Artwork worth US$46 million (approximately R$219 million) was seized by Finnish customs on its return to Russia, according to a statement from the government agency on Wednesday.
Customs said, due to EU sanctions, confiscated three shipments of Russian paintings and sculptures over the weekend in Vaalimaa, a crossing point on the southeastern border. The work was returning to Russia via Finland after being part of international exhibitions in Italy and Japan.
“It is important that the enforcement of sanctions work effectively,” Sami Rakshit, director of the Finnish customs enforcement department, said in a statement.
“Sanctions are part of our normal operations and we always target our controls based on risk. The shipments that are now under criminal investigation were detected as part of our regular enforcement work.”
The confiscations were justified on the premise that the artwork qualifies as “luxury goods”, which are included in EU sanctions against Russia. According to Finnish customs, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the EU sanctions list contains a paragraph on works of art.
Russian Senator Sergey Tsekov, a member of the Federation Council’s Foreign Relations Committee, told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Wednesday that Finland’s “extrajudicial seizure” of the artwork amounts to “theft”.
It seems that all of Europe, not just the EU and NATO, has gone mad. Now works of art belonging to Russia cannot return to their homeland, to Russian museums.
Sergey Tsekov, Russian Senator and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council
RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Ministry of Culture, said the work was part of two exhibition projects in Italy – one in a gallery in Milan’s Piazza Scala and one at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Udine. They were on loan from the State Tretyakov Gallery of Russia and the State Museum of Oriental Art.
Other pieces from Moscow’s Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts were returning from Japan, where they were on display at Tokyo’s Chiba City Museum.
Finnish customs said in the statement that “the artworks are being stored with general consideration for their value, characteristics and security”, and that an investigation is ongoing.
European leaders have been implementing a series of sanctions on Russia, with measures increasing in recent days following atrocities seen in Bucha, near Kiev.
While the sanctions were largely designed to hit Russia’s economy, the country’s cultural influence is also being reduced.
Since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24, the art world has canceled concerts and put pressure on Russian art institutions.
Source: CNN Brasil
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