Suspect in vintage icon theft detained in Moscow

Moscow, January 31, 2017

Photo: https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/359021401523860125/ Photo: https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/359021401523860125/
Several vintage icons were recently stolen from a church in the village of Petelino in the Tula region, 130 miles south of Moscow. Among them is the icon “Christ in a Crown of Thorns,” probably painted by Viktor Vasnetsov, a famous Russian painter of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or one of his disciples.

The important cultural and historical item is valued at as much as three million rubles, reports Interfax-Religion.

Moscow police have now detained a suspect in the case, according to Ministry of Internal Affairs representative Irina Volk.

“As a result of the search carried out by employees of the Tula Regional Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs it was established that nine icons of those stolen were located in antique stores in Moscow. They were all seized,” Volk reported. Another icon was also found in the suspect’s ex-wife’s apartment.

The 26-year-old Moscow man is being held in detention in the case under article 158 (theft) of the criminal code.

1/31/2017

See also
Icon stolen twenty years ago to be returned to Yaroslavl Museum Icon stolen twenty years ago to be returned to Yaroslavl Museum Icon stolen twenty years ago to be returned to Yaroslavl Museum Icon stolen twenty years ago to be returned to Yaroslavl Museum
Negotiations with the new owner and repayment for the icon were undertaken by the Museum of Russian Icons, which in recent years has returned around twenty icons stolen from museums in Rostov, Ustyuzhna, Veliky Ustyug and Murom Unique seventeenth-century icon returns to Russia Unique seventeenth-century icon returns to Russia Unique seventeenth-century icon returns to Russia Unique seventeenth-century icon returns to Russia
Persistent efforts to find the precious icon continued for over ten years but with no result. In 2016, by a miracle of God it was found by Levon Nersesyan, research assistant of the State Tretyakov Gallery, in a private collection in Venice. Elderly Pair Arrested for Stealing More Than 3,000 Religious Icons from Churches Elderly Pair Arrested for Stealing More Than 3,000 Religious Icons from Churches Elderly Pair Arrested for Stealing More Than 3,000 Religious Icons from Churches Elderly Pair Arrested for Stealing More Than 3,000 Religious Icons from Churches
One of the thieves is an 80-year-old man and the other is a 60-year-old woman.
Comments
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×