found a way to error-free analysis of the paintings of the twentieth century . In 2008 , a year before the ill-fated fake stories with Grigorieva , patented know-how. The secret of solving the main problem of expertise , according to Basner , lies ... a radiation. The method involves measurement of the levels of cesium -137 and strontium -90. If there are a lot , then the picture painted after 1945. Point of reference is not accidental : the first nuclear explosion took place in New Mexico in July '45 . Since Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the world was carried out over two thousand nuclear tests , so they dumped radioactive elements everywhere now . In animals , trees , plants, soil . In paints which are made of organic materials , too. The logic is that if pre-war picture - radioactive isotopes in paints not.
Several examinations confirmed that this sketch is not related to Sapunova . Here is one of them.
What would be fantastic at first glance did not seem the idea , it has a right to exist . Yes , radioactive isotopes are scattered on the ground - their contents somewhere more, somewhere less, but they are everywhere. And not only those that appeared on the planet as a result of nuclear explosions , but also those that exist in nature without any human intervention. By the way , the study of the past with the help of radiocarbon analysis helped scientists in the 1990s to explore the Turin Shroud and prove that it was not created earlier thirteenth century . And the results are revised several times , more than one consecutive year. But one thing - the radiocarbon analysis , it has been tested (though faltering ) , the other - the way Elena Basner . Does it have the device , which is able to conduct similar analyzes? What is the percentage error ? All these questions remain dangling in the air - no employees restoration workshops or radiation specialists were not able to confirm the "MK" , that such a device exists and is able to give accurate results. True, any examination conducted by such an analysis could not be found .
At this place worth explaining , because of what so offended Art and Community . More than that - frightened . The fact that the work of the expert community for a long time a lot of questions . The Russian market is crowded fakes : different indicators called " pollution " - from 40 to 90%! A trial on fraud cases with artwork - no . Preobrazhensky case if only to recall . Yes, gallery owners , trading counterfeit condemned , but they say , only after they have managed to foist falshak collection of Vladimir Putin.
- I have five years in catalogs fakes, and I was left with more than 1,000 unpublished cases . Antique market is filled with them! - Said Vladimir Roschin publisher , whose combined with Rosokhrankultura publication led to the conviction of experts Tretyakov Gallery. Critics have recognized more than 100 erroneous conclusions for themselves. After the scandal TG stopped issuing expertise to private clients .
- Previously, experts were afraid to be seen in such scandals . Catalogues fakes untied the hands of experts , they say, the human factor is mistaken - continues Roschin . - Today, experts - is untouchable caste . It is the only profession where you can take a huge amount of money for their work. Of course , we should not stigmatize all . But in case of an error , experts do not bear any responsibility. While art scam persist, the market does not become civilized . Detention Basner - Revolution! Maybe after this, experts will fear fool . After this incident the victims stand in a queue with claims against experts.
How many collectors hold a grudge against the Tretyakov experts ? Who checked the absence of motives for these errors ? Collectors completely silent - know the truth find oh so difficult. And most trying. On the other hand , an expert - just a man . And who does not make mistakes ?
- We are people too ! - Stands up for fellow critic , an employee of the Russian Museum Irina Shalina . - Knowledge of the subject and provenance - this is important , but there is something that is beyond understanding , at the level of intuition. Expertise - not mathematics . Nobody ever invents a way to uniquely identify , there will always be two people , one of whom will be "for" other "against."
Errors or scam ?
Basner more often "for".
So , picture Armenian painter Martiros Saryan " View of Mount Ararat" she identified as a script . Basner exhibited work at auction Bukowskis, where Elena is now working for $ 50-70 thousand . However, landscape nobody bought . Later Moscow collector Victor Spengler purchased the work for 120 thousand dollars . Unlike Vasilyeva - a written opinion signed by the deputy director Yevgeny Petrov belt (which as time is leaders directory Grigorieva ) and Elena Basner . And after some time spent a few additional collector examinations : the Scientific and Restoration Center Grabar and Research independent examination behalf Tretyakov. It turned out fake web . In the summer of 2012 opened a case , but then closed.
On this " episode " wrote some of the media .
On the next - no one ever . Immediately say : collector, who in 2007 bought the fake through Bukowskis for 40,000 euros, is not ready to open his own name. However - after Vladimir Roshchina - in« MK" hit material supporting another mistake Petersburg art critic. She refers to the work that was attributed to the theater artist Nicholas Sapunova - painter , pupil Korovin and Serov, scenography , drowned in 1912. Basner felt that " sketch made in the characteristic style of the artist , in compliance with the basic principles of composition ... ". Doubt have an art thing is not caused , it returned a verdict : " It has high artistic value and collection value indisputable ." However, after some time, our anonymous went to other expert institutions and all received the opposite response . GosNIIR experts , laboratory technical expertise "Art Kolsalting ", Institute of Geology and Geochronology, Russian Academy of Sciences came to the same conclusion without saying a word . And not examined by eye , as did "chemistry" and X-rays. And found that the work could not be done before the second half of the twentieth century . " Based on the work S.Yu.Sudeykina " Garden Harlequin "from the collection of the Saratov State Art Museum " - says the most authoritative of these organizations - GosNIIR . Agree, it looks suspicious. It seems that the authority Elena Basner crumbles like a house of cards . But the question here is not even in her and not her accuser .
The point in the system. It is inherently false. The idea is that every act of sale , whether it is buying gum or Rubens, must be documented . But who in the antique world today draws checks and contracts ? Vasilyev not, like thousands of other collectors too. All in words . Antique market has long been a semi-legal position. Moving by inertia from the Soviet era . And in the USSR could , of course , buy a piece of art in a thrift shop , but rarely worthwhile. Most recent authors - the same avant-garde - were banned , then attended the black market , as well as icons and everything else. It took more than 30 years - but the market is not out of the shadows came . The problem is that there is no single agency that would control this environment . Rosokhrankultura disbanded , and the Ministry of Culture in question engaged in three and a half men . Law enforcement agencies do not really know how to act : practice in the investigation of such cases is almost there. And now here's the deal Basner . Indeed , the revolution .
material: Maria Moskvicheva
Newsprint topic: INVESTIGATION
http://www.mk.ru/culture/article/201...seriynyim.html