Art theft

[gans]

In Ukraine "artistic" boom. Works of art "taken away" just out from under the noses of owners. From thieves suffer not only lovers of beauty, but also the followers of the masters of the Carpathian school of painting.
- Paintings stolen not only from the galleries and workshops titled Copyright artists, but even from private collections and public institutions - says art Transcarpathian Art Museum Elena Prikhodko. - During the last years of the founders of the Carpathian school of painting Adalbert Erdelyi and Anton Bocsa risen hundreds of times. If even five years miniature brushes Erdelyi cost $ 300-400, now cheaper than $ 16-18 thousand paintings this author does not find.
Most precious painting is estimated pre-war period - $ 50-400 thousand. However, experts say it is not the limit, because the picture known zakarpattsev now very popular. Collectors are sounding the alarm: the last 10 years the country's mass export of the masterpieces of painting. According to law enforcement for two years, cleared four gangs that specialized in kidnapping of art treasures from the museums, clubs and even from home galleries.

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- days of the theft of six works zakarpatskikh masters, among whom Erdelyi, Yuskov, Chovk, - said Assistant Chief of Uzhgorod GO GU MVD for interaction with the public Ekaterina Kiyovich. - They stole from a private collection associate one of the departments of Uzhgorod National University. The attacker entered the home, smashing a window.

Experts determine the artistic value of the lost, and some guards are seeking thieves. However, the official information on the number and authorship of the work does not own any law enforcement agency, and therefore, find the picture very difficult. Art critics argue that the extent of theft are enormous.
That's Honored Artist of Ukraine Yuriy Hertz is no longer expects to see his best paintings, which he wrote almost half a century. The thieves carried out of his studio for more than 20 paintings.

- Laureate of the Shevchenko Prize Jury Hertz belongs to the second wave of artists Carpathian school of painting, - member of the Union of Artists of Transcarpathia Kuzma, Boris. - For his works collectors chase, because of its very own original master stroke technique, which is practically impossible to forge. The thieves knew what to take, because only the work disappeared Hertz. By the most conservative estimates, the damage is around 40 thousand euros.

Steal hundreds, are units

If you decorate your home one or two pictures of the classics - you can only dream of peace. Experts advise to fork out and hire a security guard or else move them to a safer place. But even video cameras and alarm system does not guarantee the safety of paintings, even lesser-known artists. And if you want to contemplate the works of artists of every day, be careful - thieves already halfway to you.

- Attackers do not stop at anything above their profit, - complains People's Artist of Ukraine Clara Balog, who miraculously managed to survive after a raid by robbers. - We rented an apartment in the report, and on the wall, which was shot in the background, hung two paintings. No sooner had my interview to appear on local television, as we come back in raiders. My husband and I were at home, but it did not stop the thieves. Two masked men attacked the husband, stunned him a blow on the head, and have aimed the gun at me. They took three paintings zakarpatskikh authors: two - brush Boretsky one - Svalyavchika.

Forty pictures mysteriously disappeared from the apartment is also chairman of the Beregivsky district administration. One of them is the most valuable - "Spring in the Carpathians" - written in 1972 by well-known Transcarpathian artists Zoltan Soltes. Chew private collection now adorns the landscape is not known.

From the foyer of the reception the governor of Transcarpathia attacker made fabric, the market value of about $ 5 thousand. And in the premises of a closed joint stock companies, eight works Soltes, Kondratovich Mykyty and Kashshaya been tampered with on a copy. However, the thief was caught very quickly. They found 40-year-old uzhgorodets, who worked in the same building. At night he substituted paintings and sold them for a pittance.

We visited the attacker and the home of the pensioner under Uzhhorod, where the stolen painting Bocsa. They come back in and into another apartment in Tyachev where delivered three of Zoltan Soltes and one of Anton Bocsa, totaling 300 thousand hryvnia. All they have not been found and it is not surprising. Most of the works of art sell abroad. For example, two recent works by Bocsa been deleted in the customs from the citizen of Germany.

- The German tried to move across the Ukrainian-Slovak border, two paintings worth 125 thousand UAH., - Says spokeswoman Uzhgorod Customs Victoria Sengetovskaya. - The travel bag alien inspectors found rolls of wallpapers, but in them - two art canvases.

Experts Transcarpathian Regional Art Museum. Bocsa have set: the work of "Naked woman" and "Launches" represent the historical and artistic value. They managed to preserve the cultural fund of Ukraine. But, according to experts, most of the stolen over the past decade has not returned.

Anna Tarasova.

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