Kherson Art Museum identifies 88 stolen paintings in occupied Crimea
Kyiv • UNN
The Kherson Art Museum has identified 88 paintings from its collection that were stolen by the Russian occupiers and found in Crimea, including a work by People's Artist of Ukraine Viktor Poltavets.
A work by People's Artist of Ukraine Viktor Poltavets was featured in a propaganda video shot in August 2023 in occupied Crimea. Two previously identified works by Ukrainian artists Serhiy Yakobchuk and Rostyslav Zvyagintsev can also be seen in this footage.
This was reported by the Kherson Art Museum and reported by UNN.
Details
Identification of the stolen artworks continues. A painting by a Ukrainian artist stolen by the occupiers from the Kherson Art Museum is hidden in a dark corner on a shelf in the makeshift storage room in the Central Museum of Tavrida.
This is a work of art by Viktor Poltavets. September (1986. Oil on canvas). The painting was featured in a propaganda video shot in August 2023.
This is the 88th work of art whose illegal stay in Crimea is beyond doubt.
Author of the artwork:
People's Artist of Ukraine Viktor Poltavets (1925-2003) was a descendant of the Zaporizhzhia Cossacks. He worked in the field of historical painting and book graphics, taught, and worked at the publishing houses "Art" and "Veselka". In the difficult conditions of the dominance of socialist realism, the artist, developing a different view of the history of the Ukrainian people from the generally accepted one, managed to establish himself as a Ukrainian national artist. In the second half of his career, Ukrainian landscapes, such as the stolen "September," became Poltavets's favorite genre. The artist's laconic landscapes are characterized by a harmony of colors and halftones. A lively brushstroke not only forms a volume, but also creates a subtle movement of nature and even allows the viewer to catch the feeling of air filled with aromas.
AddendumAddendum
Two previously identified robots were found in this video footage:
- Serhiy Yakobchuk (1937-2015). Dispatch in the village. Oil on canvas.
- Rostislav Zvyagintsev (1938-2016). Reindeer herder of Kamchatka. 1974. Oil on canvas.
Recall
UNN reported that the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Oleksiy Shovkunenko identified several paintings from its collection that were illegally taken to the occupied Crimea by Russian invaders: Ivan Hopkalo (1894-1984). Park. 1959. Paper, pencil; Mykhailo Chepyk (1920-1972). Paris. Boulevard Madeleine. 1967. Tinted paper, pastel; Yurii Balykov (1924-2010). Boats. 1979. Paper, pastel.
