A 'bored' security officer allegedly ruined a $1 million (Rs 7.47 crore) painting by drawing eyes with a ballpoint to its faceless figures on his first day at the job.
According to reports, 'Three Figures' (1932-1934) by Anna Leporskaya, from the Tretyakov Gallery collection, was hung at the Yeltsin Centre in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region of west-central Russia.
The security guard is 60 years old and works for a private corporation. On December 7 2021, the painting was featured in the exhibition 'The World as Non-Objectivity, The Birth of a New Art.'
Following the event, the police launched an investigation for vandalism, which carried a fine of Rs 39,900 and a one-year prison sentence.
According to reports, the corporation is footing the bill for the restoration. The painting is being restored by experts in the hopes of restoring it to its former brilliance.
According to the Yeltsin Center, "The next day, the painting was evaluated by a restorer from the State Tretyakov Gallery and delivered to Moscow. The picture is being restored; according to the expert, the damage may be removed without affecting the work of art. The Yeltsin Center declined to comment on the hot pursuit issue since an internal review and engagement with law enforcement agencies were ongoing."
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